Annie Leibovitz Essay

485 Words2 Pages
Annie Leibovitz Annie Leibovitz was born October 2, 1949, in Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1967, Leibovitz enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she initially studied painting but developed an interest in photography. Leibovitz applied for a job with the rock music magazine Rolling Stone in 1970. Impressed with Leibovitz’s portfolio, editor Jann Wenner offered her a job as a staff photographer. Within two years, Leibovitz was promoted to chief photographer at the age of 23 - a title she held for the next 10 years. Her position with the magazine gave her the chance to accompany the Rolling Stones band on their 1975 international tour. While with Rolling Stone, Leibovitz developed her trademark technique - the use of bold primary colours and surprising poses. Wenner has credited her with making many Rolling Stone covers collector's items, most notably a cover that featured John Lennon nude and curled around his fully clothed wife, Yoko Ono. Taken on December 8, 1980, Leibovitz’s photo was shot just hours before his death. In 1983, Leibovitz left Rolling Stone and began working for the entertainment magazine Vanity Fair. With a wider array of subjects, Leibovitz’s photographs for Vanity Fair ranged from presidents to literary icons to teen heartthrobs. A number of Vanity Fair covers have featured Leibovitz’s stunning and controversial portraits of celebrities. Examples are a nude and pregnant Demi Moore and a half-submerged Whoopi Goldberg in a bathtub of milk. One of Leibovitz’s most famous portraits is of the late artist Keith Haring, who painted himself like one of his canvases for the photo. During the late 1980s, Leibovitz started to work on advertising campaigns. The most notable was the American Express “Membership” campaign. Her portraits of celebrity cardholders, like Elmore Leonard, Tom Selleck, and Luciano Pavarotti, earned her a Clio Award in

More about Annie Leibovitz Essay

Open Document