Famous portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz’s images have been featured in a variety of magazines and media. She started her work as a staff photographer for the ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine and became well-known for taking photos of celebrities. Her early years made it clear that she had an artistic bent of mind. She was a talented musician who majored in art in college. She created her own method of photographing individuals, revealing the subtle nuances of their personalities in a moving image, and was inspired by the work of photographers like Richard Avedon and Robert Frank. Her approach incorporates the use of striking hues and daring stances that frequently startle in order to leave an enduring impact. One of her most well-known images shows the former Beatle John Lennon cuddled up around his completely dressed wife. She has collaborated with famous people in all walks of life, from teen idols to powerful politicians. Along with her popularity, she has also faced criticism; her images of a teenage girl who appeared to be topless and an actress who appeared to be heavily pregnant while wearing nothing attracted the ire of the conservative public. She does not consider the people she photographs to be famous people; rather, she sees them as ordinary people with unique personalities that can be artistically revealed. The prize-winning photographer is now regarded as one of the top American portrait photographers.
Early Childhood & Life
She was one of the six children born to Marilyn Edith, a dance instructor, and Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Leibovitz of the United States Air Force.
She got involved in other artistic pursuits while still in school, such as painting and music. When her father was stationed in the Philippines during the Vietnam War, she started taking pictures.
She enrolled to study painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. During this time, she also kept improving her photography talents. Photographers like Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson had a big impact on her.
The career of Annie Leibovitz
She began working as a staff photographer for the just-formed magazine “Rolling Stone” in 1970. In 1973, the magazine’s publisher hired her as the chief photographer after being impressed by her work.
The magazine’s distinctive appearance was aided by the portrait photographer’s recognizable style, Annie Leibovitz. She was employed with the magazine until 1983.
In 1971 and 1972, she captured The Rolling Stone in a variety of photographs. She was hired by the band to shoot their 1975 Tour of the Americas because they were impressed with her work.
She was the first woman to get the chance to photograph the British singer Joan Armatrading for an album in 1978.
She produced one of her most well-known pieces in 1980. John Lennon and she participated in a photo shoot for Rolling Stone. Although she had originally intended to photograph him alone, she changed her mind and instead chose to pose him and his wife in an unusual way, producing a memorable picture.
She began working for ‘Vanity Fair’ magazine in 1983 and ran an international ad campaign for American Express credit cards.
She was the first female portraitist to display more than 200 of her images at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., in 1991.
For “Vanity Fair,” she captured a picture of a hugely pregnant Demi Moore in 1991. This started a trend where other celebrities wanted to pose for pictures while they were pregnant.
She photographed a number of famous people during the following ten years, many of them in private settings. For a 2006 issue of “Vanity Fair,” she photographed Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley while both were completely clothed and wearing nothing.
From October 2006 to January 2007, the Brooklyn Museum hosted a retrospective of her work based on her book, “Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005.”
In an international tour that included stops at the Corcoran Gallery of Art from October 2007 to January 2008 and the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco from March to May 2008, she displayed an exhibition of both her professional and personal photographs.
Bigger Works of Annie Leibovitz
One of her most well-known photographs features John Lennon snuggled up with his fully-dressed wife. This powerful image, which became her signature piece, was the result of her attempt to recreate the kissing scenario from the “Double Fantasy” album cover.
In 1991, she photographed an unclothed, very pregnant Demi Moore for the cover of the magazine “Vanity Fair.” The image is recognized as one of her most well-known celebrity photos and received praise from critics as well as controversy due to its subject matter.
Recognition & Achievements
For her celebrity images used in an ad campaign for American Express credit cards, she received the renowned international advertising prize known as the Clio Prize in 1987.
She received the Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society in 2009 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to photography.
Personal Legacy & Life
She met writer and filmmaker Susan Sontag in 1989, and the two went on to have a close romantic relationship. They remained close until Sontag’s passing in 2004.
She has three kids, with two of them being from surrogate mothers.
Annie Leibovitz’s Net Worth
American portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz has a $50 million fortune. Famous people have appeared in some of Annie Leibovitz’s most well-known photographs. John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Queen Elizabeth II, LeBron James, Demi Moore, and Miley Cyrus are just a few of the notable people she has photographed. Leibovitz is notable for being the first woman to have a featured show at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
Trivia
She was the final qualified photographer to capture John Lennon’s image.
Numerous spin-offs and parodies have been created in response to her iconic image of a pregnant Demi Moore.