Nine Photographers Reflect on Working with Kathy Ryan at The New York Times Magazine.
Kathy Ryan retiring after 39 years at NYTMag, and words by Alec Soth, Devin Yalkin, Djeneba Aduayom, Elinor Carucci, Erik Madigan Heck, Gillian Laub, Holly Andres, Mark Peterson, & Matthew Pillsbury.
In the Flash is a reader-supported publication about intent and creativity in photography.
The photography world got shaken last week by the announcement that Kathy Ryan, the longtime director of the New York Times Magazine, announced her retirement after 39 years at the magazine. The news made me sad. Kathy is a visionary who has pushed editorial photography in daring directions, continuously shaking the status quo and championing photographers. It is impossible to imagine the magazine without her.
Working with Kathy Ryan has been of the biggest privileges of my career. We have done 30 shoots together in the past seven years, and I am a different, and better photographer because of those collaborations. A couple of months ago, Kathy and I did a conversation at the SVA MFA program discussing our assignments together, and I wrote a newsletter recounting some of those wild stories, from shooting NYC rats to Pinkerton Detective Agency in Mexico City to big wave surfing in California.
After digesting the news for a few days, I wanted to write a post reflecting on all the incredible work that Kathy Ryan has done at the New York Times Magazine. But I didn’t want it to be about myself this time. Every Sunday, I open the magazine not just for the feature writing but to see an astounding roster of photographers, featuring both portraiture and conceptual and documentary work. I reached out to a few of my favorite photographers who have shot assignments for the magazine and asked if they wanted to contribute a few words about working with Kathy Ryan.
Here are their stories.
Kathy Ryan was one of the first photo editors to hire me for an editorial assignment. It was the late '90s, and I was still in my 20s. I was nervous about taking on editorial assignments, mainly focusing on personal photography, but Kathy had confidence that I could do it. She encouraged me to take the way I was photographing my own life and family and apply it to photographing the same themes — of being human, of the complexities of relationships, love, pain, emotions, intimacy, and compassion — in other people's lives. So, I started shooting for the New York Times magazine regularly, and over time, Kathy trusted me with more significant, emotionally charged stories.
This assignment was for the cover story When is a Problem Child Truly Dangerous? While the article dealt with this diagnosis, the pictures had to focus on one boy and his family, an 8-year-old boy who was diagnosed as a pre-psychotic child. Because he was a minor and because of the problematic context of the diagnosis and his mental challenges, we couldn't show his entire face.
Before traveling for the assignment, I came to the Times offices to talk to Kathy. I was nervous. She told me, “Elinor, I have seen you bring a sense of your relationships with your mother and how you felt inferior to her to your photograph Two Eyes, from Closer. You have made a portrait of your mother, her inner conflicts, with a picture of her lips, and I want you to create a close-up that is a whole portrait. Capture a small part of his face to create and reflect a sense of him. Make a portrait of him with less in order to show more of who he is. Go deeper. Closer.” And sent me off to take this photo.
Over two decades I did many assignments for Kathy and shot around eight covers. It's a little embarrassing that my single favorite cover was a self-portrait. I'd pitched the idea to Kathy of flying to Japan and doing an entire assignment in a hotel room. It's almost unthinkable that I got away with such self-indulgence, but it paid off. Kathy's consistent willingness to take big swings changed the entire landscape of editorial photography.
Kathy was the first and most pivotal force to bring my professional photographic career to the world on a large scale. But, more importantly, on a human level, she was like a mother to me, nurturing a young 20-something-year-old who was ambitious and wide-eyed but didn’t know what the commercial world looked like. She believed in me and commissioned me to do some of my favorite work—the Old Master’s portfolio, the Olympic portfolio, and the Nicki Minaj cover. She truly harnessed everything I wanted to do and brought it to the world stage in a way no one else could. But, more than that, she was a truly maternal force in my life that could never be replaced by anyone. I am forever grateful to her for her friendship, her confidence, and the trajectory she put me on. I cherish every past conversation with her and her ability to believe in young talent and bring it to light.
In 2004, Kathy asked me to photograph the American Museum of Natural History. She challenged me by reminding me of the many pictures that had been made there, most notably the Hiroshi Sugimoto photographs of the dioramas, and challenged me to find a way to make a different kind of picture. The experience expanded my own understanding of what my work could be and the subjects I could explore. Kathy has a unique ability to push us outside of our comfort zone while celebrating and nurturing what makes us unique. Few people have played as important a role in my development as an artist.
I photographed James Morgan, an inmate who had been released on parole, for an assignment detailing California’s willingness to grant parole to life sentence convictions. This assignment was both special and nerve-wracking. I had never photographed anything like it before. The portrait was challenging because we wanted a photo on a white backdrop, but the house was too small to accommodate that. It was also raining pretty hard, so I ended up shooting an environmental portrait in the living room. The challenge was to capture a genuine and emotional image. This photo happened when I asked James to reminisce about everything he had been through since the beginning of his story. For me, the experience was cathartic.
Kathy was so wonderful to work with and really hands-on; we had numerous conversations throughout this assignment. Her questions force you to consider or reconsider things outside the box, which can be quite scary at times. But she is always thoughtful and kind, with a no-nonsense approach. I loved that this story had a psychological aspect to it that extended far beyond photographing just a portrait. There was a true meaningfulness throughout, and it was an invaluable experience that I will always be grateful for.
I feel very fortunate to have worked with Kathy Ryan for over 30 years. She gave me my start in the world of editorial magazine work when I came to New York.
The thing I will remember most about Kathy is how she always made sure to call to let you know how she thought the shoot went. It meant so much to her that she did that. And you see that same attention to detail and generosity from the family of editors who work now or have at some point worked with Kathy at the New York Times Magazine.
In 2011, I was in the midst of transitioning my career from academia with hopes that I could start to make a living as a photographer. The book, The New York Times Magazine: Photographs, had just been released and was perched in the windows of many bookstores the same week that I flew to NY to meet with various photo editors, including Kathy Ryan. At the time, I did not know how legendary Ryan was in the editorial world and how her process of commissioning photographers to embrace their unique voice has revitalized contemporary journalist imagery. While schlepping my portfolio from one meeting to the next, I popped into a book store and flipped through her book. I was astonished to see that some of the most renowned artists I’d been studying for years in my art classes were included in the text. You can imagine my enthusiasm when 3 weeks later I returned to NY for my first paid assignment, a week-long project for the NYT Magazine photographing the revival of the Rockaway beach side bungalows.
My second assignment for the NYT Mag was to photograph Mariel Hemingway and her partner, Bobby Williams at their Malibu ranch house. The article coincided with the premiere of "Running from Crazy," a documentary about Hemingway's aggressive optimism, and the health obsessed lifestyle she's adopted to stave off her family's legacy of suicidal depression. Mariel was an awesome subject - so willing, gracious + beautiful! Visiting her home was like going to summer camp for adults and she seemed to be able to do anything! A backflip on the trampoline? Charming a hummingbird to eat from hand? Scaling a tree barefoot in a silk dress? No problem.
I love this photo. Kathy loved it too!
I will never forget the first assignment that I was given by Kathy Ryan. The opportunities that she gave young photographers are unmatched. I remember the call vividly, still, after more than twenty years, from one of those early assignments. Kathy described a special women’s issue she was working on, commissioning only female photographers with female subjects, and asked, "How would I like to go on tour with Destiny’s Child?" This special moment was taken backstage as Destiny’s Child was saying a prayer before their performance. I am grateful for the chance Kathy took on me and the countless young photographers she gave first opportunities to.
This photo was photographed for The Ancient Art of Falconry at the Jersey Shore, an assignment I did with the magazine in 2022.
Shooting for Kathy and knowing that her eyes were on the other side of an edit made my assignments feel like I was shooting for the giants of photography. Her involvement and expectations pushed me way beyond my comfort zone and inspired me to strive for greater heights. This spoke to me about the transformative power of her mentorship and guidance in the realm of photography.
A sacred bond between authenticity and vision blossomed for me because of her trust in me and my process. There was nothing more special than to get an email or text message from her after she had seen an edit praising the work that I had put everything into. Even when I felt stuck in the middle of a longer assignment, there was always the support and cheering me on that helped me get back on the horse, and for that, I cannot thank her enough.
Her departure from the magazine brings me both feelings of grief and happiness, for I know that there will be life in the shadows, and it’s now her playground to explore.
Kathy Ryan and I in conversation at the School of Visual Arts, YouTube.
A Talk With NYTMag's Director, Kathy Ryan, and My Favorite Assignment Stories, Substack.
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An extraordinary woman. Terrific stories. Thanks so much.
So awesome to read the stories behind the images — a great example of how a mentor can inspire you to push your own boundary.
That portrait in the Japanese hotel room is amazing !