CAPTURING THE LIFE OF
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
ANNIE Leibovitz ABOUT ANNIE Photographer Annie Leibovitz was born on October 2, 1949, in Waterbury, Connecticut. Annie Leibovitz, considered one of America’s best portrait photographers, developed her trademark use of bold colors and poses while at ‘Rolling Stone.’ Leibovitz is also the mother of three children. At the age of 51, she had her daughter, Sarah. In 2005, twin daughters Susan and Samuelle were born with the help of a surrogate mother.
First career Rolling Stone In 1970, the 23-year-old Leibovitz was promoted to chief photographer, for the magazine Rolling Stone, a title she would hold for the next decade. Her position with the magazine afforded her the opportunity to accompany the Rolling Stones band on their 1975 international tour, though she lost herself from the experience and ended up grappling with a crippling drug addiction.
To date, a number of Vanity Fair covers have featured Leibovitz’s stunning—and often controversial—portraits of celebrities. Caitlyn Jenner (in a corset after having publicly revealed her identity as a woman) are among the most remembered celebs to grace the cover. Known for her ability to make her sitters become physically involved in her work, another of Leibovitz’s most famous portraits is of the late artist Keith Haring, who painted himself like a canvas for the photo.
SECOND CAREER VANITY FAIR In 1983, Leibovitz left Rolling Stone and began working for Vanity Fair. With a wider array of subjects, Leibovitz’s photographs for the magazine ranged from presidents to literary icons to teen heartthrobs. Leibovitz’s shoots also became known for over-the-top budgets that would later be at the center of major financial challenges.
OLympic cover
self When the magazine began printing in color in 1974, Leibovitz followed suit. “In school, I wasn’t taught anything about lighting, and I was only taught black-and-white,” she told ARTnews in 1992. “So I had to learn color myself.” Among her subjects from that period are Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and Patti Smith. Leibovitz also served as the official photographer for the Rolling Stones’ 1975 world tour. While on the road with the band she produced her iconic black-and-white portraits of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, shirtless and gritty.
“A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.” -Annie Leibovitz
PORTRAITS She is “a photographer of celebrities who has herself become a celebrity.” For the past 25 years, no photographer has delievered more photographs of the people we most want to see than has Annie Leibovitz. Her pictures are recognizable for their bright colors, intense lighting, and above all, for unique and surprising poses. In magazine spreads and advertising campaigns, Leibovitz has demonstrated that she is a master of projecting the popular culture of our time.