What do you think?
Rate this book
Annie Leibovitz at Work
Annie Leibovitz at Work
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
148 people are currently reading
3894 people want to read
About the author
Annie Leibovitz
83 books224 followersAnna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer whose style is marked by a close collaboration between the photographer and the subject.
Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children in a Jewish family. Her mother was a modern dance instructor, while her father was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. The family moved frequently with her father's duty assignments, and she took her first pictures when he was stationed in the Philippines.
In high school, she became interested in various artistic endeavours, and began to write and play music. She attended the San Francisco Art Institute. She became interested in photography after taking pictures when she lived in the Philippines, where her Air Force father was stationed during the Vietnam War. For several years, she continued to develop her photography skills while she worked various jobs, including a stint on a kibbutz Amir in Israel for several months in 1969.
When Leibovitz returned to America in 1970, she worked for the recently launched Rolling Stone magazine. In 1973, publisher Jann Wenner named Leibovitz chief photographer of Rolling Stone. Leibovitz worked for the magazine until 1983, and her intimate photographs of celebrities helped define the Rolling Stone look.
In 1975, Leibovitz served as a concert-tour photographer for The Rolling Stones' Tour of the Americas.
Since 1983, Leibovitz has worked as a featured portrait photographer for Vanity Fair.
Leibovitz sued Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement of her Vanity Fair cover photograph of a pregnant Demi Moore from a 1991 issue titled "More Demi Moore." Paramount had commissioned a parody photograph of Leslie Nielsen, pregnant, for use in a promotional poster for the 1994 comedy Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. The case, Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp., has become an important fair use case in U.S. copyright law. At trial, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York found that Paramount's use of the photo constituted fair use because parodies were likely to generate little or no licensing revenue. On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed.
Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children in a Jewish family. Her mother was a modern dance instructor, while her father was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. The family moved frequently with her father's duty assignments, and she took her first pictures when he was stationed in the Philippines.
In high school, she became interested in various artistic endeavours, and began to write and play music. She attended the San Francisco Art Institute. She became interested in photography after taking pictures when she lived in the Philippines, where her Air Force father was stationed during the Vietnam War. For several years, she continued to develop her photography skills while she worked various jobs, including a stint on a kibbutz Amir in Israel for several months in 1969.
When Leibovitz returned to America in 1970, she worked for the recently launched Rolling Stone magazine. In 1973, publisher Jann Wenner named Leibovitz chief photographer of Rolling Stone. Leibovitz worked for the magazine until 1983, and her intimate photographs of celebrities helped define the Rolling Stone look.
In 1975, Leibovitz served as a concert-tour photographer for The Rolling Stones' Tour of the Americas.
Since 1983, Leibovitz has worked as a featured portrait photographer for Vanity Fair.
Leibovitz sued Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement of her Vanity Fair cover photograph of a pregnant Demi Moore from a 1991 issue titled "More Demi Moore." Paramount had commissioned a parody photograph of Leslie Nielsen, pregnant, for use in a promotional poster for the 1994 comedy Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. The case, Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp., has become an important fair use case in U.S. copyright law. At trial, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York found that Paramount's use of the photo constituted fair use because parodies were likely to generate little or no licensing revenue. On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
May 5, 2023
I started reading this book before the war, when I was living in Kharkiv, my hometown in Ukraine, near the border with russia. I had to leave everything there when I left, including this book. But I'm glad I got the chance to read it now.
I did not know that Annie was at Sarajevo's war and took photographs there, for me it was a discovery.
Annie is a very intellectual person, besides being a great photographer. She was very interesting to read, she has written extensively about her work in this book. About how she shot, how she used artificial light, what equipment she used, how she worked with different people. It is an amezing book!
I did not know that Annie was at Sarajevo's war and took photographs there, for me it was a discovery.
Annie is a very intellectual person, besides being a great photographer. She was very interesting to read, she has written extensively about her work in this book. About how she shot, how she used artificial light, what equipment she used, how she worked with different people. It is an amezing book!
September 29, 2009
If you have even a passing interest in the process of photography you should read this book. Annie Leibovitz has unquestionably taken some of the most iconic and historic pictures of the past 40 years, and in this book she opens up and talks about the circumstances and the stories behind photos that are so iconic, they're almost taken for granted.
The book spans the entirety of her career, from the resignation of Richard Nixon, to her absolutely gorgeous portraits of the Queen of England in 2007. But there is so much more than just the images here. it's the only photo book I've ever studied where the text is probably of more interest than the photos. Most of the pictures I've seen and studied before. But the back story she gives is incredibly valuable material. She talks about how ideas and collaborations developed. How she won or didn't win a person's confidence. How she executed the pictures. The book is incredibly dense. She covers 197 photos in just 216 pages, text, photos and all. She moves quickly from story to story and crams a lot of information into very few words. I have no doubt I'll read this again 2 or 3 times before I put it up on the shelf.
Over the years I've read a few interviews with Leibovitz and It's always been difficult to tell if she is incredibly self-involved and egomaniacal, or incredibly down-to-earth and practical. This book really illuminates just how much she falls into the latter category. None of the stories seem romanticized. Some are certainly quite funny, and many are rather heartbreaking. Through it all, though Leibovitiz's tone is incredibly even and pragmatic. She's not afraid to talk of exactly how a photo came to be, whose ideas were whose, how prepared or unprepared she was, and when she feels like she succeeded and when she feels like she failed. She is clearly a working photographer, and however confident she is, she doesn't seem to glorify herself or her work in the least. You realize just how pragmatic she is when she tells the story of photographing the Bush administration in 2001. They wanted to shoot in the Oval office, but Annie refused. She'd shot in there several times before and the huge line of windows behind the desk causes a lot of problems. Plus she didn't like the way Bush had decorated it.
And it's when you read stories like that, that you realize that you're reading the story of someone who has had a truly incredible life. She was there when Apollo 17 launched for our final trip to the moon. She was there when Nixon resigned. She's been on the road with The Rolling Stones, The Clinton and Obama Presidential campaigns, and the OJ Simpson trial. She's photographed humanity at its worst in Sarajevo and Rwanda. She's photographed nearly every cultural icon of the past half-century, and she's earned every opportunity she's had. Reading this book is quite simply getting a glimpse of genius at work.
The book spans the entirety of her career, from the resignation of Richard Nixon, to her absolutely gorgeous portraits of the Queen of England in 2007. But there is so much more than just the images here. it's the only photo book I've ever studied where the text is probably of more interest than the photos. Most of the pictures I've seen and studied before. But the back story she gives is incredibly valuable material. She talks about how ideas and collaborations developed. How she won or didn't win a person's confidence. How she executed the pictures. The book is incredibly dense. She covers 197 photos in just 216 pages, text, photos and all. She moves quickly from story to story and crams a lot of information into very few words. I have no doubt I'll read this again 2 or 3 times before I put it up on the shelf.
Over the years I've read a few interviews with Leibovitz and It's always been difficult to tell if she is incredibly self-involved and egomaniacal, or incredibly down-to-earth and practical. This book really illuminates just how much she falls into the latter category. None of the stories seem romanticized. Some are certainly quite funny, and many are rather heartbreaking. Through it all, though Leibovitiz's tone is incredibly even and pragmatic. She's not afraid to talk of exactly how a photo came to be, whose ideas were whose, how prepared or unprepared she was, and when she feels like she succeeded and when she feels like she failed. She is clearly a working photographer, and however confident she is, she doesn't seem to glorify herself or her work in the least. You realize just how pragmatic she is when she tells the story of photographing the Bush administration in 2001. They wanted to shoot in the Oval office, but Annie refused. She'd shot in there several times before and the huge line of windows behind the desk causes a lot of problems. Plus she didn't like the way Bush had decorated it.
And it's when you read stories like that, that you realize that you're reading the story of someone who has had a truly incredible life. She was there when Apollo 17 launched for our final trip to the moon. She was there when Nixon resigned. She's been on the road with The Rolling Stones, The Clinton and Obama Presidential campaigns, and the OJ Simpson trial. She's photographed humanity at its worst in Sarajevo and Rwanda. She's photographed nearly every cultural icon of the past half-century, and she's earned every opportunity she's had. Reading this book is quite simply getting a glimpse of genius at work.
December 13, 2015
She is clearly a genius. She has gotten some amazing shots- shots that only happened because she was in the right place at the right time (I'm thinking of that photo of Marine One leaving the White House with Richard Nixon in it). Of course, she had incredible access to get some of these shots... seriously, on tour with the Rolling Stones? I would hope anyone could get some great shots.
That said, she works in a completely different realm. She talks towards the end of the book about how it took three trips in Airforce One to get President Obama (when he was on the campaign trail in 2008) because he'd go to sleep as soon as they were in the air. And she was just trying to shoot a guy who was relatively busy. Unlike trying to shoot other celebrities who might be dealing with substance abuse, or personality traits that make them difficult to work with.
I can be honest, because I am a huge fan, and just not be real impressed with some of her shots. That said, one thing to remember is that most of her photography career was before digital photography. She had no idea when she was done shooting the Stones whether she got any photos that were usable, which blows my mind. If you think about all the things that could go wrong while shooting a photo- out of focus, improper shutter timing, aperture too wide, too narrow, subject's face weird, subject's eyes weird, environmental conditions. She had to be intimately aware of her camera's settings and how certain conditions shoot better or worse with certain settings on her camera, that she essentially removed all non-subject elements as factors in whether or not the photo would work. Because she is a genius.
I liked the narrative she includes on some of her most famous shots. The best part for me, was the technical questions she answers at the end. As a photographer, I have been curious about some aspects of her photography. I wish that she would to a technical book on lighting... I prefer natural lighting above all else, but mostly because I don't know how to work the flash. Given that she has shot in all variety of conditions, it would be fantastic if she did a book that was just about how she lit certain photos and the pros and cons to doing it her way versus another.
That said, she works in a completely different realm. She talks towards the end of the book about how it took three trips in Airforce One to get President Obama (when he was on the campaign trail in 2008) because he'd go to sleep as soon as they were in the air. And she was just trying to shoot a guy who was relatively busy. Unlike trying to shoot other celebrities who might be dealing with substance abuse, or personality traits that make them difficult to work with.
I can be honest, because I am a huge fan, and just not be real impressed with some of her shots. That said, one thing to remember is that most of her photography career was before digital photography. She had no idea when she was done shooting the Stones whether she got any photos that were usable, which blows my mind. If you think about all the things that could go wrong while shooting a photo- out of focus, improper shutter timing, aperture too wide, too narrow, subject's face weird, subject's eyes weird, environmental conditions. She had to be intimately aware of her camera's settings and how certain conditions shoot better or worse with certain settings on her camera, that she essentially removed all non-subject elements as factors in whether or not the photo would work. Because she is a genius.
I liked the narrative she includes on some of her most famous shots. The best part for me, was the technical questions she answers at the end. As a photographer, I have been curious about some aspects of her photography. I wish that she would to a technical book on lighting... I prefer natural lighting above all else, but mostly because I don't know how to work the flash. Given that she has shot in all variety of conditions, it would be fantastic if she did a book that was just about how she lit certain photos and the pros and cons to doing it her way versus another.
June 5, 2024
O Suficiente.
September 26, 2018
Amazing, fantastic, would absolutely recommend. Wonderful insight into her work over the decades, each type of photography she has done, and her comments on the whole process.
September 6, 2020
I devoured this in one day and I am forever changed by it. I feel so emotional reading about and seeing some of Leibovitz's work laid out to be known, really known. I am inspired, challenged, and have more clarity about my work than ever before.
January 28, 2009
A thoroughly interesting book. Leibovitz recounts the stories behind some of her most famous (and infamous) photographs. I have to admit that I didn't know much about her early career, and I found myself being really impressed by all the different sorts of people and situations her work has covered -- I think that when people think of Leibovitz, what comes to mind is celebrity photography and Vanity Fair shoots. I had no idea that she photographed Sarajevo, for example.
I'm trying to learn more about photography, as it's one of my hobbies, and so I appreciated her commentary on how she sets up and executes her photographs. This book is not in any way a how-to, but Leibovitz talks about her personal photographic philosophies, how she works to achieve certain lighting situations, etc.
An interesting tidbit that amused me: Leibovitz notes that she is left-eyed. I am, too, and I'm not sure I've ever met anyone else who is. It seems to be relatively uncommon, at least in my experience, and it's good to know that I'm in good company. ;-)
I'm trying to learn more about photography, as it's one of my hobbies, and so I appreciated her commentary on how she sets up and executes her photographs. This book is not in any way a how-to, but Leibovitz talks about her personal photographic philosophies, how she works to achieve certain lighting situations, etc.
An interesting tidbit that amused me: Leibovitz notes that she is left-eyed. I am, too, and I'm not sure I've ever met anyone else who is. It seems to be relatively uncommon, at least in my experience, and it's good to know that I'm in good company. ;-)
January 19, 2009
I really enjoyed this book, which includes some of her photographs, but also some essays which read like short conversations. Something she might have said over coffee. Plus there are some fun celebrity anecdotes, and a lot of the thought process, and other processes, behind her pictures. I recommend it.
A quote:
"Where did 'Smile for the camera' come from? It's a tic. A way of directing attention to the camera. 'Look at the birdie.' The smile is a component of family pictures. Mothers don't want to see their children looking unhappy. My mother would hire a local photographer to make a family portrait and he would inevitably ask us all to smile. They were canned smiles. Forced. In the fifties, everything was supposed to be OK, although half the time it wasn't OK. It took me years to understand that I equated asking someone to smile with asking them to do something false."
A quote:
"Where did 'Smile for the camera' come from? It's a tic. A way of directing attention to the camera. 'Look at the birdie.' The smile is a component of family pictures. Mothers don't want to see their children looking unhappy. My mother would hire a local photographer to make a family portrait and he would inevitably ask us all to smile. They were canned smiles. Forced. In the fifties, everything was supposed to be OK, although half the time it wasn't OK. It took me years to understand that I equated asking someone to smile with asking them to do something false."
August 4, 2016
Super entertaining, just like Leibovitz's work. Her creativity really comes across and she has done a lot with her life.
I'm bored with reading at the moment so I was glad to find something that I enjoyed. The text has a lot of stories about her shoots and subjects, most of whom are famous people. I think I enjoyed the story of her experience photographing the Queen most, which was full of a certain monarchial immovability, followed with the behind the scenes "drenched in sleaze" experience of covering the OJ Simpson case.
I could tell that some things were left out and it's not going to be especially 'real' for obvious reasons but it's a great light read. The photographs are great, too, of course. She talks some about the cameras and equipment she used along the way but it's not dry and too technical.
I'm bored with reading at the moment so I was glad to find something that I enjoyed. The text has a lot of stories about her shoots and subjects, most of whom are famous people. I think I enjoyed the story of her experience photographing the Queen most, which was full of a certain monarchial immovability, followed with the behind the scenes "drenched in sleaze" experience of covering the OJ Simpson case.
I could tell that some things were left out and it's not going to be especially 'real' for obvious reasons but it's a great light read. The photographs are great, too, of course. She talks some about the cameras and equipment she used along the way but it's not dry and too technical.
April 15, 2021
oh annie, decir que adoro tu trabajo es poco. me encantan las anécdotas y el proceso creativo.
December 4, 2020
It's always interesting to see what a master writes about their craft, and this book was no exception.
When we flip through magazines or scroll on Instagram we often absorb the image, and then move on. Often we don't really consider the story behind the image, what circumstances led to this photograph being made, or even who the person taking the image actually is. Leibovitz' At Work is a beautiful retrospective of her work through the many publications, advertisements, and campaigns she's worked for over her long and prodigious career. In the book we're exposed to Leibovitz recounting the stories behind many of her most famous works.
From performance artist Cindy Sherman to the Queen of England there are countless stories and concepts to dive into, making each image more meaningful.
When we flip through magazines or scroll on Instagram we often absorb the image, and then move on. Often we don't really consider the story behind the image, what circumstances led to this photograph being made, or even who the person taking the image actually is. Leibovitz' At Work is a beautiful retrospective of her work through the many publications, advertisements, and campaigns she's worked for over her long and prodigious career. In the book we're exposed to Leibovitz recounting the stories behind many of her most famous works.
From performance artist Cindy Sherman to the Queen of England there are countless stories and concepts to dive into, making each image more meaningful.
April 21, 2024
Wish there was a conclusion.
April 25, 2024
it was really interesting to read !
August 11, 2016
Alongside "A Photographers Life", Annie Leibovitz's "At Work" is her finest collection and a must read/own for fans. In the back you will find her ten most asked questions answered and while some of the answers may be, "tripod, good" or "don't overdo the strobes" or "digital looks closer to life so is therefor better than film (what? dynamic range is meaningless?)" and so on and the answers may not be eye opening but they don't hurt this book. Photographs include ones of William S. Burroughs, The Rolling Stones, that beautiful Scarlet Johansson one with the purple dress, and an interesting car ad where she worked with Vilmos Zsigmond - the issue here is, the book is tiny. Not in length, with the book being split into different categories, we get a decent-sized description of the photo shoot with the photos but the book is so short and slim that I had to squint just to see what colour she'd tinted the shadows sometimes. I may have seen a large copy of this book (does it exist?) but I could be mixing it up with another of hers. Anyhow, aside from that one complaint none really exist here, this is a tour through the history of America, cultural, political, and personal through many decades.
Zsigmond
Zsigmond
May 31, 2010
This is a nice book with nice photos (not a great book with great photos). Given that Leibowitz is quite possibly the most widely known living photographer, I was very disappointed to be left with the impression that her entire fame was a result of being in the right place at the right time (she started shooting for the upstart publication "Rolling Stone" when she was a 21 year old nobody), and that she didn't start taking intelligent, well crafted photos until she had been a professional for nearly two decades. Almost every artist I have ever read about proved to be more than meets the eye, this one proved to be much, much less. Many of her most famous photos were purely a result of her access to celebrities (which was predicated on her experience shooting other celebrities), rather than any interesting artistic vision she brought to the table (e.g. the famous Lennon-Ono photo was purely something she captured because she was there, not something she anticipated or helped to facilitate). Still, the book is an interesting look into the life of a working photographer, and (as I mentioned) there are many nice photographs included.
April 26, 2022
Una delle fotografe più famose del mondo racconta molte delle sue immagini. Le fotografie sono riprodotte in formato piccolo, a solo scopo illustrativo, mentre i testi sono piuttosto asciutti ma ricchi di aneddoti e informazioni.
Fa effetto notare come Leibovitz abbia iniziato la carriera a Rolling Stone e da lì abbia incontrato e fotografato le persone più famose del mondo, sviluppando però una tecnica sicura e una visione artistica consapevole solo molti anni più tardi. Se crediamo alle sue parole molte celebri immagini sono a quanto pare nate da sole, solo premendo il pulsante di scatto mentre le personalità più notevoli si esibivano davanti a lei.
Si tratta di talento naturale o "solo" di persona in grado di essere al posto giusto nel momento giusto (posto che anche la seconda caratteristica non è da tutti e non è attribuibile alla sola fortuna se non in poche occasioni)? Probabilmente un mix delle due cose.
Fa effetto notare come Leibovitz abbia iniziato la carriera a Rolling Stone e da lì abbia incontrato e fotografato le persone più famose del mondo, sviluppando però una tecnica sicura e una visione artistica consapevole solo molti anni più tardi. Se crediamo alle sue parole molte celebri immagini sono a quanto pare nate da sole, solo premendo il pulsante di scatto mentre le personalità più notevoli si esibivano davanti a lei.
Si tratta di talento naturale o "solo" di persona in grado di essere al posto giusto nel momento giusto (posto che anche la seconda caratteristica non è da tutti e non è attribuibile alla sola fortuna se non in poche occasioni)? Probabilmente un mix delle due cose.
April 20, 2020
Annie Leibovitz ponúka pohľad na jej život, profesionálnu a osobnú storku v tejto knihe. Dozvedáme sa o jej rodine, miestach kde vyrastala a najmä o jej ceste k fotografovaniu. V knihe nájdete jej najslávnejšie fotografie, na ktorých sa jej podarilo zachytiť aj The Rolling Stones, Johna Lennona a Yoko Ono, Demi Mooreovou, či kráľovnú Alžbetu II. Každá fotografia má svoj vlastný príbeh, ktorý vám Annie opíše, hovorí o tom ako sa rozvíjali nápady, ako vznikali spolupráce, akú techniku a fotoaparát použila pri práci. V knihe nájdete aj najčastejšie otázky týkajúce sa jej vybavenia, osvetlenia, postupov, a zopár dobrých rád a tipov. Ak vás zaujíma umenie, obzvlášť fotografia, toto je skvelý odrazový mostík.
Kniha vyšla minulý rok v obľúbenom vydavateľstve Argo, prečítala som ju nedávno a je to výnimočná kniha, skvost v našej knižnici. Veľmi rada sa k nej opäť vrátim. 💛
Kniha vyšla minulý rok v obľúbenom vydavateľstve Argo, prečítala som ju nedávno a je to výnimočná kniha, skvost v našej knižnici. Veľmi rada sa k nej opäť vrátim. 💛
November 11, 2009
Photographer or not, I think there's something for everyone in this book of Annie's. Beautiful, iconic imagery matched with Annie's voice about how and why she did what she did on each shoot.
I find it reassuring to know that even after her decades' worth of experience, Annie's shoot with the Queen of England was incredibly nerve-wrecking. Prove that even someone you think might have mastered every situation still has a creative challenge now and then that's more difficult than most.
I'm glad that I own this work of hers as opposed to some of her coffee table books (ie, Photographer's Life). I feel like we get to see more of her personality in this one and it's nice to see.
Great pick for photographers, photography fans.
I find it reassuring to know that even after her decades' worth of experience, Annie's shoot with the Queen of England was incredibly nerve-wrecking. Prove that even someone you think might have mastered every situation still has a creative challenge now and then that's more difficult than most.
I'm glad that I own this work of hers as opposed to some of her coffee table books (ie, Photographer's Life). I feel like we get to see more of her personality in this one and it's nice to see.
Great pick for photographers, photography fans.
February 11, 2016
Full disclosure: I only skimmed the text of this book. That said, the real draw here are the photos. Sure, there are dozens of Leibovitz's iconic shots that you've seen many times before, but there are also scores of lesser known photos that are just as striking. Each chapter contains a few photographs on a theme (war, Hollywood, The Rolling Stones, etc.) accompanied by Leibovitz's recollections about what went into making the photos. The final few chapters also include lists of her favorite equipment and a FAQ. A dedicated photographer might spend more time with the text, but anyone who appreciates the art of photography will enjoy the beautiful and moving images.
November 29, 2009
This is a terrific volume. It represents a series of her photos, well illustrating her art, with brief essays going along with the photos.
I was keen to see the Rolling Stones in their 1975 concert tour--and saw them twice in Buffalo (once indoors and once outdoors). What a set of events! And Leibovitz was the official tour photographer. So her photos of the tour (including a couple from Buffalo) gave this a more personal sense.
Anyhow, this is a fine work. If you are interested in the art and craft of Leibovitz, this is a good starting point.
I was keen to see the Rolling Stones in their 1975 concert tour--and saw them twice in Buffalo (once indoors and once outdoors). What a set of events! And Leibovitz was the official tour photographer. So her photos of the tour (including a couple from Buffalo) gave this a more personal sense.
Anyhow, this is a fine work. If you are interested in the art and craft of Leibovitz, this is a good starting point.
December 27, 2008
Finished this up this morning after reading half of it last night. I love the idea of this book and how the focus is put on the stories of how the photos were made more so than the photos themselves. Reading the stories was really interesting, especially with regard to all the famous photos Annie has taken. It was good to read more of Annie's story as well and learn how she started and what her struggles, as a photographer, were. Makes her seem more real.
June 11, 2014
This book offers an inside look to some of the most iconic photographs of our time, captured by arguably the most talented photographer of all time. Annie Leibovitz captures the true essence of her subjects as well as the time and space in which they were photographed. The chapter on her session with Queen Elizabeth alone is worth the price of the book.
August 1, 2017
I loved this. Annie Liebovitz has had (and continues to have) such an incredible career - it was fascinating to read about it in her words, and, of course, to see some of her images. As a photographer myself, it was really interesting to read her take on certain things about photography, and also about how much work goes into each of her portrait shoots.
January 14, 2020
Gita fuori porta a Torino, entro in una Feltrinelli enorme.
Vago per mezz'ora, curioso, vedo questo libro, quaranta euro ma non me ne frega niente, lo compro.
Ho fatto benissimo.
Vago per mezz'ora, curioso, vedo questo libro, quaranta euro ma non me ne frega niente, lo compro.
Ho fatto benissimo.
March 7, 2019
This book was included with my purchase of a ticket to see/hear Annie Leibovitz in Atlanta in 2018. She was alone on a very large stage with photos projected behind her. Initially she seemed uncomfortable standing in front of a large audience, reading more than just talking. She clicked through numerous photos, mostly but not all her own, rarely referring to them. Some of the photos didn’t even seem relevant to what she was talking about. But I was captivated. As she continued, she seemed to relax somewhat, talking more and reading less, and even engaging with the audience a bit. This book is so much like seeing her on stage. The text is straightforward and unpretentious, hopping from one brief topic to another. How she got started as a photographer; working for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair; traveling with the Rolling Stones; being asked to photograph the Queen; Sarajevo; Barack Obama; the list goes on. No big deal, it’s just her job. Plenty of photos alongside the text but infrequently referenced by the text. Wholly fascinating.
October 22, 2019
Reading about Annie Leibovitz's creative process was definitely worth my time. She is so down-to-earth and modest even though she is considered amongst the best portrait photographers today. She acknowledges that getting "the photo" can sometimes be a matter of luck - though skilled photographers make their own luck. She talks of the difficulty of getting a photo when you are shooting film, that sometimes things go wrong and you can't get everything to come together, how she brainstorms ideas that she basically throws ideas at the personality - and sometimes an idea works and sometimes it does not.Some favorite quotes:
"Things happen in front of you. That's perhaps the most wonderful and mysterious aspect of photography. It seemed like you just had to decide when and where to aim the camera. The process was linear and it never stopped. That's still true, although I've traded in my need for always taking pictures. I can let them go by sometimes now and just be there."
"I was afraid to start working digitally. It was a whole new world. And in the beginning it meant working with more people. It was a tough transition....But I learned to love digital. The technology has transformed the way we work. The more I use it the more I appreciate the possibilities."
"Things happen in front of you. That's perhaps the most wonderful and mysterious aspect of photography. It seemed like you just had to decide when and where to aim the camera. The process was linear and it never stopped. That's still true, although I've traded in my need for always taking pictures. I can let them go by sometimes now and just be there."
"I was afraid to start working digitally. It was a whole new world. And in the beginning it meant working with more people. It was a tough transition....But I learned to love digital. The technology has transformed the way we work. The more I use it the more I appreciate the possibilities."
October 29, 2020
It’s been a few decades since I had subscribed to Rolling Stone Magazine just so I could see Annie Leibovitz’s latest pictures. Known for iconic celebrity photographs, her gift for portraiture has set the bar very high for others to follow. Beyond capturing well-known individuals in a moment in time, she redefines their images in our memory forever after, ensconcing them in unforgettable periods of culture and history. The enduring impact of Leibovitz’s work and its singular beauty elevates photography to the realm of art. That’s why it was exciting to read "Annie Leibovitz at Work" and learn more about her sources of inspiration, her experiences, as well as both her creative and technical photographic processes. The book is understated in its design, printed on high quality stock, and the striking images are beautifully reproduced. I recommend this book for others interested in following Annie Leibovitz’s unique journey in photography, as well.
March 20, 2019
A very fine collection of photographs presented with Annie Leibovitz's comments on them. It is a scattered collection but they connect well into a gripping story. The writing is rather self-conscious and controlled, offering few (and carefully planned) glimpses into the photographer herself and a lot of hints of the 'behind the scenes' of a star-studded landscape. It is very fine as an introduction for a budding photographer, particularly someone who is interested in portrait or set-work, and is also an object of fascination for amateurs. Early polaroids are addressed along with famous works such as her Pirelli calendar, the scandalous Demi Moore Vanity Fair cover, or the Paramount 90th anniversary shoot, addressed idiosyncratically. Those hoping for a hint into Leibovitz herself will be disappointed. This truly is the artist 'At Work'.
June 26, 2020
A fascinating selection of works by Annie Leibovitz with her own stories, which I guess means that she also chose the images to talk about. It's intensely readable, while also being of interest to other photographers as she sometimes talks about the technical challenges or choices she made. She also talks about what makes a good image and how she has learned to deal with issues and people over the years. It was interesting that she was often critical of her own work in the accompanying essays and talks about what she would do differently or how new techniques would have changed certain images. The quality of the images is high so you can really study them and think about what she is saying.
January 5, 2022
I’m a fan of her work for sure and enjoyed reading the stories behind some of her work. Some of what she spoke about were photos that weren’t part of the book and it would have been great if she had added those. I felt the need to look them up to see what she was talking about (which annoyed me)
Toward the end she went into detail about her equipment etc and I found that enlightening as I feel very similar in terms of not being contained to a tripod. Natural lights is the best and she even states she has not been able to make a strobe light look as beautiful as natural light. Even her quoting Arnold Newman~ Photography is 1% talent and 99% moving furniture! 😂
Toward the end she went into detail about her equipment etc and I found that enlightening as I feel very similar in terms of not being contained to a tripod. Natural lights is the best and she even states she has not been able to make a strobe light look as beautiful as natural light. Even her quoting Arnold Newman~ Photography is 1% talent and 99% moving furniture! 😂
Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews