While traveling in Portugal, a number of years ago, I checked in to a Pousada, Portugal’s version of a quaint B&B. Exhausted from a long, crowded flight, I flopped myself onto the bed and happened upon the room’s guest book. |
Opening it, my eyes locked onto the last 2 signatures on the page:
A. LIEBOVITZ & S. SONTAG
“Annie Liebovitz and Susan Sontag had just stayed in my room! In this bed!" I thought to myself.
Before allowing myself to look up and read their entry, I thought of all the meaningful things they could have possibly written.
"The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own."
S. SONTAG
"A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people."
A. LIEBOVITZ
And then I read the thoughts that these two intellectual giants had left in the room's guest book...
“What a beautiful room. And wonderful people.”
A. LIEBOVITZ & S. SONTAG
Not exactly the moment of enlightenment I was expecting to receive but I suppose that even these two photographic monoliths are entitled to like a comfy room too. But as the years have passed, Annie and I have crossed paths again as I have had the honour of being accepted in this year's very prestigious American Photography, for the following series.
Past winners include: Mary Ellen Mark, Edward Burtynsky, and of course, Annie Liebovitz. Which is what made me recall our Pousada interlude. And no one can prove that I rubbed this camera all over those sheets for luck. No one!
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| Camera that was on the same sheets as Annie and Susan. |
