an sally mann cirka 19-- 2000, 15 years. >> yeah, yeah. again, i don't know that it's an intellectual process. although i may ask myself intellectual questions you know. i think the difference is that i used to be taking pictures to save things. that was the impulse was to either take pictures to save something or to try and see what something would lack like when it was photographed. it was really just kind of an aesthetic exercis. and now it's a lot more important to me to actually say something, i'm working from an intellectual construct and i'm trying to use the photographs in service to a concept. which i didn't start out that way. i didn't start, for instance the family pictures to talk. they were just sort of i was just taking pictures because the kids were around and gradually a construct was built around them. >> rose: that is what immediate family is about they were just around. >> they were documentary in origin. you know they grew less so. >> rose: they grew to become what? >> well, they grew to have a narrative around them. an

sally mann 2000, 15 years. >> yeah. again, i don't know if it's an intellectual process, although i may ask myself intellectual question. the difference is i used to be taking pictures to save things. the impulse was to take pictures to save something or to try and see what something would look like when photographed. it was an aesthetic exercise, and now it's a lot more important to me to actually say something as opposed to save something. i'm working from an intellectual construct and i'm trying to use the photographs in service to a concept, which i didn't start out that way. i didn't start printing family pictures to talk. i was just taking pictures because the kids were around and gradually a construct was built around that. >> rose: that's what immediate family was about. they were around. >> they were documentary in origin. they grew less so. >> rose: they grew to become what? >> they grew to have a narrative around them, an aesthetic and intellectual narrative and metaphorical implications. you know, they got m

i spoke with sally mann for a candid conversation in new york city. so, what brought you to say rather than taking pictures, i am going to write about the taking of pictures and my own life? sally: well, what brought me there was the -- i was invited to deliver the lecture at harvard. i thought it was mistake. i thought it had been mis address, the envlelope. anyway, they are three lectures an hour each. they are scholarly, academic lectures. and took me a year to say yes. and it was three years down the road. i had plenty of time to think about it. charlie: this is a culmination of a life in photography. sally: it is but it turned, out to be more than that because when i went, when i set out to right those lectures i went so far back in time and began to study the whole genetic thread that brought me there. and but -- up to the attic and dug out the old boxes. yeah, yeah the pictures and the letters and the dried boutonnieres and the ship's manifest. charlie: you seem in your work always to be interested in life and death and memory and history and pl

that was the beginning of sally mann's public reputation. sally: that is true. charlie: i'm amazed the things you did -- you clearly were conscious of making sure you had them talk to psychologists. you were concerned about not showing photographs they did not like. sally: right. i gave them them editorial control. in as much as a child can have editorial concern, and that is the question editorial discernment. and that's the concern so many people had, was how could they know? but they did. they were visually sophisticated kids. we talked about the pictures. charlie: what was the conversation? sally: well, you know, do you like this? what do you think this picture says? does this picture say something about you are -- you are not comfortable with? charlie: what did your husband say? sally: the same. charlie: this is a close family. sally: pretty close. charlie: this is a family that has no secrets between them. sally: i would imagine there are a few secrets, but we are close family even now. or especially now maybe. charlie: now they are all successful adults.

that was the beginning of sally mann's public -- sally: that's true. charlie: you had talked to psychologist. sally: mmm-hmm. charlie: you concerned about showing photographs they didn't like. sally: yeah. editorial discernment. that is the concern many people have. how could they know? they were visually sophisticated kids. they knew what we were doing. we talked about the pictures. do you like this? what do you think this picture says? does it say something about you you are not comfortable with? charlie: what did your husband say? sally: the same. charlie: this is a close family. sally: yeah. charlie: you have no secrets between them. sally: i imagine there are a few secrets, but we are a close family. charlie: now they are adults. how do they see those photographs? sally: i usually answer that by saying you should ask them. [laughter] they are all in their 30's. you could consult them. i think they are proud of them. virginia wanted to give immediate family to her teacher for christmas. charlie: they understood and appreciated it? sally: i think th

charlie: sally mann is one of america's preeminent photographers.hree decades, she has captured images that are haunting and romantic all at once. her 1992 series made her famous and created 10 years it featured her children at home on their virginia farm. these photos deemed a great work of art outrage some for their composition and nudity. sally writes about that moment as well as her life and work in a new book called "hold still: a memoir with photographs." i

charlie: sally mann is one of america's prominent photographers.ecades she has captured images that are disturbing, hunting, and romantic all at once. her 1992 series called "immediate emily," she has created strikingly beautiful photos that outraged some for the composition and nudity. sally writes about that moment as well as her life and work in a new book called

charlie: sally mann is one of america's preeminent photographers.ee decades, she has captured images that are hunting disturbing, and romantic all at once. her 1992 series, called "imme diate family" created 10 years it featured her children at home on their virginia farm. these photos deemed a great work of art outraged some for their composition and nudity. sally writes about that moment as well as her life and work in a new book called "hold still: a memoir with photographs."