This week, I’m thinking about careers. My 10-year anniversary at my current job more or less coincides with my 19-year anniversary of joining the photo world.
And yes, if you are doing that math that means that I’ve now been here longer than any other job I’ve ever had. And that I am old enough to have a career that is old enough to vote.
When I started in 2015, I was still getting the hang of the idea of work-life balance and also trying to extricate my sense of self and self worth from my career. These were incredibly difficult things to unlearn and I spent the first four years doing that before having Zu followed by COVID quarantine which, gotta tell you, was a very fast way to put things into perspective. I’m not saying I have it all figured out, because I definitely do not, but I have learned a lot of things that feel like they would be printed onto a wooden plaque in flowery cursive. Turns out both my job and I have changed and evolved over the last decade.
For instance: I learned not to take things personally - if someone doesn’t like a photo I’ve commissioned, it is not a personal attack. Some hills are worth dying on, but certainly not every single one. It’s okay to let some things go. For the most part, the work will still be there tomorrow! Don’t cancel your plans. Letting other people shine doesn’t diminish your own sparkle, in fact it often reflects back on you.
I told you! Corny! But that doesn’t make it untrue and it didn’t make those things easier to learn. And sometimes I do still take things personally or want to fight it out over something I shouldn’t, but those events are far less common now.
Here are some highlights from my 10 years in no particular order:
Working on our annual Gift Guide with Justin J. Wee. It was during lockdown in 2020, so unfortunately we weren’t together in person, but we had some of the best calls ideating and crafting a fun and rich looking portfolio. He talked about it here. And because of it I gained a new friendship with an insanely creative and generous human.
Every and all photo shoot I’ve done with food stylist Maggie Ruggiero, who is the kindest, flexible and least wasteful. Plus she’s a witch: a photographer asked me if I wanted to taste something and I was in the very very early stages of pregnancy and super sick and Maggie somehow just KNEW and made my excuses for me while I scurried away.
Flying to Scotland to produce a Ewan McGregor shoot for a cover. He jumped up on a rock wall which was slick from the rain and laughed at my panicked face, telling me not to worry. He did not fall, but I was absolutely nauseous the whole time. Especially when he pretended to wobble and laughed at me. Nothing like being tortured by a celebrity who finds your panic and terror humorous.
Sending Joyce Lee on her first travel shoot and having her return with these photos.
I have a long and lovely history with Hannah Whitaker that goes back to my very first job and we’ve worked together A LOT, so choosing one shoot was tough. But this is my newsletter, so I won’t! Bro-oches was such a silly concept that became one of my all-time favorite shots because of how perfectly executed it was and this Bluey shoot was just a tremendous amount of fun. And our gift guide. . .and and and. . .
all in camera!
we nearly dropped that Tiffany’s bird with security there!
fun times!Listing shoots here is a bad idea because there are so many great and fun ones and I cannot list them all. BUT sending Wayne Lawrence to Thailand to photograph elephants and asking him to “just make your portraiture”. Such a fun call to make! Such gorgeous photos in return! Tina Tyrell photographing large groups of chefs in the tiniest studio. Janelle Jones making something out of nothing for me on the regular. Every time set designer Ryan Schaefer has come through. Jewelry shoots with Joanna McClure. Sending Gab Herman to Spain for our annual Where to Go package. Meredith Jenks’ award winning Spend portfolio. Every lush background still life by Naila Ruechel. Jessica Pettways’s Breaking Point Cover. This was a bad idea! I should quit while I am ahead?
The chart below was made by a former art director. Step one was very specific to him, but otherwise the workflow remains more-or-less the same:
This is gross and schmoopy, but: the people. I have made some really incredible long-lasting, outside-of-the-job friendships! Ugh, sincerity is so awkward! Stop looking at me!
Every single creative conversation I’ve had with photographers over the last 10 years even though the most humiliating sentences have come out of my mouth trying to get across my thoughts and ideas. “Rich people light” “Is there a way to make the [inanimate object] look glamorous?” “What if we photographed that fish like a Dutch painting?” “Let’s use the beauty light on that steak” Truly ridiculous.
TKTK because more to come!
This week in reading. . .
I needed to break out of my depressed reading state and so I read Very Bad Company which was fine and Back After This which was very cute. I’m listening to The Lost Apothecary (through Libby so no running out of listening hours!) and it has been entertaining enough. It is starting to drag though, unfortunately.
This week in listening. . .
Going to listen obsessively to Good Hang with Amy Poehler since I am convinced, on a deep spiritual level, that we could and should be best friends.
This week in TV. . .
This BTS of how The Pitt made that birth scene so realistic (a little too realistic, I was on the verge of a PTSD panic attack)
Minus the body shapes which give me the ick, Maya and the Three has been a lot of fun to watch.
This season of Survivor has been SO MUCH FUN so far.
This week in a gif. . .
This week in movies. . .
The Parenting is a movie that was made and many actors who are good actors were in it.
This week in a newsletter. . .
Evan Ross Katz on ANTM.
Always read the essay about yearning, obviously.
This week in google searches. . .
soda bread recipe [JUST curious, I will not be baking!]
can I eat too much sushi
magnetic hooks
This week in one good thing. . .
Spring. . .is that you?!? I took a phone call on the outside deck at work and it was so pleasant.
This week in a reminder. . .
You don’t need a reminder that things are bad if you are a person in the world now (it is bad bad bad), but perhaps you’d like a link to find some Mutual Aid programs near you?
This week in a quote. . .
“The reason you should care about this is not that it could happen to you but that it is already happening to others.” - M. Gessen
and also:
“You honor your work by standing up for your work! You honor yourself (and other creative people who are more vulnerable than you are) by standing up for yourself!” - Heather Havrilesky
This week in artsy stuff and photo things. . .
Obviously I love a cute little guide to making zines.
OBSESSED with these animated still lives by Anjali Kamat. OBSESSSSSSSED.
Vintage postcard art!
This week in an Editor's Note. . .
With the release of the Bad Bunny Calvin Klein campaign, the people demanded a follow up to the discussion. I reached back out and here’s what they had to say. Reminder of who is who:
Nichole Perkins, writer and former host of Thirst Aid Kit; Amanda Saviñón photographer and Loyal Nana’s founder; longtime LITL advisor and Senior Culture Editor, Erin Evans.
EE: whew, I just opened this at my desk and my my my. his skin looks flawless. I only wish we got a full look at his butt. I need it poking out a little more. ok bye!
NP: He’s such a vibe. I couldn’t tell you the name of any of his songs if my life depended on it, but every time I see him, I think he might be a problem. Most people will probably focus on his abs or face or hair (man, that hair 🥵), but I like his cute lil discreet booty. And I’m not a butt woman. Anyway, I like this ad because we usually get people facing the mirror, admiring themselves, but with this one, he’s like “no. You admire me. All over.” I immediately heard “I knoooooow you see it,” via Yung Joc when I saw this. Well done.
AS: I zoomed in on every tattoo to try and learn a little more about him.
LM: Not my ministry (beyond his music), butt well done sir.
This week on the internet. . .
An interview with the man who chooses the books for the characters on White Lotus. (Would love this job)
J. Wortham did a 10-day survival camp - better them than me!!!! But also, they write so beautifully.
Dani Shapiro writing about burning her diaries, a topic and idea I revisit over and over again for myself.
This Jeopardy feel good story.
Wired is really and truly doing the work right now.
100 best sports moments in the last quarter century was a lot of fun, even with all the dumb football stuff. And I checked the top 10 and the moment I needed to be there was there, so therefore, I will consider this a valid list. But also always remember: f*ck Boston FOREVER.
me, thinking about men,
Leonor
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