Bonjour,

La Lettre de la Photographie is one year old. The result of a wild crapshoot born on October 25, 2010 is now celebrating its first birthday. It had all of the typical infantile illnesses. It still does. But it has gone beyond our wildest expectations. Our most beautiful birthday present arrived on October 19: 43 211 pages viewed. We are not going to present a “best of”: that would be too presumptuous. We are not going to provide a list of fan mail: too arrogant. No, just an homage to the La Lettre team that ensures its daily release.

An homage to Sophie Hedtmann, our senior editor, always worried and passionate, Ericka Weidmann, head of feature stories, a monument of meticulous rigor, Magnus Naddermier, Artistic Director, our hip and pragmatic Swede, José Carlos, our programmer, unpredictable and fabulous, Xavier Derache, our backbone, available 24/7. Michel Puech, an unrivaled investigative journalist, Bernard Perrine, a bottomless pit of photographic knowledge, Yann Morvan, l'Oeil de La Lettre, talented, flamboyant, uncontrollable. Michel Philippot, perpetually revolted, Paul Alessandrini, writer, photographer, adventurer? There is our American team, Gilles Decamps, a talented photographer living in exile in the United States, Jonas Cuénin, a picture groupie, Elizabeth Avedon, our collective memory, Sara Rosen, in love with photography books, David Schonauer and Paul Melcher. Our international correspondents, Elisa Badii in England, Lucy Birmingham in Japan, Catherine Tanazacq de Stigliano in Argentina, Emiliana Tedesco in Milano, Sabrina Moura de Araujo in Brazil, Sebastian Messina in Germany, Emmanuel Grynszpan in Russia, Clint McLean in Dubai. And finally, our translators, Karyn Bauer, Sylvie Rebbot, Eric Mallet, Michael Verger-Laurent and Greg Hermann. There are those that are dear to us, Christian Caujolle, Patricia Nagy and Christophe Lunn. And those whose spontaneous desire to share an emotion, a desire, an homage for La Lettre, the hippest in photography today. There is finally, and above all, Alex Kummerman, one of the founders of La Lettre whose enthusiasm and business skills led us to where we are today free of the slightest commercial concession. His passion for this project allows us to continue. His strategy, his knowledge of the internet, his expertise in new medias allowed us to look for new economic models and strategies. Alex, again, Thank you.

Then there are the increasing numbers of La Lettre readers. The November Photography Month will be sumptuous, especially with Paris Photo that will be doubling its floor space and moving into the Grand Palais. Our international exhibition and photographic events guide will soon be ready, with fashion and publicity in the development starting blocks and, starting in November, a weekly photographic celebrity who will select our weekend portfolios. The first will be Jean-Luc Monterosso, the Director of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. In December and January, two lovely surprises will follow. A few figures of which we are especially proud: 17 850 photos, 3 765 articles, 2027 albums, 57 videos, readers in 75 to 103 countries each day, 1420 events listed in the November agenda. Voilà, and Thank you for sharing this birthday with us.

Jean-Jacques Naudet