Annie Leibovitz ( IPA: /ˈliːbəvɪts/) Born: October 2, 1949 Waterbury, Connecticut Education: San Francisco Art Institute Influences: mother, a modern dance instructor American portrait photographer whose style is marked by a close collaboration between the photographer and the subject. Leibovitz’s is best known for her work at Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue. In 2005, her photos took the first two spots for the best magazine covers of the past 40 years by the American Society of Magazine Editors. No.2 – Naked and pregnant Demi Moore holding her belly for Vanity Fair. No.1 – Naked John Lennon curled around Yoko Ono for Rolling Stone.

Early life and education Annie Leibovitz Early life and education third of six Her mother was a modern dance instructor her father was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. The family moved frequently with her father's duty assignments In high school, she became interested in various artistic endeavours, and began to write and play music. 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.

Rolling Stone magazine Career Annie Leibovitz Rolling Stone magazine Leibovitz returned to the United States in 1970 worked for the recently launched Rolling Stone magazine. 1973-1983 chief photographer of Rolling Stone. her intimate photographs of celebrities helped define the Rolling Stone look.

Rolling Stone magazine Career Annie Leibovitz Rolling Stone magazine In 1975, Leibovitz served as a concert-tour photographer for The Rolling Stones' Tour of the Americas.

December 8, 1980 Lennon and Ono Annie Leibovitz December 8, 1980 Lennon and Ono On December 8, 1980, Leibovitz had a photo shoot with John Lennon for Rolling Stone, promising him he would make the cover. After she had initially tried to get a picture with just Lennon alone, which is what Rolling Stone wanted, Lennon insisted that both he and Yoko Ono be on the cover. Leibovitz then tried to re-create something like the kissing scene from the Double Fantasy album cover, a picture that she loved. She had John remove his clothes and curl up next to Yoko. Leibovitz recalls, "What is interesting is she said she'd 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 couldn't help but feel that she was cold and he 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, 'You've captured our relationship exactly. Promise me it'll be on the cover.' I looked him in the eye and we shook on it."[5] Leibovitz was the last person to professionally photograph Lennon — he was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman, a crazed fan, five hours later. On December 8, 1980, Leibovitz had a photo shoot with John Lennon for Rolling Stone, promising him he would make the cover. After she had initially tried to get a picture with just Lennon alone, which is what Rolling Stone wanted, Lennon insisted that both he and Yoko Ono be on the cover. Leibovitz then tried to re-create something like the kissing scene from the Double Fantasy album cover, a picture that she loved. She had John remove his clothes and curl up next to Yoko. Leibovitz recalls, "What is interesting is she said she'd 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 couldn't help but feel that she was cold and he 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, 'You've captured our relationship exactly. Promise me it'll be on the cover.' I looked him in the eye and we shook on it."[5] Leibovitz was the last person to professionally photograph Lennon — he was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman, a crazed fan, five hours later.

1983- Vanity Fair magazine Since 1983, Leibovitz has worked as a featured portrait photographer for Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair controversy In August 1991, Moore appeared nude on the cover of Vanity Fair under the title More Demi Moore. Annie Leibovitz shot the picture while Moore was seven months pregnant with her daughter Scout LaRue, intending to portray "anti-Hollywood, anti-glitz" attitude.[5] The cover sparked an intense controversy for Vanity Fair and Demi Moore. It was widely discussed on television, radio, and in newspaper articles.[6] Some retailers pulled the issue from newsstands, while others only sold it in a brown paper bag. The frankness of Leibovitz' portrayal of a pregnant sex symbol led to divided opinions, ranging from complaints of sexual objectification to celebrations of the photograph as a symbol of empowerment.[7] The photograph was subject to numerous parodies, including the Spy magazine version, which placed Moore's then husband Bruce Willis' head on her body. In Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp., Leibovitz sued over one parody featuring Leslie Nielsen, made to promote the 1994 film Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. In the parody, the model's body was attached to what is described as "the guilty and smirking face" of Mr. Nielsen. The teaser said "Due this March".[8] The case was dismissed in 1996 because the parody relied "for its comic effect on the contrast between the original".[8] In August of 1992, Moore would again appear nude on the cover of Vanity Fair, modeling for the world's leading body painting artist, Joanne Gair in Demi's Birthday Suit.[9][10] Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949) Cover of "Vanity Fair" issue of August 1991

1983- Vanity Fair magazine Since 1983, Leibovitz has worked as a featured portrait photographer for Vanity Fair. Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949) DECEMBER 1989 Michael Jackson. Photograph by Annie Leibovitz

Career Other noted projects Annie Leibovitz Leibovitz at "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005", San Francisco, California, 2008 In the 1980s, Leibovitz photographed celebrities for an international advertising campaign for American Express charge cards. In 1991, Leibovitz mounted an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Also in 1991, Leibovitz emulated Margaret Bourke-White's feat, when she mounted one of the eagle gargoyles on the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building in Manhattan, where she photographed the dancer David Parsons cavorting on another eagle gargoyle. Noted Life photographer and picture editor John Loengard made a gripping photo of Leibovitz at the climax of her danger. (Loengard was photographing Leibovitz for the New York Times that day). A major retrospective of Leibovitz's work was held at the Brooklyn Museum, Oct. 2006 - Jan. 2007. The retrospective was based on her book, Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990 – 2005, and included many of her professional (celebrity) photographs as well as numerous personal photographs of her family, children, and partner Susan Sontag. This show, which was expanded to include three of the official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, then went on the road for seven stops. It was on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., from October 2007 to January 2008, and as of April 2008 is at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. In February 2009 the exhibition was moved to Berlin, Germany.[6] The show included 200 photographs.[7] At the exhibition, Leibovitz said that she doesn't have two lives, career and personal, but has one where assignments and personal pictures are all part of her works. This exhibition and her talk focused on her personal photos and life. [8]

2007 Asked by Queen Elizabeth II to take the queen's official picture for her state visit to Virginia. In 2007, Leibovitz was asked by Queen Elizabeth II to take the queen's official picture for her state visit to Virginia. This was filmed for the BBC documentary A Year with the Queen. A promotional trailer for the film showed the Queen reacting angrily to Leibovitz's suggestion ("less dressy") that she remove her crown, then a scene of the Queen walking down a corridor, telling an aide "I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much."[9] The BBC later apologised and admitted that the sequence of events had been misrepresented, as the Queen was in fact walking to the sitting in the second scene.[10] This led to a BBC scandal and a shake-up of ethics training. See The Tiaragate Affair. Queen Elizabeth © Annie Leibovitz

Career Other noted projects Annie Leibovitz Other noted projects In 2007, the Walt Disney Company hired her to do a series of photographs with celebrities in various roles and scenes for Disney Parks "Year of a Million Dreams" campaign. [11][12][13]

Career Other noted projects Annie Leibovitz Other noted projects On April 25, 2008, the televised entertainment program Entertainment Tonight reported that 15 year old Miley Cyrus had posed topless for a photo shoot with Vanity Fair.[14] [15] The photo, and subsequently released behind-the-scenes photos, show Cyrus without a top, her bare back exposed but her front covered with a bedsheet. The photo shoot was taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz.[16] The full photograph was published with an accompanying story on The New York Times' website on April 27, 2008. On April 29, 2008, The New York Times clarified that though the pictures left an impression that she was bare-breasted, Cyrus was wrapped in a bedsheet and was actually not topless.[17] Some parents expressed outrage at the nature of the photograph, which a Disney spokesperson described as "a situation [that] was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines."[17]

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949) Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Willie Nelson, Luck Ranch, Spicewood, Texas, 2001. Copyright © 2001 by Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Brad Pitt. Copyright © 2001 by Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). © Annie Leibovitz. Another of Leibovitz's famous images shows comedian Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a bath of milk. The picture was inspired by one of Goldberg's stage routines, in which she plays a little black girl who uses Clorox to wash her skin in an attempt to be white. The shoot required gallons of milk that were warmed in pots on the stove and poured into a bathtub. Goldberg then slipped in the bath and stuck out her tongue. "I thought 'Oh my goodness, this is graphically amazing and interesting,' and we took that picture," says Leibovitz. Another of Leibovitz's famous images shows comedian Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a bath of milk. The picture was inspired by one of Goldberg's stage routines, in which she plays a little black girl who uses Clorox to wash her skin in an attempt to be white. The shoot required gallons of milk that were warmed in pots on the stove and poured into a bathtub. Goldberg then slipped in the bath and stuck out her tongue. "I thought 'Oh my goodness, this is graphically amazing and interesting,' and we took that picture," says Leibovitz. Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). © Annie Leibovitz.

Christo, Surrounded Islands Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Christo Christo fully wrapped so the viewer must take the artist's word that Christo is actually under the wrapping © Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz, Susan Sontag at Petra, Jordan, 1994 Photograph © Annie Leibovitz From Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990 – 2005

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Copyright © 2001 by Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949 Jim Carrey

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Leibovitz, Annie Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Leibovitz, Annie. ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: Olympic Portraits. 185 pages, including 172 b&w plates. 4to, boards. New York, Little, Brown & Co., 1996. © Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949 Copyright © Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005 Annie Leibovitz Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rob Besserer, Cumberland Island, Georgia, 1990 Photograph © Annie Leibovitz From Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990 – 2005

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005 Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Nicole Kidman, 2003. Photograph © Annie Leibovitz. Courtesy of Vogue. From Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990–2005

Annie Leibovitz Meryl Streep Photograph © Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz Sting Photograph © Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz Bette Midler Photograph © Annie Leibovitz Bette Midler-RS 306 (December 13, 1979)

Annie Leibovitz Martina Navratilova Photograph © Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz William S. Burroughs Photograph © Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz has a knack for churning out instant icons Annie Leibovitz has a knack for churning out instant icons. Think of her naked, fetal John Lennon cleaving to a clothed Yoko Ono, of Whoopie Goldberg splashing in a bath of milk, of Meryl Streep pulling at her whitened, masklike face. Leibovitz, the preeminent portrait photographer working today, is at her best with actors, pop stars and others skilled at self-projection. A retrospective on view at the Brooklyn Museum makes it clear that she doesn't do as well with people whose identities are amorphous and whose physiques, less than perfect. "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life" juxtaposes the polished commercial work Leibovitz has done on assignment with personal pictures of her family and of her late partner, the writer Susan Sontag. The show points up her copious strengths as a portraitist, along with a few key weaknesses She has a terrific graphic sense and a sophisticated eye for composition. Frozen in her lens, beautiful people look even more beautiful, like poster children for the human race. Leibovitz's pictures fall short, though, when it comes to telling the truth. Some might argue that photographs always lie: that by definition they speak of surfaces and can offer only a patchy, skewed prospect. But the best photographic portraits can persuade us - falsely, perhaps - that we're glimpsing a nugget of real character. Leibovitz's celebrity shots are too meticulously choreographed to give away any secrets. There's the sense, always, that she's selling famous people like expensive perfume. She makes her subjects look irresistible, which is why they are her greatest fans. Related links Photos: "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005" Photos Leibovitz's 1994 shot of Brad Pitt for Vanity Fair is a case in point. The screen star sprawls across a bed draped in a velvety orange counterpane, in a room with custard-yellow walls and rust-colored floors. He wears leopard-skin pants, cowboy boots and a multi-hued striped shirt open at the chest and unbuttoned at the wrists. With one hand he strokes his long blond hair, while the other lies languorously across his waist. The pose suggests abandon, while the faraway expression in his stunning eyes signals absorption in some deep thought. Leibovitz and Pitt collaborate on the tableau. The actor's reverie reveals nothing; he may be trying to remember whether he watered his plants, for all the viewer can tell. He's a professional, playing the role of "Brad Pitt," vulnerable and wistful yet comfortingly macho artiste. For her part, Leibovitz draws on the library of art-historical references she must have in her brain. Here, she has posed Pitt to resemble the dead Thomas Chatterton, as rendered by the Victorian painter Henry Wallis. The analogy is a stretch. Chatterton, penniless and starving, swallowed arsenic at 17 and was posthumously celebrated as a romantic hero. Pitt, already 31 at the time of the photo, has since crafted a public image of himself as father, husband, activist and money machine - a man replete with civic virtues. Leibovitz manipulates established codes in a kind of visual shorthand. In a monumental 1995 portrait of the author William S. Burroughs, thick pouches surround sunken eyes, deep lines furrow the skin and an alert yet ravaged gaze bespeaks a beaten warrior. Burroughs' expressive face might have suggested other readings; Leibovitz focused on the signs of wisdom. But assimilating him into the category of aging lion means operating in the theater of cliche, and Burroughs was anything but cliche. Leibovitz can't bring herself to make anyone look bad. Assigned to shoot then 79-year-old photographer Richard Avedon for Vanity Fair, she resists the temptation to portray him with the same harshness he had lavished on so many of his own subjects. "You go into a situation like that thinking that you want to be Avedon, to expose him the way he would very likely expose you," she writes in a text panel. "And then you don't. Afterward he sent me a note saying 'Thank you for taking care of me.'" If her work-for-hire provides a record, however slick, of the era's public personalities, the pictures she took for herself have only a meager voyeuristic interest. Here is Susan Sontag splayed on a couch, soaking in the bath, hunched at her desk or strolling on a Paris promenade. There are Leibovitz's parents in bed with their grandchild, or swimming - or, in her father's case, dying. These photos, many of them candid and most of them sloppy, look like an amateur's snapshots. It's refreshing to see what Leibovitz can do without fancy lighting and a retinue of assistants - except that the answer turns out to be: nothing much. Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Nicole Kidman by Annie Leibovitz © 2001 Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Nyoko Ono © Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Keith Haring © Annie Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Keith Haring © Annie Leibovitz. The Blues Brothers-RS 285 (February 22, 1979)

Annie Leibovitz (American, b. 1949). Steve Martin © Annie Leibovitz.

A portrait of Brad Pitt at the "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005" exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. (AP Photo)