Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz is a famous American portrait photographer. She is famous for her work with celebrities in the Rolling Stone magazine (She also worked with Vogue and Vanity Fair). Leibovitz became the chief photographer of Rolling Stone magazine for ten years.

After browsing through her celebrity photo shoots, I realized that I especially appreciate her black and white photography. They are similar in that they are very simple portraits with minimal background distractions or props. As a result, these photographs really emphasize the beauty of the celebrity.




I have come to really enjoy black and white photographs. I have never experimented with black and white portraits but there is a lot to learn from looking at Leibovitz's collection. I am used to taking high contrast black and white images of shadows and lines but Leibovitz's photographs are soft and gentle, such as the image above.



Her color portraits are impressive because of the subtle tones of color. Such as the photograph of Natalie Portman, the color of her lipstick and the roses are present but not overpowering. She is wearing a white blouse that really matches her skin tone.

Natalie Portman's eyes are strongly captured in this photograph. I find myself staring directly into her eyes. The combination of composition, the subject, the choice of wardrobe, the setting really brings out the beauty of the celebrity. I am captivated by her strong presence in the photograph.