Annie Leibovitz: Life through a Lens.

Chances are if you have seen a photograph in a magazine in the last twenty years, Annie Leibovitz shot it.  She has been on the scene as one of the great portrait photographers of the 20^th century.  Many popular cultural figures describe Annie’s work as one of a kind. She puts her own stamp on the photograph that makes it distinguishable from any other photographers.  

            Annie formally studied photography at the San Francisco Art Institute, but she would describe her experiences as a life-long learning process.  During her time at the art institute, Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson inspired her in their use of self-portraits. She made her début in Rolling Stones magazine in 1970. She quickly earned a name for herself from her powerful portraits of bands. Annie also influenced the look of the “look” of the cover page of magazine.  She frequently shoots for Vogue and other famous fashion magazines.

            When looking over her portfolio, I was particularly drawn to the photographs she took of John Lennon for Rolling Stone Magazine. She had the unknowing privilege of photographing John and Yoko just hours before John’s untimely death.  Yoko is stretched out on the floor and John is lying next to her naked, exposed, and natural. He cradles her head and kisses her cheek, all the while is completely comfortable in his skin. These images captured the essence of the love that surrounded this couple. The rawness of the photograph contributes to its power. It was this image that graced the cover page of Rolling Stone’s. It was not accompanied by the logo or other premier stories. All you see is the connection that, until days earlier, consumed their lives.

           

After reviewing her work, I am impressed, inspired, and emotionally moved by some of her pictures. She has a way of capturing people’s souls in a still image. Her photographs have had a lasting effect on society. Her brilliance in artistic view is clearly demonstrated throughout her work. Annie Leibovitz has the extraordinary gift of generating photos that truly represent the person’s soul. This is why she is one of the greatest self-portrait artists of our time.