Famous+Photographer+Project

__**Annie Leibovitz**__


Annie Leibovitz, born Anna-Lou Leibovitz, was born on October 2, 1949 in Westbury, Connecticut. She was one of six children. Her mother, Marilyn Leibovitz was a modern dance instructor and her father, Sam Leibovitz, was an air force lieutenant. She took many dance classes when she was younger. In high school, Annie was quite into music. She played guitar, wrote her own music and was also a part of the folk singing club. Once Annie graduated from high school in 1967, she started to study painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. But, there, she developed a love for photography. In 1969 Annie went to Israel for a few months to work on a kibbutz. There, she began to take many, many ictures. After she returned to California, a friend of hers gave her the idea of submitting her photos to Rolling Stone. In 1970, Annie Leibovitz applied for a job with there. Annie's portfolio was excellent and impressed the editor, Jann Wenner. She got the job of a staff photographer. Two years later, at 23, Annie was to chief photographer, and she would keep this position for the next 10 years. With her job as a photographer for Rolling Stone, Annie had many great opportunities to travel with bands. In 1975, she had the chance to travel with the Rolling Stones on their international tour. On this tour though, Annie took up the habit of snorting cocaine, and it took five years for her to "get off the tour". Still, her career stayed strong afterwards.
 * 1. Historical Background:**

While Annie was working with Rolling Stone, her reputation grew and prospered. She went around the world and shot photographs of all the famous pop musicians. One musician, John Lennon, especially sealed Annie Leibovitz's reputation. Annie shot countless pictures of Lennon between 1970 and his death in 1980. One of her most famous photographs is the one she took of Lennon and Yoko Ono on December 8, 1980, only two hours before John Lennon was murdered. Some other famous people she has photographed are Woody Allen, Dolly Parton, Meryl Streep, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In 1983, Annie left the magazine and joined the Vanity Fair staff. In 1998, she also began to work for vogue. Along with her magazine editorial work, Annie also creating advertising campaigns for huge brands such as GAP and American Express. She has also contributed to the Got Milk? commercials. She has also worked with many arts organizations, such as the American Ballet Theatre. Annie's work is very famous and can be found at museums and galleries all over the world. In 1991, her collection of over 200 black and white photographs were shown at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Later that year, she had a book about her published. She also had a show called "Photographs: Annie Lebovitz 1970-1990."

Annie Leibovitz has had great influence on the photographer world. She was the first woman to have her work exhibited at the National Potrait Gallery in Washington. She is also very influential in the celebrity world. She is famous for taking pictures of celebrities in unique poses and ambiances. Her picture of John Lennon taken two hours before his murder is one of her most famous pieces. Also, her work has been extensively featured in publications like Rolling Stone, Time, Life, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. Foreign publications include Paris-Match, Bunte, Stern, Photo, Amica, and the London Sunday Times Magazine. She has definitely left her mark on history's pages.
 * 2. Influence:**

Annie Leibovitz is mainly a portrait photographer. She mostly takes potrait photos of celebrities and famous people. Potrait photography, also known as porpatraiture, is taking photos of a person or people in which their face and expression are most dominant. The objective of potrait photography is to display the personality or the mood of the subject. The entire body may be included in the picture, but the face is the main focus. For Annie Leibovitz, some of her most famous portrait photographs are: John Lennon naked next to his wife Yoko Ono, Whoopi Goldberg in a milk bath, and Meryl Streep. Annie likes to take photos of celebrities in unique poses and with interesting expressions that tells a story about their personality.
 * 3. Style/ Major Genre:**

1. Some design elements present are colour space, direction, and depth. The contrast from Whoopi Goldberg's skin and the white tub and white milk is quite strong. Also, you can see the depth of how much her body sinks into the tub. Her eyes also lead you to look to the right, as if to tell you something is there. 2. This is a good representation of this photographer's work because Whoopi Goldberg is a celebrity and Annie Leibovitz mainly photographs celebrities. Also, the expression in this photo is quite unique and interesting and this is Annie's style. 3. The use of light in this photograph is directed from the right side of photograph. It shines onto the whiteness of the milk bath and makes it seem even brighter. The light is used in a way so that the contrast between the person's skin and the milk is quite noticeable.
 * 4. Photos:**

1. Some design elements present are colour space, direction, depth, and the use of the rule of thirds. The dress that she is wearing stands out very well from the gold backgrounds. Also, the direction of her face and body points towards the right and leads the viewer's eyes towards that direction. Also, there is depth in this photo as you can see that some of her dress is more forwards than other parts. You can also tell the depth because of the stage opening behind her. She is not placed in the center of the photo but instead towards the side. 2. This is a good representation of this photographer's work because the model is a famous celebrity, Nicole Kidman. Also, this photo is quite unique and dynamic. It uses creative ways to draw teh reader's eyes to the person. 3. The use of light in the picture creates the idea of depth. With the lighting, you can tell that the model is standing more forwards than the rest of the background. Also, the lights coming from behind shine on the main person, directing the eyes to her.

1. Some design elements present are colour space and the use of simplicity. The pale skin of the model is a good contrast for the dark background. Also, her red lips contrast nicely with her almost white face. The use of simplicity makes the picture look uncluttered. All eyes are focussed on the main subject, the model. 2. This is a good representation of the photographer's work because this picture created quite a controversy when it was published on Vanity Fair. The photographer, Annie Leibovitz takes interesting and unique photos that some people might not like or understand and this photo represents her ideas. Also, the model, Miley Cyrus, is a famous celebrity. 3. The use of light creates a nice shadow on one side of the model's face to create a darker atmosphere. Also, the use of the lighting shows the different textures of her skin and the bedsheet that she is holding, You can tell that the sheet is silkier than her skin. Also, the light creates a nice contrast from her skin to her hair.

1. Some design elements present in this picture is the rule of thirds, depth, and direction. The main subject is not placed in the center of the photo and this represents the use of thirds. Also, the buildings in the background create a sense of depth. The way the stairs lead towards the right and how the model's body turns towards the right lead the viewer's eyes to that direction. 2. This photo is a good representation of Annie's work because even though the model's full body is in it, her epxression is still very eyecatching.Potrait photography is all about catching the expression of the subject, and Annie did that in this picture. 3. The use of light creates a dynamic contrast between the subject and the background. The lighting really catches on her red dress, making her pop out of the picture.

1. Some design elements present in this photo are colour space and the rule of thirds. The paleness of her face is a great contrast to the overall darkness of the rest of the picture. Also, her face is not centered. It is a bit more towards the side. 2. This is a good representation of Annie's work as the subject's face seems to hold a story. The photo is mainly focussed on the expression of the model's face, which is what potrait photography is all about. 3. The use of light creates a good contrast between her face and the rest of her silhouette. This catches the viewer's eye to her face and focusses the attention on her expression and eyes.