Born On This Day- October 2nd... Annie Leibovitz

I had long planned for a Leibovitz cover for my first album- Whiskey & Sodomy. I would have given the world's greatest living portrait photographer  full creative carte blanche, trusting her to bring out the authentic Stephen.

In 1970 Leibovitz approached Jann Wenner, founding editor of Rolling Stone, which he’d recently launched & was operating out of San Francisco. Impressed with her portfolio, Wenner gave Leibovitz her first assignment: shoot John Lennon. Leibovitz’s black & white portrait of the Beatle graced the cover of the January 21, 1971 issue. 2 years later she was named Rolling Stone's chief photographer.

In 1980 Rolling Stone sent Leibovitz to photograph John Lennon & Yoko Ono, who had recently released their album Double Fantasy. For the portrait Leibovitz imagined that the pair would pose together nude. Lennon disrobed, but Ono refused to take off her pants. Leibovitz “was kinda disappointed,” according to Rolling Stone, & so she told Ono to leave her clothes on. Leibovitz: “We took 1 Polaroid & the 3 of us knew it was profound right away.” The resulting portrait shows Lennon nude & curled around a fully clothed Ono. Several hours later, Lennon was shot dead in front of his apartment at The Dakota. The photograph ran on the cover of the Rolling Stone Lennon commemorative issue. In 2005 the American Society of Magazine Editors named it the best magazine cover from the past 50 years.

Leibovitz has been made a Commandeur des Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government & has been designated a living legend by the Library of Congress. Her first museum show, Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970-1990, took place in 1991 at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. & toured internationally for 6 years. At the time she was only the second living portraitist & the only woman to be featured in an exhibition by the institution.

Leibovitz met writer Susan Sontag in 1989 while photographing the writer for her book- AIDS & Its Metaphors. The 2 talents became lovers, but kept separate apartments.

Leibovitz: “I remember going out to dinner with her & just sweating through my clothes because I thought I couldn’t talk to her. Sontag told me: 'You’re good, but you could be better'.”

Sontag’s influence on Leibovitz was profound. In 1993 Leibovitz traveled to Sarajevo during the war in the Balkans, a trip that she admits she would not have taken without Sontag’s input. Among her work from that trip is Sarajevo, Fallen Bicycle of Teenage Boy Just Killed by a Sniper, a black &white photo of a bicycle collapsed on blood-smeared pavement. Sontag, who wrote the accompanying essay, also first conceived of Leibovitz’s book- Women (1999). The book includes images of famous people along with those not well known. Celebrities like Susan Sarandon & Diane Sawyer share space with soldiers in basic training, & Las Vegas showgirls in & out of costume.

  

The couple were together until Sontag’s death at the end of 2004. Choosing the closet or not, my admiration for her work knows no bounds. It is difficult for me to find a favorite photograph to be named my favorite, this evening I would choose Streep for Rolling Stone.
 
 

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Born On This Day- October 2nd... Photographer Annie Leibovitz

For years I would fantasize that my first album- Jockstraps & Valium would be produced by David Foster & the front & back cover would be shot by Annie Leibovitz. I have posted before of my love of photography & Leibovitz is a seriously major talent to me... I am simply in love her work.

In 1970, Leibovitz approached Jann Wenner, founding editor of Rolling Stone, which he’d recently launched & was operating out of San Francisco. Impressed with her portfolio, Wenner gave Leibovitz her first assignment: shoot John Lennon. Leibovitz’s black & white portrait of the Beatle graced the cover of the January 21, 1971 issue. 2 years later she was named Rolling Stone chief photographer. In 1980 Rolling Stone sent Leibovitz to photograph John Lennon & Yoko Ono, who had recently released their album Double Fantasy. For the portrait Leibovitz imagined that the pair would pose together nude. Lennon disrobed, but Ono refused to take off her pants. Leibovitz “was kinda disappointed,” according to Rolling Stone, & so she told Ono to leave her clothes on. “We took 1 Polaroid,” said Leibovitz, “& the 3 of us knew it was profound right away.” The resulting portrait shows Lennon nude & curled around a fully clothed Ono. Several hours later, Lennon was shot dead in front of his apartment. The photograph ran on the cover of the Rolling Stone Lennon commemorative issue. In 2005 the American Society of Magazine Editors named it the best magazine cover from the past 40 years.

Leibovitz has been made a Commandeur des Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government & has been designated a living legend by the Library of Congress. Her first museum show, Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970-1990, took place in 1991 at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. & toured internationally for 6 years. At the time she was only the second living portraitist & the only woman to be featured in an exhibition by the institution.

Sting by Annie Leibovitz

Leibovitz met writer Susan Sontag in 1989 while photographing the writer for her book AIDS & Its Metaphors. The 2 talents became lovers, but kept separate apartments. They were together until Sontag’s death at the end of 2004. Choosing the closet or not, my admiration for her work knows no bounds.

Sontag by Leibovitz

One More From Annie

One more from the amazing Annie Leibovitz...
the subjects are 2 of my favorite actors at the moment, stars of Mad Men. From Vanity Fair.

Born On This Day- October 2nd... Photographer Annie Leibovitz

For years I would fantasize that my first album- Jockstraps & Valium would be produced by David Foster & the front & back cover would be shot by Annie Leibovitz. I have posted before of my love of photography & Leibovitz is a seriously major talent to me... I am simply love her work.

In 1970 Leibovitz approached Jann Wenner, founding editor of Rolling Stone, which he’d recently launched & was operating out of San Francisco. Impressed with her portfolio, Wenner gave Leibovitz her first assignment: shoot John Lennon. Leibovitz’s black & white portrait of the Beatle graced the cover of the January 21, 1971 issue. 2 years later she was named Rolling Stone chief photographer. In 1980 Rolling Stone sent Leibovitz to photograph John Lennon & Yoko Ono, who had recently released their album Double Fantasy. For the portrait Leibovitz imagined that the pair would pose together nude. Lennon disrobed, but Ono refused to take off her pants. Leibovitz “was kinda disappointed,” according to Rolling Stone, & so she told Ono to leave her clothes on. “We took 1 Polaroid,” said Leibovitz, “& the 3 of us knew it was profound right away.” The resulting portrait shows Lennon nude & curled around a fully clothed Ono. Several hours later, Lennon was shot dead in front of his apartment. The photograph ran on the cover of the Rolling Stone Lennon commemorative issue. In 2005 the American Society of Magazine Editors named it the best magazine cover from the past 40 years.

Leibovitz has been made a Commandeur des Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government & has been designated a living legend by the Library of Congress. Her first museum show, Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970-1990, took place in 1991 at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. & toured internationally for 6 years. At the time she was only the second living portraitist & the only woman to be featured in an exhibition by the institution.


Leibovitz met writer Susan Sontag in 1989 while photographing the writer for her book AIDS & Its Metaphors. The 2 talents became lovers, but kept separate apartments. They were together until Sontag’s death at the end of 2004.Choosing the closet or not, my admiration for her work knows no bounds.