Photo: Bryan Derballa

Even though she carries a famous name, the fiercely shy and formidably knowledgeable Elizabeth Avedon has forged her own path in the photography industry: curating galleries, spearheading art direction on multinational ad campaigns and designing books and exhibitions for some of the most successful international photographers of the 20th century.

Avedon’s long career has been among photography greats. Straight from college, she was recommended to Richard Avedon by her favorite Parsons instructor Marvin Israel — painter, art director and Diane Arbus’ lover.

Avedon is now an independent curator and runs her own book design and consulting business. She’s a contributor to the Life.com award-winning La Lettre de la Photographie and maintains her own blog. She was married to Richard Avedon’s son, John, hence the surname. Hers is a place in the hearts and Rolodexes of many photo-world veterans.

Keenly interested in Buddhism and co-founder of Tibet House in Manhattan, Avedon is a generous advocate for young photographers with honest ideas. If you have heart, purpose, and a distinct eye and voice she’s in your corner.

Avedon was kind enough to be the inaugural subject of our new interview series, Raw Meet.

Wired.com: What do you look for in photographers’ work?

Elizabeth Avedon: I try to focus on their perspective not my perspective … I try to get into the photographer’s frame of mind. If I don’t think I can relate to him or her, then I won’t take the project on.

I work to be a meaningful catalyst and help things move forward along a positive path. I might suggest my own edit of their work to make it more cohesive or help them weed out the weak images before presenting their work to gallery and museum directors. I give insight as a designer, as a curator, as an experienced viewer and most importantly as a fan. I love photographs and the people that make them.

Wired.com: Is there a recent photographer’s work that has stood out to you?

Avedon:Stephen Mallon’s. I think his work is so cool. I love the projects he gets. The quality of his work is first rate, especially Last Stop Atlantic [which is] images of retired subway cars placed in the Atlantic Ocean to create a reef.

I was first aware of his work when he photographed the plane that went down in the Hudson. Remember Sully? The plane was removed and driven through the streets of the Bronx or Brooklyn.

Wired.com: How have the tasks of photographers changed?

Avedon: I don’t remember so much time being spent by photographers marketing themselves.

Wired.com: Because previously other professionals, gatekeepers took care of marketing and now the internet allows photographers to do some of that themselves?

Avedon: Yes. But the internet provides so much more exposure. There’s a lot out there [sigh]. Before, if you weren’t in New York City or Los Angeles, you had no idea [of what was going on].

The internet is a great thing, and I understand galleries get upset if we tend to only see images online and think that’s how photography looks. But I think that people who are going to view photography in that way weren’t going to go to a gallery anyway.

Wired.com: Can photographers make a difference?

Avedon: Absolutely. Where would we be without images of the people in Japan’s and Haiti’s earthquakes being broadcast to us from across the world?

Wired.com: Despite all the new opportunities arising for photographers due to the internet, publishing deals and exhibitions remain the goal for many. Is this how it should be? Always will be?

Avedon: Pressed to gaze into a crystal ball, I would say what is ironic to me is limiting a potential new tool by compromising it to accomplish or mimic what a traditional tool already does.

I believe as these new mediums mature and natural selection takes hold, quality will rise above the static and noise. It will take time to measure what opportunities are really worthwhile and not illusionary. We’ll see what has promise and is useful versus what was empty and vapid. I think goals and values will evolve as we learn what is truly moving our visual language forward.

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