“I hate the word ‘celebrity.’ I’ve always been more interested in what people do than who they are, and I hope that my photographs reflect that. I have the opportunity to work with people who are the best actors, and writers, and athletes, and dancers – a broad spectrum. I feel like I’m photographing people who matter, in one way or another. I’m photographing my time.”
— Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz is a well-known female portrait photographer. The first photo that I recognised her was John Lennon and Yoko Ono which took on the day Lennon was murdered. In the screen, I can feel full of love between this couple.
She is a fashion photographer. Though her work with celebrities, the portraits make me feel emotional. She is not only doing her job, also makes friends with them. They will behave more real and comfortable in front the person who they trust, that is what I learn from her. So before taking a portrait, the communication is important.
I like the colour tone of her fashion photographs. It shows between the reality and fiction.
“Good Jeans” the series of work she took for Vogue is recently my favourite. These photos seem to be unfinished work because they showed the rough background of the studio. But why every thing should be perfect? Maybe that how I treat to my jeans, nice but rough.
I learn a lot from Annie’s work because she works with people, especially celebrities. I rarely take portrait for who I do not familiar with. Maybe I do not make connection with them, so I feel hard to do it. For further work, I should try how to take comfortable and confidence portrait. While, the lighting she make also a great lesson to learn. By seeing the recording of her working process, lighting brings an important role in fashion and portrait photography, especially taking group portrait.
CHiNG 