Annie Leibovitz photography. Great photographers. Annie Leibovitz is the magic of the portrait. Shooting fashion and world stars

(Eng. Annie Leibovitz, born October 2, 1949, Westport, USA) is a world-famous American-born photographer. He is the official US and US photographer. The most famous works of Annie Leibovitz are portraits of Hollywood celebrities, musicians and politicians. She is the author of the advertising project Disney Dream Portraits, for 2000, the Lavazza calendar for 2009.

According to Annie Leibovitz, the most important thing in her work is to convey the character of a person through a picture.

“In order for the photos to be at the highest level, you need to become part of what is happening.”

Biography and career

Childhood and early years

Annie Leibovitz (birth name Anna Lou) was born October 2, 1949 in Westport, Connecticut. She grew up in the family of Samuel, an Air Force colonel, and Marilyn, a modern dance teacher. By origin, his father was a Romanian, his mother had Russian-Jewish roots. Annie Leibovitz was raised with sisters Susan, Barbara, Paula and brothers Howard and Philip. The family moved frequently due to Samuel's official duties.

“We moved from place to place. The family in the car was something permanent. We practically lived in it. We slept in the car, taking turns driving.”

Marilyn Leibovitz

Mother Annie Leibovitz always took a camera on the road and took family pictures. Her love for photography carried over to her children.

“When you were practically raised in a car, it’s easy to become an artist. You see the world already in a ready-made frame, through a car window. In fact, I was never really interested in photography - it was something family for me. We often took pictures, they are very dear to me, as well as to my mother, she hung them everywhere. The camera was another member of the family for us.”

In the late 60s, during the Vietnam War, Annie Leibovitz, along with her father, on duty, went to the Philippines. Here she took her first photographs.

Education. Interest in photography

In 1967, Annie Leibovitz entered the San Francisco Art Institute in the art department. In her first year, she wanted to become an art teacher.

In 1968, Annie Leibovitz enrolled in a photography course. During the day, students took pictures in the city, then developed and printed their work, and in the evening they discussed the results.

“You roam the streets and take pictures of life as it is. Then collective viewing and discussion of pictures. When your photos are next to strangers, you want them to be no worse. The Art Institute and photography courses focused on Robert Frank and Henri-Cartier Bresson. Their style is mobile, relaxed, light, fluid. The first book that helped me understand what it means to be a photographer was called The World of Cartier Bresson. I remember sitting over it, I realized that this way you can travel around the world. The camera gives you the right to be everywhere and to be on your own, but with a purpose.

In her third year, Annie Leibovitz went to Israel. For 6 months she worked in an archaeological expedition, participated in the excavations of the palace of King Solomon. Later, Annie Leibovitz recalled that the decision to become a photographer came to her in Israel. Her friend regularly sent her issues of Rolling Stone magazine. Subsequently, Annie Leibovitz realized that she wanted to take pictures for this publication.

Carier start

In 1970, Annie Leibovitz showed her work to Rolling Stone founder Jan Wenner.

In 1971, Annie Leibovitz was hired as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone.

In the 1970s, she took many photographs that have become icons of music photography. Annie Leibovitz posed for Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Bob Marley, Patti Smith and others.

In the early 1970s John Lennon decided to give the first interview to Rolling Stone magazine about his life in the Beatles. Annie Leibovitz persuaded the editor to take her along as a photographer. During filming, she tried to capture the emotions of John Lennon and convey them through the picture.

“I still didn’t know how then to make people do what I need. I measured the exposure and said to John: "If you can, look at me for a second." And at that moment it clicked.

As a result, Annie Leibovitz managed to create one of the most famous portraits of John Lennon. This picture was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone.

“Annie did an amazing portrait of John. It is obvious. From the way I clung to it, Annie knew that I was delighted and considered this picture an event.

Jan Wenner, editor of Rolling Stone

Annie Leibovitz was given free rein in the magazine. She visited many cities, met famous musicians. According to Annie Leibovitz, "the most important thing was to capture the details of the events and convey them through photography." Sometimes, in order to reach the desired level of understanding, she spent several days with those whom she filmed, "living the same life with them."

“In order to take flawless pictures, I need to be in the subject, to be inside the situation. You know, the best shots are always what surrounds you, when you yourself are also part of the environment.

In 1975, Annie Leibovitz took a number of photographs of Arnold Schwarzenegger during his participation in the Mr. Olympia competition.

“Annie is very good at adapting to people and situations. It somehow penetrates your world and becomes a part of your life. At a certain point, you stop noticing that Annie is filming and recording everything.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Recognition of creativity

“You can see in my photographs that I am not afraid to fall in love with those I photograph.”

In 1975, Annie Leibovitz was the official photographer for the Rolling Stones during their US tour. Jan Wenner was against her accompanying them. He feared that Annie Leibovitz would start using drugs.

“Take off as much as you like, but you don’t have to go with them. Many of my friends after such a tour came back as drug addicts.

Jan Wenner

Later, Annie Leibovitz admitted that she had been using illegal drugs for several years. Shooting the Rolling Stones brought her great fame, made her the #1 photographer in the world of American rock and roll.

In 1976, Annie Leibovitz became interested in filming dances. She photographed Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mark Morris.

“I had a dream to show how the dance is done. It was great to know that you were just taking a portrait of the moment. It was art floating in the air."

In 1977, an important event happened in the life of Rolling Stone magazine: the editors moved to New York and occupied 48 rooms on Fifth Avenue. According to Annie Leibovitz, for her "this city was associated, first of all, with".

In 2009, Annie Leibovitz posed for the cover and pages of March's Vogue US featuring Michelle Obama.

For the pages of December's Vogue US, she filmed Little Girl and Boy Lost. Annie Leibovitz was inspired by the opera Hansel and Gretel, staged by Richard Jones based on the fairy tale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm. The roles of children left in the forest were also played by Andrew Garfield, Lady Gaga appeared in the image of a witch.

In 2010, Annie Leibovitz did a short meeting with Sean Combs for the pages of the February Vogue US.

On the pages and cover of the January 2011 Vogue US appeared footage from a photo shoot with Meryl Streep. Annie Leibovitz prepared the cover and pages shoot for the October Vogue US featuring Michelle Williams. The issue was dedicated to the release of the film "7 Days and Nights with Marilyn", in which the actress played the main role.

“People are not used to seeing Angelina in this perspective. I like that everything turned out very realistic. Annie Leibovitz captured the spirit of the journey and the message of the campaign through Angelina's personal feelings and tastes."

Pietro Beccari, Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton.

In 2012, Annie Leibovitz shot for the pages of the June Vogue US featuring Karlie Kloss. The photo shoot was dedicated to the 2012 Summer Olympics. Annie Leibovitz captured Karlie Kloss with athletes representing the United States at the games in London. The photographer emphasized the harmony of contrast between catwalk outfits and traditional sports uniforms. Annie Leibovitz filmed for the December Vogue US with the main characters of the film "Les Misérables": Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen. On the cover of the publication was published a picture of Anne Hathaway.

In 2013, a photo shoot was published on the pages of the February Vogue US with the participation of Kasi Struss, and. Annie Leibovitz has photographed models with police officers, firefighters, and the military - people of those professions who help during natural disasters, including during Hurricane Sandy.

Disney Dream Portraits project

In 2011, Annie Leibovitz featured a series of portraits of famous people as part of an advertising campaign for Disney theme parks. The photographer captured celebrities in the images of fabulous characters from Disney cartoons. Gisele Bundchen appeared in the role of Wendy Darling, Mikhail Baryshnikov tried on the image of her lover - Peter Pan.

Marc Anthony acted as Aladdin, Whoopi Goldberg acted as Genie, Jennifer Lopez became the character Jasmine from the fairy tale "Aladdin's Magic Lamp".

Jessica Biel tried on the image of Pocahontas, Rachel Weisz played the role of Snow White, her prince was David Beckham, Scarlett Johansson - Cinderella. Queen Latifah is the sorceress Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Penelope Cruz and Jeff Bridges starred as Beauty and the Beast from the fairy tale of the same name.

Albums by Annie Leibovitz

“Annie has become a truly great chronicler of our country. She filmed what we cared about, what we thought about.

Hillary Clinton

In 1999, Annie Leibovitz and Susan Sontag released Women. The album contained about 200 photographs of women of different professions, religions, nationalities, and social affiliations.

The publication published pictures from her personal archive, as well as portraits of celebrities. In the foreword to the album, Annie Leibovitz wrote: "I have only one life and all my photographs - personal and commissioned - are part of this life."

In 2011, the photographer published the album Pilgrimage. The book contains about 120 photographs of houses, landscapes, places associated with famous people who are no longer alive. Annie Leibovitz's attention was drawn to personal things, elements of everyday life - to what could tell about a person. The album contains photographs of Virginia Woolf's work chair, the Ouse River in which she drowned, photographs of Sigmund Freud's library, his couches for receiving patients, etc.

“These are photographs of the absence of people, photographs of what remains when a person dies. I was more interested in the feeling of the place.”

Celebrity portraits

“Each picture of Annie Leibovitz seems to bear her stigma. When you look at the photo, it is clear that only she could do this and no one else.

Anna Wintour

Annie Leibovitz is the author of portraits of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, Barack and Michelle Obama, George Bush, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jamie Foxx, Uma Thurman, Julianne Moore, Jack Nicholson, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Whoopi Golberg, Tom Cruise, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Woody Allen, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cameron Diaz, Cate Blanchett, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Sting, Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix , Michael Jackson, Kate Winslet, Mikhail Gorbachev, Barbara Streisand, Robert Downey Jr., Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and others.

“If I didn’t have my camera, eventually I would lose the meaning and purpose of life.”

Personal life

Annie Leibovitz currently lives in New York. She is raising three children - daughter Sarah Annie was born in 2001, in 2005 a surrogate mother carried her twins, Susan and Samuel.

For more than 15 years, Annie Leibovitz had a sexual relationship with writer Susan Sontag. Sontag died of leukemia in 2004.

Interview with Annie Leibovitz for FotoTapeta (Interviewer - Anna Beata Bodzwicz, January 19, 1998)

F.T.: Can you call yourself shy?
A.L.: O! We are all shy! Sometimes no one knows what to say. Sometimes we sit in my studio and everyone is silent. It drives me crazy. There must be some reason why photographers are not very good at verbal communication. Although I don't want to believe it, I just think we're lazy... We think that since we're photographers, we don't need to try to connect with anyone. In general, I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to follow what is happening and at the same time speak.

F.T.:Can you say that you hide your shyness behind the camera? Hide and start filming.
A.L.: I don't think it's really that hard. When we are young, the camera plays the role of a friend for us. You take it, go somewhere and feel as if you are not alone, but in the company. It's a kind of license that allows you to walk alone, but at the same time do something. It seems to me that in these moments we forget that we are somewhere. We don't hide, we just forget. We see so much that we forget we exist. Do you understand what I mean? But everything is changing, we are getting older and we have other tools and other approaches to everything. We are starting to use photography in a different way.

F.T.:Having a camera puts us in a different position...
A.L.: When I was younger, I did things with my camera that I couldn't do without it. I remember driving to the docks in San Francisco and asking a fisherman to give me a ride on his boat. I would never have done this if I didn't have my camera with me.

F.T.:It's a kind of protection.
A.L.: I think it's a license. Once upon a time, she was a protector. For example, during my tour with the Rolling Stones. If I hadn't had a camera with me back then to remind me to do something, I would have slipped away from my duties. I would forget about my right to exist. The camera is a heavy burden, you know. Now we have compact plastic cameras, but then, in the 70s, they were metal and very heavy. F.T.: Yesterday I went to see your exhibition again and saw a huge crowd of people walking along the walls and looking at your work. But it suddenly became interesting to me why the presented exposition is not very large? Or is it a special version for Eastern Europe?
A.L.: With all due respect to Marek Gridel, I have to admit that he hung my work in the gallery the wrong way. I gave him the plan, the legend... Some of the photographs shouldn't have been hung so scattered, they should have been hung side by side and seen as a grouping. For example, photos of my family always hang as if it were a wall in my house, they should have been hanging side by side. The order of their arrangement was to copy the wall in my mother's house, they always hung that way.
These photos need each other. You need to look at them with one glance, so they must be nearby. I am also very sensitive to the location of photos from Sarajevo. These works should always form one block. In this exhibition, they hang separately. I am very proud of the pictures I took in the eighties because they are so bright and colorful. But I always compare them with works of a later time, dark and gloomy, and that is why I wanted to dilute the last pictures with such a bright positive spot. The portraits were also supposed to hang all together, but they were placed incorrectly. I'm confused about how they did it. There should have been a chronology, but it is not. This made it difficult to understand. In other words, all this material needs to be looked at differently.

F.T.:I was surprised that the photos are so small...
A.L.: This is another problem. At the original exhibition, which took place in 1991, the scale of the photographs in inches was 16x20. The photos are small at the beginning of the exhibition, and then they become larger and simpler. The latest photos - from the Olympic Games - were the largest.
While the exhibition was traveling, I chose about five works and made more of them so that they immediately attracted attention. There was a large photo of John and Yoko, as well as Keith Haring. But for the exhibition, which is now traveling around Europe, we made them all in the same size. We couldn't carry large photos. In addition, during the exhibition's move, I became convinced that photographs may not always fit into the various spaces provided.

F.T.: Do you print your own photos?
A.L.: No, not by myself. I have been working with two people for twenty years now. There is also such a problem that in each new place the photos look different. These photos are designed to be backlit, and without light they are too gloomy.

F.T.:In general, we understand a portrait as a person's face. But in your portraits, you can often see the body, and not just the face.
A.L.: When I was younger, I didn't realize I was doing this. It was natural. I have always opted for 35mm lenses. Everything turned out in such a style, as if the lens was slightly removed. The fact is that with such a lens you can not shoot close. Then I got a 105mm lens, but most of my work is done with that 35mm lens. It was boring for me to get close to the object, such pictures seemed uninteresting. Besides, I was young and so I was afraid to come closer. I was even afraid to shoot in the studio because I was claustrophobic. I have always tried to shoot somewhere where the hero of the shooting will not look at me. It was unbearable for me to feel that the one you are photographing is constantly looking at you.

F.T.:But your photos from the 80s are just like these. They are more situational...
A.L.: There are situations because I wanted it. It was easier to tell the participants in the photo shoot to do something, so they felt more comfortable. It is easier for them to play a role than to be themselves in front of the camera. I’m sure that it was the same for you when you come to the shooting and the first thing you hear from the hero is: “What should I do?”.

F.T.: The hero of the shooting, first of all, wants to look attractive.
A.L.: Ha ha ha...

F.T.: For me, one of the most striking photos in your exhibition is a portrait of Joseph Brodsky. Tell about it.
A.L.: The only reason why this photo stands out so much, and I've seen better Brodsky portraits, is that in my picture he doesn't look happy, he looks like he's very uncomfortable. And I thought it looked unusual and interesting. When I photographed a group of Nobel laureates, I only took a few shots of Brodsky. I asked if I could take five or six shots and he kindly agreed.

F.T.:I met him in Warsaw in 1992 and took some pictures too. There was something tragic about him...
A.L.: It seems to me. he always looked like he was very uncomfortable. Perhaps he experienced physical discomfort due to the heart ... I met him a couple of times and every time he looked exactly like that. This picture is like a photo from the war, it is full of pain. That's why he wrote what he wrote. If you look at my latest portraits, you will see that I am getting closer now. It's because I've matured. Now I'm not afraid to do it. But there are too few people who want to look into the eyes. Irving Penn said he didn't want to photograph anyone under 60, and I think that makes sense. The faces of all the older people I photograph are incredible.

F.T.: The smallest picture in your exhibition is a photo of a crucified woman.
A.L.: Susan Sontag scolds me every time that this photo is so small. I like what it is because it reminds me of the little figures of Jesus crucified that hang in people's houses. Diamanda Galas is a great actress. There is something demonic in her image.

F.T.: I wonder if anyone will notice this photo at the exhibition...
A.L.: Well, you noticed.

F.T.:In Poland, a Catholic country, this photo might hurt someone's feelings...
A.L.: I'll be interested to see the reaction... But this photo has a lot to do with her personal experience. She lost her brother to AIDS, and she has several performances where she screams for an hour.

F.T.:Some of your work done in the 90s looks gloomy, as if they were made using non-standard technology. Did you use any special negatives?
A.L.: I used a Polaroid 6×6.5 negative, you can see it in the corners. Gorgeous negatives, they are fine-grained and look old-fashioned. You know, black people on a black background, dressed in black and white, always look attractive in my eyes! This beauty can be seen in my Olympic photo shoot, their skin loves black and white shots.

F.T.: Have you ever met Diane Arbus?
A.L.: I never met her, but I know people who knew her. I remember moving to New York in the 70s. I remember walking the streets and seeing her work everywhere. Every corner of New York! Diane Arbus knew all the people she photographed and became friends with them. She was a very, very valuable photographer because she photographed people that we, as a society, didn't want to look at. It’s not even that they didn’t want to, we didn’t see them.

F.T.:in his book "The American West" tried to repeat the work of Diane Arbus?
A.L.: He wanted it, he wanted... He wanted to be Diana Arbus, he really wanted to. He's been criticized for wanting to be Diana Arbus, but that's totally fine. I think he did a great job. He is very honest about his work, about how and why he did it. He was completely amazed by the work of Diana, respected her, admired her. Now his daughters - Amy and Dawn - are his best friends. How can you not love his work, so incomparable! He could not become Diana, but he could integrate into his work what he saw in her work. And we all do it! That's what's wonderful! There is nothing wrong. We all live in this world and feed each other. This is wonderful!

F.T.:How do you feel now, in the age of computers and artificial imaging. Do you feel that photography is losing credibility?
A.L.: She will never lose her trust...

F.T.:So it doesn't bother you?
A.L.: This does not apply to real photographers. People who do not understand something and are not smart enough work with this, but their work will be integrated into photography in a good way, it will become a tool. When something new appears, it is often abused until one learns how to use it correctly. Sometimes in my studio I use my computer to post pictures, which is handy. A computer photograph will not be a photograph in the full sense of the word, but it will become something anyway. I think that the process of creating photographs will always be based on chemistry ...

F.T.: I'm happy that you think so.
A.L.: But you know all this too.

F.T.: No no!
A.L.: Yes, you know it! You just want to hear confirmation, in fact you all know it.

F.T.:At the press conference, you said that during a photo session you take about 100-200 shots. Why do photographers need to take so many shots?
A.L.: Well, it's not always necessary...

F.T.:But they do it.
A.L.: You really don't need to make excuses if you take a lot of pictures. But I was taught that on business trips, film is considered the cheapest material in the truest sense of the word. Really valuable is the time of the photographer and the person he photographs. It always amazes me that even if a person is standing in one place, and you keep taking shot after shot, then all the photos will end up being different. Because even a very small detail can make a photo successful or unsuccessful. I don't actually take many pictures. Only the situation can stop the process. I can shoot a person in one position, use about two small films, and then see that this position does not work and change it. But the amazing thing is that when shooting a portrait, every nuance can make photos different.

F.T.:I wonder why some great photographers stop shooting?
A.L.: I think that when you are young photography is your friend and when you get older it sometimes loses its power in your eyes. I used photography as a way to make new friends, to be friendly, because I didn't always feel comfortable without a camera. I don't need my camera as often these days, but I do need it because it's pretty much the only reason people talk to me. Ha ha... I'm a photographer, after all. I used to take pictures all the time, now I also do it, but not so much, just a few shots. They are like souvenirs. When you are constantly asked to take pictures, it gets boring. Do you understand what I mean? When you go with a camera to a meeting with friends and then they constantly ask “When will we see the photos?”, You answer “Soon, soon…”.

F.T.: If you consider this question too personal, you can not answer it. As far as I know, you don't have your own family: children, husband... Do you think the family helps the artist or not?
A.L.: I think it's a sacrifice. It's a classic story: time goes by so fast that you don't notice it. I think work is the only thing in that sense, which I may regret, but never think it's too late for me to do something. Work is a big baby and you can't do anything else. Fortunately, I have many good friends, but everything that is done for work breeds new work. I was born into a huge family and they support me. I have five brothers and sisters, they all have children, and my parents are still alive. I have been very fortunate in this regard. But time passes very quickly, there is no doubt about it.

F.T.: When I do an interview, I always ask this question first. In this case, it's the last one. Who do you like more - cats or dogs?
A.L.: Oh God… If I had any animals, they would be dead already…

F.T.:I mean the aesthetic side of the issue ...
A.L.: It would be rotten cats and dogs, because I am almost never at home ... Recently I looked at the Russell Terrier. They are very smart...

F.T.: So you are for dogs! What a shame!

A collection of photographs from Annie Leibovitz's album under the straightforward title "A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005", the idea of ​​​​creating which was not accidentally born simultaneously with the death of the famous American intellectual, lover and close friend of the photographer - Susan Sontag. Opening of the exhibition with the works of the series and the release of the eponymous photographic publication based on her motives force outside observers to confirm, wincing more than once in the process, that the life of a photographer is a standard set of events and impressions that are given to every visitor to our planet at birth.Family, love, death, the appearance of the first child, and then two more The wheel of time, which in some random way runs from the "cancer ward" to the maternity ward, from the New York studio to the war, from the warm home sofa to the Hollywood party. the visiting card of the photographer and managed to become cult, portraits nomadic celebrities. And to top it off, Leibovitz masterfully dilutes the series with his little-known meditative landscapes, which do an excellent job of punctuation marks in a large-scale and sometimes overly intense photo presentation.
It is worth adding that it is this fifteen-year retrospective, non-standard in all respects, that Leibovitz, whose portfolio invariably seems absolutely limitless, would later call his most important photographic work.

Julian Schnabel in his studio on West 11th Street, 1995
(Portrait of American artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel.)

My parents, Peter's Pond Beach, Wainscott, Long Island, 1992
(The carefree couple pictured are Leibovitz's parents, mother Marilyn, a former contemporary dance teacher, showing professional flexibility.)

My brother Philip and my father, Silver Spring, Maryland, 1988
(From this symmetrical portrait, two generations of the Leibovitz family smile side by side: Annie's brother Philip and father Samuel, a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force.)

Susan Sarandon
(Portrait of the famous American film actress Susan Sarandon.)

My parents with my sisters, Paula and Barbara, and Paula's son Ross, Peter's Pond Beach, Wainscott, Long Island, 1992
(There are six children in the family of Samuel and Marilyn Leibovitz, Annie is the third child.)

Patti Smith with her children, Jackson and Jesse, St. Clair Shores, Michigan, 1996
(Portrait of American singer and poet Patti Smith with son Jackson and daughter Jessie.)

Susan with Sarah, West 23rd Street, 2001
(Sarah was born by caesarean section. Lying on the operating table, Leibovitz tried to capture the process of giving birth to her daughter on camera. Laughing, she admits: "Everything looked terrible and absolutely out of focus.")

My parents dancing with their grandson, Ross, Hedges Lane, Wainscott, Long Island, 1992.
(Annie describes her mother as creative and enthusiastic. The kind of mother who is sure to please your friends and make you feel embarrassed in front of them at the same time.)

("Susan wasn't particularly inspired by the idea of ​​me being a mother. I guess she just didn't want to share me with a baby. However, I made up my mind and gave birth to little Sarah. And she loved her. Yeah, she just loved her," Leibovitz tells The Guardian. .)

William S. Burroughs in his garage, Lawrence, Kansas, 1995
(Portrait of American writer and essayist William S. Burroughs.)

My parents with their grandson, Ross, Hedges Lane, Wainscott, Long Island, 1992
(Picture of Annie's parents with their grandson Ross.)

Philip Johnson, Glass House, New Canaan, Connecticut, 2000
(Portrait of American architect Philip Johnson.)

Susan Sontag, Petra, Jordan, 1994
(This photo is the first photo in the album. A small figure, a beam of light and pitch darkness around the edges. Leibovitz jokes, saying: "I just used Susan so that you could appreciate the scale of it all." Then he adds that this picture is undoubtedly about Sontag's love of travel, nature, art and civilization.)

Susan's Shell Collection, King Street sunporch, New York, 1990
("Everyone else thinks she was so strong, and she was, but she was also very sensitive, vulnerable. I remember the first time I was in Susan's apartment, I noticed these little collections of stones and shells of hers." In my album , emphasizing the symbolism of the frame, Leibovitz places another "collector's" photograph after the photograph of the dead Sontag. Fifteen incomplete years between these moments.)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tejon Ranch, Lebec, California, 1997
(Portrait of the twenty-three-year-old American actor Leonardo DiCaprio. One of Leibovitz's most famous and replicated works.)

Susan and Sarah, Harbor Island, Bahamas, 2002
(In his interviews, recalling his first meetings with Sontag, Leibovitz describes another, previously unknown to Susan's admirers, kind of the opposite of her public picture: "She was sincere and open, very, very charming, even to some extent childishly naive." )

Vandam Street studio, New York, 1999
(Sontag suffered a relapse of cancer in 1998. Leibovitz photographs her new, partly chemotherapy-driven, unfamiliar image.)

Nelson Mandela, Soweto, 1990
(Portrait of Nelson Mandela, the eighth President of the Republic of South Africa and one of the most famous human rights activists during the apartheid era.)

Susan Sontag, New York, 1993
(“Susan once had a bike and even rode it, I have these photos. Then I helped her get a driver’s license. But then I thought, “Oh, God, what have I done!”. Because I understood, that Susan couldn't really drive a car. She was just this sweet and adorable baby inside," Leibovitz recalls in an interview with The New York Times.)

Susan and Samuelle Leibovitz, Clifton Point, 2005
(The photo shows Annie's youngest daughters: Susan and Samuel, born by a surrogate mother in May 2005. Leibovitz named the twins after her loved ones, whom she almost simultaneously lost a year earlier: her father and writer Susan Sontag.)

Mick Jagger, Los Angeles, 1992
(In the early seventies, at the dawn of her photographic career, Leibovitz went on an American tour with the musicians of the popular rock band The Rolling Stones. Jan Wenner, who is the founder of the cult music almanac with a similar name, admits in an interview: "It was very tempting offer, but I would never have advised Annie to go with them. It's just that I knew too many who came back from there as complete drug addicts." Much later, she would call this experience of touring together an idiotic mistake. "At the time, working at Rolling Stone" you instantly became part of the addict culture. After all, my mentor was Hunter Thompson, a real maniac, always high," recalls Leibovitz.)

Sarah with Susan Leibovitz, on the plane back to New York, 2005
("This photo speaks for itself. She is so proud of herself hugging her sister." Leibovitz gave birth to her eldest daughter, Sarah, at 52, and twins were born just a few years later.)

Martina Navratilova, Dallas, 1994.
(Portrait of the Czechoslovak and American tennis player, the first racket of the world in 1978-1987, Martina Navratilova.)

Susan in a bear costume, New Year's Eve, Paris.
(Portrait of Susan Sontag in a bear costume.)

Leigh Bowery, Vandam Street studio, New York, 1993
("I don't have two lives, but here's one with all its components," - with these words Leibovitz explains the equal existence of personal and commissioned photographs in the album.)

Susan's collection of stones, King Street Sunporch, New York, 1990
(The second "collection" shot of Leibovitz.)

Photograph taken by Susan, London Terrace, West 23rd Street, October 15, 2001.
(The day before the birth of Leibovitz's first daughter.)

Susan, Paris, 2002
("All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph of someone is to participate in their mortality, vulnerability, volatility," is an excerpt from the collection of essays by Susan Sontag "On Photography", which became, in fact, the leitmotif of Leibovitz's album.)

Cindy Sherman
(Portrait of popular contemporary American staged photography artist Cindy Sherman.)

Sarajevo; Fallen bicycle of teenage boy just killed by a sniper, 1994
(This famous photograph of a bicycle that belonged to a teenager who died under mortar fire was taken during the Bosnian war. Leibovitz, who was driving at that moment to shoot Miss Sarajevo, became an eyewitness to the tragedy, but she did not succeed in saving the boy, he died on the way to the hospital in her rented car.)

Mitsuko Uchida with Jesse Mills, Marlboro Music Festival, Marlboro, Vermont, 2002
(About this portrait of Mitsuko Uchida and her student Jesse Mills, journalist David Herman in his critical article accurately notes the following: “In a book, most of which is devoted to aging, illness and death, you can no doubt find many gloomy illustrations. Loneliness, it seems that this is it - a real problem with the people in the pictures. How mercilessly few happy faces are here. But there is one pleasant exception - a photograph of Mitsuko Uchida with her student at the Vermont Music Festival. He plays the violin with an eye to the notes. However, she is completely carried away by the process, she is touched and focused. Art, not the titled name of the musician, brings her to her senses.")

Mexico, 1989
(Portrait of Susan Sontag from a trip together.)

Quai des Grands Augustins, Paris, 2002
(The last trip to Paris. In the late 70s, in his next collection of essays, Sontag peremptorily announced to the reader that: "Photography is a register of mortality. A finger movement is enough to put posthumous irony into the moment.")

Cindy Crawford, Brookville, New York, 1993
(Portrait of American supermodel Cindy Crawford.)

Monument Valley, Arizona, 1993
(Monument Valley in northeastern Arizona.)

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Malibu, California, 1988
(Portrait of the American bodybuilder, Republican politician and actor of Austrian origin Arnold Schwarzenegger.)

Willie Nelson, Luck Ranch, Spicewood, Texas, 2001
(Portrait of American country musician Willie Nelson.)

Johnny Cash and Roseanne Cash, Hiltons, Virginia, 2001
(Portrait of American country musician Johnny Cash and Roseanne. According to the legend left by Leibovitz - in her studio, collecting negatives in secluded corners, which will become public domain in a month, she invariably cried under the album "Black Cadillac" by the talented daughter of the man of legend in dark clothes .)

Leaving Seattle November 15, 2004
(Leibovitz calls her absence from her side at the time of Sontag's death the biggest regret in her life. At the end of 2004, torn between two American states, each of which was literally in mortal need of a person close to her, Annie tried to do the impossible. On the day when Leibovitz went to visit her father dying of cancer in Florida, Susan looked bad, but because of the repeatedly seen effects of chemotherapy, such a condition could be called "usually bad" without any extra emotions.
But after a few hours, David, Sontag's son, will ask Leibovitz to come back. He will calm her down and say that they still have time. Susan Sontag died on December 28, 2004. She was buried in Paris at the Montparnasse cemetery.)

(Leibovitz's story doesn't end with Sontag's death, it only takes Annie another year to complete the cycle. In her interview, she says: "I had an affair with Susan. Lifelong relationship with my parents. And the future is my children. While working on the album, I tried to be as honest as possible about all these things.")

Annie Leibovitz, Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, December 1994 by Susan Sontag
(Describing his feelings about working on the photobook "A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005", Leibovitz says: "When the album was ready, I felt some unexpected power in me, something from Susan. Something that gave me her death. Yes, she still shares something with me.")

Annie Leibovitz is deservedly considered one of the most sought-after women photographers today. However, despite her high popularity, there are several interesting facts in her biography that not everyone knows about.

For example, her real name is Anna-Lou (in the English version Anna-Lou), but everyone always called her Annie.

Another interesting moment in the life of this photographer is that the photograph she took of D. Lennon with his wife Y. Ono became the last in the life of the singer: the musician was killed after about five hours.

Such a popular person as Annie, until recently, could also boast of the fact that almost no one was interested in her personal life. It was only when, at the end of 2001, at the age of fifty-one, Annie gave birth to her first child, many wondered who was the father of the newly born girl. Three years later, Annie admitted to reporters that the father of her child is the writer D. Riff, who at the same time was the only son of her best friend Susan Sontag, who died in 2004. Only after the death of her friend Annie decided to announce the name of the father of the child. In 2005, Annie had two more children, but this time they were born by a surrogate mother. At the same time, even though the children take away almost all of the photographer’s free time, she continues to do her favorite thing - photographs, organizes exhibitions and publishes her books.

Returning to the death of Annie's best friend, it is worth noting that she nevertheless found the strength to take photographs of her dying. Although most photographers, according to Annie herself, do not dare to take such pictures, as they are held back by fear. Photographing the dying Susan was one of the most difficult decisions Annie ever made in her life. It should also be added here that Leibovitz had a very close romantic relationship with her girlfriend, which they never advertised and did not live together. However, their love, according to Annie herself, was very sincere.

Of course, it's no secret to anyone that Leibovitz was able to work with almost all of Hollywood. Interesting is the fact that many spoiled stars on the set tried to behave in a way that is typical for people of their status. However, all this quickly stopped with the appearance of Annie on the set: the established stars, instantly forgetting about their typical behavior, became ready, almost at the first word of the photographer, to stand for several hours in a very uncomfortable position or even risk their lives climbing the rocks. There are many examples of this. What is the singer Sting worth, who, smeared with mud, stood for several hours in the desert in various whimsical poses.

The photographer in this matter distinguished herself not only in Hollywood, even Elizabeth II turned to Leibovitz with a request to make her portrait, while Annie insisted that the queen take off her crown and as a result she obeyed.

However, you should not be silent about the rather unpleasant moments in the life of a photographer. For example, in 2009, she almost lost almost all of her property due to multimillion-dollar debts. Leibovitz owed $24 million, which she had secured the rights to a catalog of her photographs and houses a year earlier. Ultimately, Annie was able to reach an agreement with the borrowing company and regain her rights to the photographs and property. Annie's debt has been restructured. The only mystery is the conditions under which this was done. It is only known for certain that if the photographer cannot pay off the debt by the new date, he may still lose the pledged rights and property.

Incredibly atmospheric and powerful shots of Annie Leibovitz first appeared in the 1970s in Rolling Stone magazine. Work of this level could not go unnoticed. Annie became a magazine star and later began shooting for Vanity Fair and Vogue. Now her work can be seen not only in magazines or on advertising posters, but also in national museums and galleries around the world.

In this article, you will learn about:

• the family and early life of Annie Leibovitz;
• projects in Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines;
• work with world celebrities;
• relationship with Susan Sontag;
• about how Annie Leibovitz works.

Annie Leibovitz. Life with a camera

Self-portrait of Annie Leibovitz, 1970

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, 1977

Annie was born on October 2, 1949 in the family of a US Air Force officer. Because of the father's work, the family constantly moved around the country. In a sense, Leibovitz has been looking through a frame all her life. As a child - through the car window, and since 1968 - through the lens. " When you were practically raised in a car, it's easy to become an artist. You see the world already in a ready-made frame, ”Annie tells about herself.

Worldwide fame and a huge number of commercial orders did not lessen her obsession with the quality of work. Leibovitz is a professional, a perfectionist. Sometimes it seems that she has forgotten about her life and lives by those who fall into the camera lens.

Studies and photography courses

In 1968, in Japan, Leibovitz bought a Minolta ST-R 101 camera, with which she climbed Mount Fuji, where she took her first pictures. She had no spare film, and the one in her camera had only a few shots left. It was Annie's first lesson as a photographer - to think about her camera.

After returning to San Francisco, Leibovitz enrolled in an evening photography course. At that time, she was already in her second year at the Faculty of Arts. Drawing was taught mainly in abstraction and expressionism, which was incomprehensible to Annie. She wanted to see the result of her work, to do something really important. Photography provided such an opportunity. With a camera, you have a mission, a reason for social activity.

Start of the Star Trek

In 1970, a friend of Annie persuaded her to take the pictures to Rolling Stone magazine. She came with a suitcase of photographs: protests, anti-war rallies in San Francisco and Berkeley, Israel, where she filmed for a while. The young Rolling Stone team liked Annie, and they took her. She quickly became the star of the magazine and worked for it for 13 years.

Her pictures have always been a revelation. Annie Leibovitz spent 3-4 days with those she filmed to build the right level of trust. "The best shots are always about what surrounds you"

In the early 70s, professional photographers preferred to shoot with Nikon, and Annie soon changed her Minolta to him too. In her early years at the magazine, she carried three cameras with her as she didn't want to waste time fitting lenses. Zoom techniques were not taken seriously in those years - the photographer had to build the exposure himself.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John Lennon, New York, 1970

Annie photographed John Lennon twice for Rolling Stone. The first time was in 1970. It was this shooting that marked the beginning of her work with world-famous stars.

She was very young at the time, and this was her first major assignment from the magazine. John and Yoko were very surprised that the editors sent Annie for the interview, but they still communicated with her as with a professional. "John is a true legend, someone I was in awe of - taught me that I can be myself."

Leibovitz brought three Nikons, a 105mm lens, and a light meter to shoot. She was using this lens when John suddenly looked into the camera. It was this photo that was chosen for the cover of the issue with his interview.

In 1980, Annie took a nude photo of John hugging his wife. A few hours after the shooting, the musician was killed. The cover with this photo was recognized as the best in several decades.

Tour with The Rolling Stones

Rolling Stones fans, 1975

The Rolling Stones, Philadelphia, 1975

Mick Jagger, Chicago 1975

Keith Richard, 1977

In 1975, Annie worked as a tour photographer for The Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger(group vocalist)invited her to join the tour, and the editors of the magazine agreed. The photographer believed that the project would be successful if she completely merges with the group and their lifestyle, being a chameleon. During this period, she became addicted to drugs. Annie recovered from addiction only after moving to New York.

Mick asked me to be their Cartier-Bresson. I don't know exactly what he meant.

During the tour, several hundred meters of film were shot, only some of the footage was published in the magazine. At that time, it was Annie's strongest and most energy-intensive project.

Shooting fashion and world stars

Work for Vogue and Vanity Fair

Demi Moore 1991

Nicole Kidman 2008

Andrew Putman, New York, 1989

Leonardo DiCaprio, 1997

In early 1980, Annie realized that she wanted to move on and began shooting for Vanity Fair. Before that, the girl was identified only with rock and roll. This work opened the door for her to the world of commercial and fashion photography. Leibovitz begins to attach great importance to angles, style, images of those who fall into her lens. During this time, her mentor was Beya Feitler, a well-known and influential designer, editor of Vanity Fair.

In 1983, Leibovitz began working with Vogue, shooting ad campaigns and projects for Mikhail Baryshnikov, the American Ballet Theater and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

A whole world opens up in Annie's work, the more you look at her pictures, the more you realize what a great job and team behind them. Planes, circus animals, colossal budgets were spent on some of the shootings.

The photo of a pregnant Demi Moore made such an impression that the issue with this cover raised the circulation of Vanity Fair from 800 thousand to one million. Annie again, with her work, raised an issue that found a strong response in society. This time through the theme of the female body and pregnancy.

Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp Annie refers to the number of photogenic people who just need to be themselves. The photographer does not need to do anything, build a picture. Charisma and some of their inner traits do everything by themselves. “It doesn't matter who photographs Marilyn Monroe. She takes care of everything."

Celebrity work

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1997
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1988

Annie found an approach to the 28-year-old champion Mr. Olympia, and to the Terminator, and later to the businessman and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger. The famous photograph of Arnold in Sun Valley (USA) was taken in 1997. There was a terrible blizzard in the mountains, and Leibovitz had a tiny window to fly up in a helicopter to the desired height and take pictures. She took pictures lying on her stomach in the snow. The resulting footage justifies the effort, even though the conditions were so extreme that even the stylist refused to fly to the shoot.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mikhail Baryshnikov, 1989
Mikhail Baryshnikov, 1990

Marilyn Leibovitz was a dancer, and one of Annie's fondest childhood memories is her mother dancing on the beach. Annie has a particularly keen eye for this kind of art and movement in general, although she writes in Annie Leibovitz at Work that dance cannot be photographed, it is an art "floating in the air." “All dancers, by and large, are a photographer's dream. They communicate with their bodies and are able to cooperate very sensitively.” Leibovitz has always been very excited about collaborating with Mikhail and his team.

The peculiarity of photography is that you either make the moment bright, or you simply fix it.

Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis 1996

No less productive is Annie working with athletes. Their body is a tool that they work on all their lives, they know how to pose and behave in front of the camera. The photograph of athlete Carl Lies was included in a series of portraits of the 1996 Olympic Games participants, which Leibovitz took during training. Most of the shots were taken with Polaroid. Each photo is a "portrait of the moment", as the photographer herself says.

Patti Smith

Patti Smith, 1996

Plunging into the work of Annie Leibovitz, you begin to truly feel the power of her work. Photos seem to start talking to you, telling a story. She has no equal when it comes to portraiture.Patti Smith was blown away by the picture Annie took. Years later, she said that she became the person that Leibovitz managed to catch. The author of the picture herself does not believe that she is able to show the soul of a person. It only removes the top layer.

Creative Union Annie and Susan

Susan Sontag. Photo by: Jill Krementz

V In 1988, Susan Sontag appeared in Annie's life. Susan at that time was a famous writer, and she needed publicity shots. Interestingly, one of Susan's most famous essays is about photography.(On Photography, 1977) .

“I went into this relationship believing I would get closer to that greatness and take my work to greater heights.” Susan became the closest person to Annie. She, like no one else, could observe, discuss and criticize her pictures.

Susan belonged entirely to the world of words, and Annie to the world of photography

Leibovitz always wanted to do something important for America, and Susan suggested a collaborative project about American Women. In 2000 they released the book Women, with photographs of Annie and an essay by Susan. This is a collective portrait of American women of different professions, classes, religions. The photographer realized that she was shooting something that had not been in her photographs before. "I've never seen such diversity, it was very emotional."

There was a very strong emotional and intellectual bond between the women. In 2001, Annie gave birth to a daughter, whom she and Susan named Sarah. By that time, Leibovitz was already 52 years old, and Sontag was 68. A few years later, the women decided on another child, but with the help of a surrogate mother. Susan died without seeing the newborn twins Susan and Samuel Leibovitz. Annie took posthumous photographs of a friend.

Life today

Selfie Annie Leibovitz Today

In 2016, Annie released a sequel to the Women project.(WOMEN: New Portraits) . New photos were presented to her personally in 10 cities. The project includes both old pictures taken in 1999 and new ones: Gloria Steinem, Michelle Obama, Adele.

Now, in 2018, Annie Leibovitz is 69 years old. She devotes more time to children, continues to shoot, and conducts online photography courses. Even in her youth, entering the Faculty of Arts, she wanted to teach. Then she was told that first she needed to become an artist herself. And so it happened.

Other notable works

Leonardo DiCaprio

Cate Blanchett

Gwyneth Paltrow, Blythe Danner

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

Michael Johnson

Keira Knightley

Jennifer Lawrence

How Annie Leibovitz photographs

• Studying the work of other artists. Annie is a fan of photography, especially the work of Robert Frank, Henry Cartier-Bresson, Richard Avedon and Irving Penn.
• Leibovitz understands that if you work alone, you can miss something important, not see your mistakes. She always talks about her photos and filming, accepts criticism.
• Photography, according to Annie, should tell a story. Therefore, she prepares, studies the personality and previous projects and photo shoots of those with whom she will work.
• No one is asked to smile for the camera. Annie believes that people are relieved when they realize they don't have to pretend.
• Not afraid to fall in love with the one whose portrait does. "This is what you see in my photographs."
• Selects a 35mm camera.

Once the vocalist of The Rolling Stones called Annie on tour and asked to be their Cartier-Bresson. If you do not know who he is, or have heard, but have not studied his work, then we suggest reading the material -. Losko also wrote biographies of other photographers:

- : artist and pioneer of color photography

- : the most expensive photographer of our time

What is a frame? Perhaps an attempt to stop time, to look into the face of the world in which you live. The photographer is a chronicler of illusions. The power of the frame is unconditional. She cannot be re-elected, dismissed, revolted against her. She is eternal.

Annie Leibovitz is the woman who turned gloss into art. Once she made shots that today are "quoted" by photographers around the world. Her photo and her life are always on the edge. Anyone dreams of a provocation from Leibovitz, if only to leave the shot she made in history. Whoopi Goldberg lay in a bath of milk, Bette Midler under delicious but unbearably thorny roses, and Her Majesty Elizabeth II Annie once asked her to take off her crown for a while. The royal person thought, and ... complied with the request. Leibovitz's most iconic photograph is that of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. John, defenseless as a baby, embraces the muse. It was December 8, 1980, hours before John Lennon was assassinated. This 2005 Rolling Stone cover won first place in the Best Magazine Cover of the Last 40 Years competition.

Annie Leibovitz was born on October 2, 1949 in the United States to an Air Force lieutenant colonel and dance teacher. Then she will say: “I was part of a generation that opposed the war, and at the same time I understood that I had to come to terms with the fact that my father was on military missions in Vietnam ...” Sometimes childhood impressions determine a person’s whole life. Annie will forever remember the brightest shot of her childhood - her mother dancing on the beach. Memory tried to capture movements, sharp poses, the movement of life itself.

She will buy her first camera in Japan - and take it with her on the Fuji climb. It was the first lesson in respect for his camera, learned for life. After the trip, Annie realized that if she was going to live with this thing, then she must understand what this thing is. Then she enrolled in an evening photography course at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied. “We were taught that the most important thing a young photographer can do is to learn to see,” says the photographer. During the day they shot, in the evening they developed pictures, they had their own heroes and their own ideas. “The camera gives the right to go out into the world for a specific purpose,” Annie Leibovitz realized even then.

It was then - in the 70s, during the heyday of rock and roll and youth movements, that Annie's unique, stencil-free style would begin to take shape. On January 21, 1970, a photo from the Student Demonstration against the invasion of Cambodia will be the cover of the music magazine Rolling Stone, with which she will be associated with many years of work. Real success hit Leibovitz when the leader of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, invited her as the official photographer for the tour. From a whole galaxy of already famous rock photographers, I chose the almost unknown Annie. Somehow she admits: “As for music, then I missed the most important moment. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both died in the fall of 1970." They had met Mick a few years earlier. Annie then had a "crazy idea" to photograph a rock band in a gold Cadillac. The guys came and looked at the rental car and Mick said: “Cars are like wine. There are good years, and there are bad ones. And they turned around and left. But then he returned.

Annie Leibovitz clicked the camera every second, so that the rollers no longer reacted to her camera, at that time fixing the legend of the century. Even then, she will perceive with her whole being the main commandment of every photographer, but she will say it out loud only later: “It took me many years to understand: asking a person to smile in front of the camera is the same as asking him to fake it ...” In 1983, Annie began working in the famous Vanity Fair magazine. In the 90s, Annie Leibovitz became one of the highest paid photographers in the world, opening her own photo studio in New York. She now works for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.

But there has always been another Annie Leibovitz. “I did not leave the aching feeling that I chose the wrong path. But guilt is not a bad thing,” she says. In one of the strongest shots, there is only a bicycle lying on the road, a sharp trail. The photo is titled "The Bicycle of a Boy Killed by a Sniper". “I was driving to take pictures of Miss Sarajevo, suddenly a shot rang out and a boy on a bicycle fell right in front of my car. We took him to the hospital, but he died on the way,” she says. The power of the frame is merciless. There are no political ideas, no ambitions, there is nothing - there is only a boy who is no longer on the frame or in life.

In the world of gloss, Annie has been bringing her incredible, crazy ideas to life for a long time, out of habit leaving an ironic essence in the frame. As a theater director, she puts on plays. "Land of Oz", "Alice in Wonderland", "Romeo and Juliet", "Queen". At 51, she gave birth to her first child with writer David Riff. At 55, Annie gave birth to two more babies with the help of a surrogate mother. Now she is over 60, she takes care of children, and remains the most sought-after photographer on the planet. And still does not change himself. She has long become Annie Leibovitz and can afford to be herself.