Annie Leibovitz

One of the most inspiring women to me would have to be the world renown photographer Annie Leibovitz.  Born in 1949 Waterbury, Connecticut, Annie Leibovitz enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute intent on studying painting.  After her sophomore year was completed, she travelled to Japan with her mother and this is where her fascination with photography began.  When she got back to San Francisco she began to take night classes.

Her career started 1970, when she got a job working at the Rolling Stones magazine.  Even thought Annie Leibovitz didn't see her self as anything more then an amateur photographer she got the job done and everyone liked her style. Her first assignment was to do a shoot of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.  This shoot was to end up on the cover of the magazine.  Two years later, she was named Rolling Stone Chief Photographer.

In 1975 when Annie Leibovitz serves as the official photographer for the Rolling Stones on their world tour.  It was from this while she was on the road with the band that she produces her iconic black and white portraits of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger all shirt less and gritty.

In 1980 Rolling Stone sent Annie Leibovitz to photograph John Lennon and Yoko Ono again.  They had just released their duet album "Double Fantasy".  Leibovitz had in her mind that she was going to do a shoot where the couple would pose nude, but when she got there Yoko wasn't comfortable with the idea.  Even though disappointed Leibovitz worked with what she had and used polaroids to show Yoko the idea.  This was to be a memorable shoot, even though it did not go as intended the shoot was a success with Yoko Ono fully clothed with John Lennon nude and wrapped around her.  A few hours later, John Lennon was shot.  This image made the front cover of the Rolling Stone the next day as a commemorative issue.

Since she didn't learn how to take photographs in colour, Annie Leibovitz had to teach herself how to develop and understand the different lighting techniques that came with colour photography.  In doing so she has become known for her wildly lit, staged and provocative portraits of celebrities.  Her style is unique, elaborate and captivating.  Always that of a story.  Her vision is a unique one yet she is able to show it to the world through her work.

What draws me most to her work is that the photographs are more then just pictures.  They are a moment captured in time.  Each photo has been thought about rather then just taken for the sake of being taken.  The one below was from Nixon's resignation.  While all the other media photographers had left after the helicopter took off, Leibovitz stayed and took the epic photograph of the soldiers rolling up the red carpet.  This is one of the most memorable pictures taken.