Editorial portrait - Anne Applebaum

Recently, I had a portrait assignment for the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, photographing writer Anne Applebaum. Over the years, I’ve done countless portraits for various publications, so I’m used to working quickly. Often, the interview takes priority, and I get just the last 10 minutes with the subject. The silver lining in those situations is that while the writer conducts their interview, I can scout locations and set up, making the most of my limited time.

This assignment, however, seemed like it would be different—45 minutes with Anne, no writer or interview involved. It sounded like a rare luxury. But when I arrived at the location, I was told I was late, and Anne needed to be at BBC studios for a live interview. Turns out, the publicist had given me the wrong time!

After some persuasion, I was allowed in and given five minutes to shoot. Miraculously, I didn’t leave any gear behind in the rush. It would have been fantastic to have more time for both Anne and me to settle in and feel comfortable, but I was happy to walk away with a decent portrait. Probably my fastest—and possibly most stressful—assignment to date.