Biography: Annie Leibovitz
Having been in the industry for almost 4 decades, Annie Leibovitz is one of the most well recognized fashion photographers in the industry. As a portrait photographer, Leibovitz engineered her work to emphasize each subject’s character and persona. She achieves this effect by capturing the subject’s whole body, usually in the midst of a physical action. This results in the differentiation of her from other photographer and more specifically portrait artists. Leibovitz work is often featured in magazines, fashion, and advertising. She has become easily one of the most successful and influential people in the world today.
Born in 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut, Annie Leibovitz received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1971. She initially enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute to pursue her interest of painting, but it was not until she travelled to Japan after her sophomore year that she discovered her passion of photography. Upon graduation, Leibovitz continued her studies of photography with photographer Ralph Gibson. She then travelled to Israel and lived on a kibbutz to participate on an archaeological dig, where she further honed her photography skills.
Leibovitz launched her career in 1970 when she approached Jann Wenner, founding editor of Rolling Stone. Impressed with Leibovitz’s portfolio, Wenner offered her a job and Leibovitz became a freelance photographer for Rolling Stone Magazine. Her first assignment was to shoot the legendary Beatle member, John Lennon. Taken on December 8, 1980, Leibovitz’s black and white portrait of the nude John Lennon with his fully clothed wife, Yoko Ono, graced the cover of the January issue of the magazine (Appendix A, photo #1). This photo became an iconic portrait of Lennon, as it was the last portrait of the Beatle member taken hours before his tragic death in NYC. This cover was later named the best magazine cover from the American Society of...
