At this time she became influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank Robert Frank is a Swiss-American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled The Americans, earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his fresh and nuanced outsider's view of American society. Critic Sean O'Hagan, w…Robert Frank
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer. She is best known for her engaging portraits—particularly of celebrities—which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. She photographed John Lennon on the day he was murdered, and her work has been used on numer…
What influenced Annie Leibovitz to become a photographer?
Cartier-Bresson was her first influence as it was the first book she read in regard to photography making her realise what it actually meant to be a photographer. Robert Franks and Cartier-Bresson were at the San Francisco Art Institute at the same time in which Annie Leibovitz was studying at the institute.
What did Annie Leibovitz do for Rolling Stone?
Annie Leibovitz. In 1970, while still a student, she was given her first commercial assignment for Rolling Stone magazine: to photograph John Lennon. Three years later Leibovitz became the publication’s chief photographer, directing her energies toward a unique presentation of the major personalities of contemporary rock music.
What are some of Annie Leibovitz’s beliefs?
Some of the beliefs that have influenced Annie Leibovitz include her belief in the power of photography, her belief in the importance of creativity, and her belief in the power of storytelling. Annie Leibovitz’s beliefs have also been influenced by her experiences as a photographer and her circumstances.
When was the retrospective of Annie Leibovitz held?
In 2007, major retrospective of Leibovitz's work was held at the Brooklyn Museum, The retrospective was based on her book, Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990–2005 and included many of her professional (celebrity) photographs as well as numerous personal photographs of her family, children, and partner Susan Sontag.
Where does Annie Leibovitz get her inspiration from?
Leibovitz attended the San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied painting with the intention of becoming an art teacher. At school, she had her first photography workshop and changed her major to photography. She was inspired by the work of Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
What is Annie Leibovitz background?
Annie Leibovitz is a portrait photographer who in 1970 landed a job at Rolling Stone and went on to create a distinctive look for the publication as chief photographer. In 1983, she began working for the entertainment magazine Vanity Fair, continuing to produce images that would be deemed iconic and provocative.
What is Annie Leibovitz approach to photography?
Leibovitz tries to emulate natural light as much as possible. She uses ambient light and adds a small key light on her subject, usually in the direction the natural light source is coming from. Adding too many lights to a room will often take away what the natural light offers.
What is Annie Leibovitz philosophy?
Annie teaches you her philosophy: how to develop concepts, work with subjects, shoot with natural light, and bring images to life in post-production. See the world through her eyes.
What makes Annie Leibovitz's portraits unique?
Why is Annie Leibovitz famous? Annie Leibovitz is renowned for her dramatic, quirky, and iconic photographic portraits of celebrities. Her style is characterized by carefully staged settings, superb lighting, and use of vivid colour.
What is Annie Leibovitz most famous photo?
On December 8, 1980, Annie Leibovitz took the most iconic photograph in rock 'n' roll history. Shot for Rolling Stone, the picture features artist Yoko Ono lying supine on a cream carpet, wearing blue jeans and a black, long-sleeved shirt.
What are Annie Leibovitz key ideas?
5 Key Concepts From Annie Leibovitz's MasterClass on the Art of the PhotoNo Single Image Truly Captures a Person's Essence. ... Conceptual Portraits Are Best When Built Around the Subject. ... Understanding Light Is More Important than Understanding Gear. ... Photographers Should Always Revisit Their Earlier Work. ... Learn by Doing.
What are three interesting facts about Annie Leibovitz?
Annie Leibovitz has photographed celebrities ranging from Ellen DeGeneres to Bill Clinton during the course of her career. What is this? Annie became the first woman to photograph Joan Armatrading for an album in 1978, spending four days doing so. Annie shot a pregnant Demi Moore in 1991.
What is Annie Leibovitz favorite camera?
Leibovitz currently uses Canon DSLRs including the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and IV and Hasselblad digital cameras, but her favorite analog camera during the '80s and '90s was the Mamiya RZ67.
What does Annie Leibovitz say about her work?
Annie Leibovitz Quotes on the Work I've always cared more about taking pictures than about the art market. Those who want to be serious photographers, you're really going to have to edit your work. You're going to have to understand what you're doing. You're going to have to not just shoot, shoot, shoot.
What was Annie Leibovitz childhood like?
Childhood/Education Born Anna-Lou Leibovitz in Waterbury, Connecticut in 1949, Annie, as she has become known, grew up in an idyllic middle-class family. The third eldest of six children, she was raised by parents of eastern European and Jewish descent.
What are three interesting facts about Annie Leibovitz?
Annie Leibovitz has photographed celebrities ranging from Ellen DeGeneres to Bill Clinton during the course of her career. What is this? Annie became the first woman to photograph Joan Armatrading for an album in 1978, spending four days doing so. Annie shot a pregnant Demi Moore in 1991.
What did Leibovitz study?
Education. Leibovitz attended the San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied painting with the intention of becoming an art teacher. At school, she had her first photography workshop and changed her major to photography. She was inspired by the work of Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Where is Anna Lou Leibovitz from?
Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on October 2, 1949, Anna-Lou Leibovitz is the third of six children of Marilyn Edith (née Heit) and Samuel Leibovitz. She is a third-generation American.
How much money did Leibovitz borrow?
In February 2009, Leibovitz borrowed US$ 15.5 million, after having experienced financial challenges, putting up several houses as well as the rights to all of her photographs as collateral. The New York Times noted that "one of the world's most successful photographers essentially pawned every snap of the shutter she had made or will make until the loans are paid off", and that, despite a US$50 million archive, Leibovitz had a "long history of less than careful financial dealings" and "a recent series of personal issues" including the loss of her parents and the 2004 death of Sontag, as well as the addition of two children to her family, and controversial renovation of three Greenwich Village properties.
How many daughters does Leibovitz have?
Leibovitz has three daughters. Her first, Sarah Cameron Leibovitz was born in October 2001 when Leibovitz was 52 years old. Twin girls Susan and Samuelle were born to a surrogate mother in May 2005.
Why did Leibovitz sue Brunswick Capital Partners?
The following month, Brunswick Capital Partners sued Leibovitz, claiming it was owed several hundred thousand dollars for helping her restructure her debt. In December 2012, Leibovitz listed her West Village townhouse for sale at $33 million, stating she wanted to move closer to her daughter.
What camera did Leibovitz use?
For many years Leibovitz's camera of choice was a Mamiya RZ67. She also has used the following cameras:
What is Leibovitz's most famous photo?
Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken five hours before Lennon's murder, is considered one of Rolling Stone magazine's most famous cover photographs.
Who Is Annie Leibovitz?
Annie Leibovitz is a renowned photographer, who in 1970 landed her first job as the chief portrait photographer for Rolling Stone magazine. She created an iconic look and feel for them with provocative images that are still talked about today. In 1983 she began working at Vanity Fair Magazine producing more of these memorable portraits such as Demi Moore’s now famous cover shot on the August 1992 issue where pregnant Demi was photographed nude but strategically covered by both hands – one hand resting just below her navel while the other cupped over her bare breast from behind – all captured beautifully by Annie’s lens.
What did Leibovitz do after she moved to America?
After living on a kibbutz, the statuesque Leibovitz returned to America and applied for a job with Rolling Stone magazine. She had an image of counter-culture icon Allen Ginsberg in her portfolio, which impressed editor Jann Wenner so that he offered her the position as staff photographer upon seeing it. Within two years, she was promoted to chief photographer at 23 – only one year older than when she started!
How long did Leibovitz and Sontag have a relationship?
Leibovitz and Sontag’s fifteen-year relationship ended with the death of Leibovitz’s lover Susan in 2004. Just weeks later, Leibovitz lost her father as well. The two women found interconnections throughout their work – for example, Sontag encouraged Leibovitch to become more intimate in her photography when they were together often traveling worldwide.
Which photographer used a polaroid camera to photograph John Lennon?
Did you know that Annie Leibovitz used a polaroid camera to photograph John Lennon?
What camera did Leibovitz use?
Leibovitz’s favorite cameras from the ’80s and 90s were her Mamiya RZ67. Her latest work features a variety of Canon DSLRs including the EOS 5D Mark III and IV, but she still prefers analog methods for shooting as they are easier to meticulously control in post processing.
Where was Anna Lou Leibovitz born?
Anna-Lou Leibovitz was born on October 2, 1949 in Waterbury Connecticut where she lived with her six siblings. Her father Sam was a lieutenant and at one point served as an Air Force Captain while her mother Marilyn danced professionally for the San Francisco Ballet Company before settling down to raise their children. In 1967 Anna enrolled into art school in San Fransisco where she quickly fell madly in love with photography which would shape much of her future life’s work.
What is Annie's style?
Annie’s style is often described as “American Pop.” Her photographs are seen in many glossy magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair or Rolling Stone among others; her recent work on the French fashion house Chanel received high acclaim from critics and fans alike.
Who is Annie Leibovitz?
our editorial process. Hall W. Rockefeller. Updated April 16, 2020. Annie Leibovitz (born October 2, 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut) is an American photographer best known for her provocative celebrity portraits, shot for the magazines Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, as well as famous advertising campaigns.
Why did Annie Leibovitz give up painting?
Leibovitz inevitably gave up painting in favor of photography, as she preferred its immediacy.
Why did Leibovitz travel to Sarajevo?
This led Leibovitz to travel to Sarajevo in the 1990s, during the Bosnian War, as a way of reconnecting with a tradition of fotoreportage that she had become distant from during her days at Rolling Stone .
When did Annie Leibovitz photograph John Lennon?
In 1970 , she photographed John Lennon for the cover of Rolling Stone, her first photo session with a major star and the beginning of a career studded with famous portraits. Annie Leibovitz attends a reception for an exhibtion of her work at Phillips de Pury on October 23, 2008 in London, England.
When is Annie Leibovitz's opening?
Annie Leibovitz attends Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles Opening of Annie Leibovitz and Piero Manzoni and Musical Performance by Patti Smith at Hauser & Wirth on February 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images for Hauser & Wirth / Getty Images
Why was Leibovitz's time with the dancers important?
While Leibovitz concluded that dance is impossible to photograph, her time with the modern dancers was of personal importance to her, as her mother had trained as a dancer. She later claimed that being with the dancers was one of the happiest times of her life.
What was Leibovitz's strategy for seamlessly integrating herself into the milieu of her subjects?
Among Leibovitz’s techniques for seamlessly integrating herself into the milieu of her subjects was to act and do as they did. This strategy accounts for a common refrain among many of her sitters: “I didn’t notice she was there.” “I never liked to presume anything about a person until I got there,” Leibovitz said, a statement which perhaps can account for the lack of pretension in her early work.
Where was Annie Leibovitz born?
Biography of Annie Leibovitz. Born Anna-Lou Leibovitz in Waterbury, Connecticut in 1949, Annie, as she has become known, grew up in an idyllic middle-class family. The third eldest of six children, she was raised by parents of eastern European and Jewish descent.
What is Annie Leibovitz's selective eye?
Summary of Annie Leibovitz. Possessing a selective eye that can transition between pop stars, politicians, and royalty Annie Leibovitz has the ability to both critique and celebrate celebrity culture in equal measure, and has created some of the most controversial and popular images of the last 40 years. Inspired by the documentary tradition, but ...
Why is the photo of Leibovitz so special?
Leibovitz understands that the photo's special status is a result of the musician's tragic death occurring immediately after the shoot.
What is the relevance of Leibovitz's work?
Here Leibovitz brilliantly highlights that the relevance of a work of art is not in what it reveals about the subject, but in what it shows about the cultural moment in which it was created. Leibovitz had an uncanny ability to instill seemingly mundane moments with subtle meaning.
What is Leibovitz's ability to capture the essence of a moment?
Leibovitz has a distinctive ability to capture the essence of a moment, to perceive details otherwise neglected that communicate an alternative vision of a scene, event, or person.
Was Leibovitz a participant?
Leibovitz was an active participant in the creative communities she documented . Inserting herself in the scene and amongst the subjects she photographed resulted in close personal connections, sometimes at the risk of her own health and safety.
Did Leibovitz take pictures of John Lennon?
In the mid 1970s Rolling Stone started using color photography so Leibovitz did the same. She had photographed John Lennon several times for the magazine in both black and white and color, but her most well known image of the musician was taken with his wife, conceptual artist, Yoko Ono.
Who is Annie Leibovitz?
Annie Leibovitz is a famous portrait photographer whose photographs have appeared in a number of magazines and publications. Famous for clicking the portraits of celebrities, she began her career as a staff photographer for the ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine. Her artistic bent of mind was evident from her childhood.
When was Annie Leibovitz's retrospective?
A retrospective on her work based on her book ‘Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005’ was held at the Brooklyn Museum from October 2006 to January 2007.
When did Leibovitz join Rolling Stone?
She joined the newly launched magazine ‘Rolling Stone’ as a staff photographer in 1970. Impressed by her work, the publisher of the magazine made her the chief photographer in 1973. Leibovitz’s signature style of portrait photography helped the magazine to create its unique look. She worked with the magazine till 1983.
Who was Marilyn Edith?
She was born as one of the six children of Samuel Leibovitz, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and Marilyn Edith, a dance instructor. As a school student she became involved in various artistic endeavors like painting and playing music.
What did Annie Leibovitz do in 1967?
In 1967, Annie Leibovitz attended the San Francisco Art Institute, began studying painting with the main intention to become an art teacher.
Why did Annie Leibovitz admire Sontag?
Sontag could be tough on her at times, but Leibovitz attributes Sontag with helping her discover and seriousness and intellect in her photographs.
What did Leibovitz say about the helicopter carrying Nixon?
Leibovitz herself attributed this to her ability to capture moments either before or after‘ the moment’ .It was the moment after the helicopter carrying Nixon had taken off, and the three men are packing up the last vestiges of ceremony, the carpet where Nixon would appear as president for the last time.
How did Annie Leibovitz's father die?
In addition, Annie’s father passed away from lung cancer a few weeks after Susan Sontag. Three years later, Leibovitz’s mother died, too. Leibovitz was notoriously bad at managing money and her poor financial decisions culminated during the period of her mother’s death; she found herself $24 million dollars in debt.
How long did Annie spend with her subjects?
This piece along with others from this very tour has come to show how Annie approached her subjects, early in her career. She would spend days, weeks, or even a year with her subject in order to get familiar and revealing shots.
What is Haring's boldness and oneness with his work?
Haring’s boldness and oneness with his work are made literal. The image also marks the beginning of Leibovitz’s transition to the more concept –driven and staged photography that would come to define her work; it was the beginning of the conceptual photography.
Where was Anna Lou Leibovitz born?
Anna-Lou Leibovitz was born on October, 2, in 1949, in Connecticut and grew up in an idyllic, middle-class family. Her parents were of Jewish and Eastern Europe descent; the mother, Marilyn, was a modern dance instructor who instilled in little Anne a passion for art, music and dancing, and the father Sam had a military career, ...
Overview
Anna-Lou Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken five hours before Lennon's murder, is considered one of Rolling Stone magazine's most famous cover photographs. The Library of Congress declared her a Living Legend, and she is the first woman to have a feature exhibition at Washington's …
Early life
Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on October 2, 1949, Anna-Lou Leibovitz is the third of six children of Marilyn Edith (née Heit) and Samuel Leibovitz. She is a third-generation American. Her father was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force of Romanian-Jewish heritage and her mother was a modern dance instructor of Estonian-Jewish heritage. The family moved frequently with her father's duty assignments, and she took her first pictures when he was stationed in the Philippines durin…
Education
Leibovitz attended the San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied painting with the intention of becoming an art teacher. At school, she had her first photography workshop and changed her major to photography. She was inspired by the work of Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson. For several years, she continued to develop her photography skills while holding various jobs, including a stint on a kibbutz in Amir, Israel, for several months in 1969.
Career
For many years Leibovitz's camera of choice was a Mamiya RZ67. She also has used the following cameras:
• Hasselblad 500 C/M
• Minolta SRT-101
• Nikon D810
Personal life
Leibovitz has three daughters. Her first, Sarah Cameron Leibovitz, was born in October 2001 when Leibovitz was 52 years old. Twin girls Susan and Samuelle were born to a surrogate mother in May 2005.
Leibovitz had a close relationship with writer and essayist Susan Sontag from 1989 until Sontag's death in 2004. During Sontag's lifetime, neither woman publicly disclosed whether the relationsh…
Notable photographs
• In 1978 Leibovitz photographed the cover for Joan Armatrading's fifth studio album To the Limit, spending four days at her house capturing the images. Leibovitz also did the photography for Armatrading's live album, Steppin' Out.
• Sonia Braga was photographed for an American Express campaign in 1991.
Awards
• 2018 Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, Rhode Island School of Design
• 2016 International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum
• 2015 Paez Medal of Art from VAEA
• 2013 Prince of Asturias Award for Communication
Bibliography
• Photographs
• Photographs 1970–1990
• "Dancers: Photographs by Annie Leibovitz"
• "White Oak Dance Project: Photographs by Annie Leibovitz"