Annie Leibovitz: A New Kind of Portrait Photography

Annie Leibovitz

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.

Caitlyn Jenner, Vanity Fair, 2015, photographed by Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz's work is best described as a series of celebrity portraits. Her unique style involves bold colors and contrast, well-lighted scenes, and intricate backdrops. Her work is recognized and well-known these days, and has been for decades - in 1991, Leibovitz became the first woman to have a solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Leibovitz's notoriety has netted her clients like Miley Cyrus, Demi Moore, Serena Williams, and Beto O'Rourke. Before she was well-known, she most famously photographed John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Her photograph of Lennon and Ono was taken just hours before Lennon's death - it is believed to be the last photo ever taken of him. She refers to it as "the photograph of her life."

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1980, photographed by Annie Leibovitz

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