Artist Statement

My goal is to honor you, just the way you are.

My approach is based on letting you be you. It’s that simple, and the truth is revealed.  No gimmicks, no props, nothin’ cutesy-wootsy about it.  I want to portray you as you, not my concept of you.  I want to use the photographic session as a way to connect to you through love and compassion. 

I realize that when its all said and done, and lives pass on, there is something of incredible value left... a photograph... that documents a time in one’s life, and perhaps, conveys a mood or the emotional place where that person was at, on their journey.

Artist Profile
The daughter of an advertising executive and a writer, Annie Watson learned a lot growing up about communication and self- expression. She learned that through the written word, and imagery, a lot can be shared. Growing up in a creative family, she grabbed hold of the desire to communicate in an artistic way. It was not until a little later in life, that Annie realized what she could share with the simple click of a camera. And it was love that she wanted to share most. 

Since she was a young girl, growing up in Evanston, Illinois, Annie has loved photography. She had a 35 mm film camera that she would use to take pictures of her friends, family, and scenery of Evanston’s beautiful lakefront. Her best friends had a darkroom, and they would go in there for hours and print black and white pictures when she was only about 11 years old. The process of watching a white piece of photographic paper turning into a photograph, after placing it in a developer bath, amazed her and planted the seed for her future career. Annie has always been moved by art and by profound human experiences. She is motivated by compassion and generosity and is compelled to share those attributes through her work as a photographer. 

After graduating high school, Annie moved out east to New York, to attend Pratt Institute, not knowing a sole. Falling in love with the grit and rawness of New York, she never went back to the Midwest. She felt as though she was finally “home”. She found a place where she could fit in, and explore her creative talent. 

After college, Annie pursued a career in fashion, another highly creative field. She established a design label, on a prayer and a dime, and began to take orders from stores like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Henri Bendel. Somehow, through ambition, and myopic focus, Annie found a way to produce the garments and continued to sell to many fine establishments across the country. Her designs were featured in top fashion publications.

At the same time that Annie was deep into the fashion world, she purchased a medium format camera and cheated on her other lover, fashion, with her Bronica. She would shoot kids and nudes and of course her muse, Lula, her daughter. It was during this time in her life that Annie began to realize that there was something more, something deeper, to life, than fashion and clubbing in New York.

After much deliberation and soul searching, Annie decided to change careers, taking a chance, once again, on diving into the water to find out if she could swim. 

Annie’s thoughts on this time of transition;

“I spent a lot of time writing about my desires as an artist during this challenging time, and it came to me that what I really wanted to do, what I really loved, was people, and art. So I focused and meditated on how to bring these two things together... and that is when I found myself reminiscing about the darkroom when I was 11 years old. Photography was my answer. When I shoot, I love hearing people’s stories, about their lives and their trials and tribulations. It sort of gives me an opportunity to listen, show compassion and capture something that is impossible to put into words. Photography speaks volumes about what is really going on in someone. There is a quote from somewhere that say’s “The truth is in the eyes, cuz the eyes don’t lie.” Amen, brotha. I couldn’t have said it better.

At this point, I had been raising my daughter alone, and realized that if I could have a child and take care of her... I could do anything. Anything. I knew it was just a matter of perseverance and smarts. 

So, I took the plunge. The water was chilly at first, hard to get used to... a new life, new challenges... but the rewards were tremendous. I discovered that giving of myself, and working intimately with people was gratifying. I feel honored to be asked to photograph people.”

Annie has devoted much of her time contributing to community, having taken several trips down to New Orleans after Katrina to help with the rebuilding efforts there. Her daughter, Lula, now attends Tulane University. Every year, Annie donates to a variety of charities and organizes donation drives. This year Annie Watson Photography ran a week long donation drive to collect diapers and baby food for the local food pantries, Neighbor to Neighbor & Kids in Crisis, asking for donations in exchange for a complimentary “mini –photography sessions”. 
Over 3,000 diapers were collected along with 600 jars of baby food. 

Annie has also had the privilege to photograph people suffering from terminal illnesses on a pro bono basis, for their legacy to live on, after they have passed on. 

Annie’s artistic goal is to capture the love and intimacy that is shared among people. Her rare ability to document these precious moments in people’s lives is driven by her desire to connect with people and observe love in its most beautiful form. By shooting portraits for people that reveal their true personalities and their interactions with one another, Annie says this; 

“I just try to get people comfortable and get them talking, get them to open up, and that is where the truth comes out. It is documented forever. Having been an observer of love, and a participant in it, I realize it is the greatest gift for a human being. I get a kick out of documenting it for others.”