Going to be honest here, I don’t usually attend keynote talks at photo conventions. In the past, I’ve tried, but the speakers are often some ex-CEOs selling some new product start-up that can ‘make you so much money!’ Frankly, while I don’t know everything, after being a pro for more than two decades, I know there is no magic button to success. This year, WPPI was different. No random CEO from another industry, but rather a legendary photographer was speaking. None other than Annie Leibovitz took the stage at WPPI 2026 for the keynote.
I’m sure it was no coincidence that Leibovitz was supporting her new book WOMEN. A book signing was held before the keynote. The book, it turns out, was indeed a big part of her presentation. Something she immediately addressed. “I’m going to show you all the images in the book, so you don’t have to buy it,” she joked. “My publisher doesn’t like it when I say that.”
Give them a Name
Leibovitz said, “I’m a passionate bookmaker.” She then wasted no time getting into the content of the book. It is a 2-volume set, the first volume reprinting the 1999 book, the 2nd a new catalog of images. A catalog of people. Catalog of stories. That’s what photos are, the best ones anyway, stories told in a single frame.
Oftentimes, during the live photo critiques we do here at Adorama, I have said, ” Your images must speak for themselves. You won’t be there to explain or defend them.” One of the most powerful moments of the talk for me was Leibovitz simply naming the subjects as she showed the images. ‘She was a waitress.’ No explanation of why she used that angle. ‘She was living in a woman’s bathroom.’ No explanation of her choice of lens. ‘They are military recruits.’ Just simply giving each a name, not always a proper name, but a name. The power of the images shone through, and you realized that all these women. Celebrities, workers, people she may have met only once, touched her in some way. You heard it as she named them, you saw it in the photos.
The Truth
The truth of portraiture, the truth of the images, was there on display, simply and powerfully. I had to leave early as I had a shoot to get to. However, I spent 20 minutes or so in that room. The time I shared with thousands of other creators was a powerful lesson in what is important as a portrait artist.
I know it’s easy to get caught up in the grind of social media and chasing the next trend. Even before social media, we chased the next magazine spread as soon as the first was set to print. Hearing Annie Leibovitz speak of her passion as a bookmaker made me reflect and think of the part of photography I miss these days. The physicality of it. The prints on your wall, the portfolio you used to bring to clients’ offices. Perhaps that time will never come back, but in the age of print on demand, we could all take a moment to craft a book of our work and share it, even if just with friends.
One final takeaway. Annie Leibovitz said that she often says she doesn’t have a favorite photo. However, now, as she gets older, she would say a portrait of her mother has become her favorite. Her mother was all about getting everybody to make big smiles and pose for the cameras. However, this photo, this portrait, shows her mother in a way that we forget a camera was there; it shows a true human connection. Isn’t that what we all want our portraits to do?
