My first experience with Annie Leibovitz's work was in 2015, when she photographed Caitlyn Jenner for the cover of Vanity Fair. The intimate setting of Jenner's home mixed with her relaxed poses intrigued me. As a hobbyist photographer myself, I wondered how Leibovitz was able to summon such natural-looking photographs that made it feel as if we were in Caitlyn's home, sitting across from her on the couch. I never liked normal portrait photography; it looked unnatural, stiff, and cold. Whenever I would photograph human subjects, I tried my best to make them laugh and relax into their seat before capturing the image. In Leibovitz, I saw a kindred spirit, someone who wanted to capture human beings in their most natural form.
Leibovitz originally planned to be a painter, but while at art school, she took a photography class that inspired her to change the course of her life. When it comes to her creative process, Leibovitz says, "Everyone has a point of view. Some people call it style, but what we’re really talking about is the guts of a photograph. When you trust your point of view, that’s when you start taking pictures." Her reinvention of portrait photography involves taking people as they are in front of the lens, rather than posing them or putting them in unfamiliar outfits and settings.
An example of her differing style comes from when Leibovitz encountered one of her idols, Henri Cartier-Bresson. After he refused to let her take his photo, she followed him around, memorized his route to work, and waited on a bridge for him to come by. Once ambushed, he allowed her to take his photo. She captured him in his natural state doing one of his daily activities, which is unlike the process of most portrait photographers.
Leibovitz employs the use of mental imagery in her work. She refers to her "point of view" as the source of her incredible photographs. In order to standardize her uses of lighting and color, she must keep references in her mind as to how a true Annie Leibovitz photo "looks." When she looks at her subjects, she is able to imagine them in various poses, areas, and outfits to find the shots that will be worth setting up.
I believe that Leibovitz shows middle-c creativity with her work. She has not reinvented the camera, nor any of the physical processes involved with taking a photograph, but she has changed how a visual artist can view their subjects. To many portrait photographers, humans are dolls to be posed, or mannequins to showcase products on. To Annie Leibovitz, humans are people, and deserve to be treated as such through the art of photography.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Annie-Leibovitz
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/mar/31/tricky-dicky-arnies-abs-annie-leibovitz-rolling-stone
http://www.artnet.com/artists/annie-leibovitz/2
I really liked learning more about Leibovitz! I have seen many of her more famous photos such as the photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono and her shoot of Caitlyn Jenner but never knew who was behind those photos. I like her different take on portrait photography and the shift away from the stiffness many associate with it. I think classifying her work as middle-c creativity is correct as she has just opened up a new approach to taking portraits and restored personality and humanity to the subjects.
ReplyDeleteI love photography and the moment when the point of view and picture in your mind finally align. I am in love with this style of photography, mostly because it focuses on natural beauty rather than posed attraction. I feel as though people now a days try to hard to make them appear as something they are not instead of enhancing the natural beauty already present. It is obvious Leibovitz has an eye for beauty and is able to portray it effortlessly through the camera.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing stories of what people "almost were" before they became what they are famous for, like how you said Leibovitz was almost a painter. In a sense, it makes the artist / creator / person seem much more human, as though they almost came across their discipline by chance. Imagine what the world would be like if so many of the world-changing creatives had not come across their passions! It reminds me of Frank Gehry saying he was almost a pilot. Now that everyone has a camera in their cell phone and social media to share their pictures, people like to think that portrait photography is not that hard or that anyone can do that. Leibovitz's work combats that notion, showing the skill and effort it takes to create beautiful portraits that aren't just click and post. Thanks for sharing!
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