Annie Leibovitz. Research Paper free essay sample

As I am beginning to realize, the saying among the photography department is true- if you are not Annie Leibovitz, you will not be known until you are dead. For example, one of my favorite photographers is Diane Arbus. She had compiled vast amounts of work throughout her career. Unfortunately, all of her works were found in a locker after her suicide and then she was seen as an artist. To summarize what I am saying is that the only famous photographers are dead ones and all the successful ones are barely known. So in order for this research paper to even have the possibility of making it it to four pages, I am going to have to choose the cliche (yet greatly talented) photographer, Annie Leibovitz. Annie Leibovitz is not only the most well-known female photographer, but she is also the most well-known photographer of our time. She started working with Rolling Stone magazine in its early days and she is primarily known for her celebrity photographs and her ability to capture the essence of her subjects. Born Anna-Lou Leibovitz on October 2, 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut; she was the third child of six. Her mother, Marilyn Leibovitz, was a modern dance instructor of Estonian Jewish heritage (Leibovitz). Her father was a lieutenant colonel in the U. S. Air Force which forced the family to move around frequently- including spending an extended amount of time in the Philippines during the Vietnam War. It was there in Vietnam that Annie took her first photographs. In high school, she dabbled in music and writing but in the end, attended the San Francisco Art Institute where she studied painting. Although she was studying painting, she kept photography as her primary hobby. After she graduated in 1969, she volunteered at a kibbutz for several months. Something about her time spent in Israel sparked her interest in photography to a greater extent and in turn, after returning to the U. S. , she decided to go into photography as a career (Leibovitz). In 1970, Rolling Stone magazine was just starting up and looking for photographers. Annie was lucky enough to snag the job and three years later, Jann Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Stone, made her chief photographer of the magazine; a position that she held for 10 years until 1983. In 1975, against the warnings of Jann, she decided to embark on the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americans 75. Her work from the tour is phenomenal and really kick-started her career as a professional celebrity photographer. Unfortunately, one can only imagine what kind of things you are exposed to when hanging out with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, hence; as Jann had warned her, after the tour ended, Annie had to check herself into rehab. She continued working for Rolling Stone, and in 1978, was the first woman to photograph Joan Armatrading (Leibovitz). On December 8, 1980, she had a photo-shoot with John Lennon and promised him that the photograph would make the cover. Originally, the photograph was going to consist solely of John Lennon, however; he insisted the Yoko Ono be in the photograph with him. Annie agreed and was later quoted saying, What is interesting is she said shed take her top off and I said, Leave everything on- not really preconceiving the picture at all. Then he curled up next to her and it was very, very strong. You couldnt help but feel that he was cold and looked like he was clinging on to her. I think it was amazing to look at the first Polaroid and they were both very excited. John said, Youve captured our relationship exactly. Promise me itll be on the cover. I looked him in the eye and we shook on it (Leibovitz). Five hours after the photo-shoot, Mark David Chapmen shot and killed John Lennon, making Annies photograph the last professional photograph of him- in the end, it made it to the cover of Rolling Stone. After the death of John Lennon, she began seeking out other jobs aside from Rolling Stone magazine. Her work with bright, bold colors in the 80s got her a job at Vanity Fair magazine. In 1987, she won an award for her photographs of celebrities that were used in an international American Express advertising campaign (Leibovitz). In 1989, Annie met Susan Sontag and fell in love yet neither of them chose to be open about the details of their relationship. In her autobiography, Annie stresses how much an effect Susan had on her work and herself as an artist- noting her as a mentor who constructively criticized her work. In October of 2001, at the age of 52 through artificial insemination , Annie gave birth to a daughter named Sarah Cameron Leibovitz. Three years later, Susan Sontag passed away. Unfortunately, around the same time, Annies father and mother also passed away. There is speculation that these three consecutive events is what ultimately sent Annie into a downward financial spiral. After the Miley Cyrus photo-scandal in 2008, Annie borrowed $15. 5 million from Art Capital Group- putting up multiple homes and the rights to all of her photographs as collateral. In 2009, the company opened a $24 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against Leibovitz. The New York Times was quoted saying one of the worlds most successful photographers essentially pawned every snap of the shutter she had made or will make until the loans are paid off (Hatch). In 2010, Colony Capital helped her eradicate her debt in such way where she would not have to give up the rights to all her photos. Unfortunately, one month later, that company filed suit against her, claiming she owed them several hundred thousand dollars for assisting her with her debt. Finally, in December 2012, she put her famous New York townhouse up for sale at $33 million- claiming it was so she could spend more time with her daughter (Hatch). Despite Annies fall from financial grace, she is still recognized as one of the best American photographers of all time. Her photographs had the ability to capture the essence and personalities of all her subjects. She has photographed everyone from John Lennon to Whoopi Goldberg and Miley Cyrus and regardless of what new stars arise in the future, Annie Leibovitz will always be the photographer of the icons.