5 Lessons In Life And Photography From Annie Leibovitz

Revisiting her book: Women: New Portraits (1999), veteran photographer Annie Leibovitz has partnered with UBS to expand her print body of work into a travelling photo exhibition. The exhibition is an anthropological marker of the social condition of women today—an issue that is close to the hearts of Leibovitz and UBS. “Things have to be better for women and…we have to do it. Those days of sitting back are over… and I’m proud to be a part of that ‘figuring out’", attests Annie during her narration of the exhibition. But, despite her past successes and a career spanning over four decades, the photographer believes that there is more to do: “[My work] is still evolving. It is still changing and there are definitely some weaknesses in the [photo] wall that I feel that could be stronger."

Here are 5 empowering quotes from the guru's mouth herself to inspire you in the art of photography:

1. "When I take a picture, I want it to last for a long time."

2. "It is important to keep us on our toes."

3. "If you want to be a photographer, don't think that it is a dead art just because everyone is taking pictures. It is a different genre to be a photographer—you have to think, you have to think about presentation [and] you have to think about editing. You have to think about what you are doing and what you are trying to say."

4. "Do not wait for someone to come and give you a job. Start thinking about what you want to do; what matters to you and go out and start working on that. Don't expect for someone to come to you."

5."I understand the power of working with a vehicle—I think you can as a photographer find a place to work but I think its more important for a photographer to develop their eye and what they see, the content in their work."

'Women: New Portraits' opens from 29 April - 22 May 2016. It is located at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Main Hall. Entry is free.

By James Lennon Tan