Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

[Robland]

I viewed the DVD and have some thoughts. Her early work was raw and gritty. She developed a particular portrait style. Very Powerful. Recently (last 15 years) fame and a desire to stay "fresh" she has moved toward more elaborate shoots. While she is a force, she comes with an army of workers. Art Directors, Set Directors, Editors, Camera Techs, Lighting Techs. I understand she is able to function in each of these roles singularly, on elaborate shoots she has a lot of help.

This is not a bad thing, just wondering, what is most important; her early work, Subject, Camera and Self ?

Her recent work; digital or film/scanned, 20-30 on set, costumes, hair/makeup, probably the best post processing help in the business?

If the latter, how well would my images be with that much help? Don't take this the wrong way, not trying to take anything away, she proved herself on the road with The Rolling Stones (drove her to rehab with drug abuse). I'm glad she has made a good living with a camera. Just wondering if she was more powerfully (influential) in her early years compared to the latest work.

Maybe she still does a lot of raw portraits, and I'm unaware. Personally the shoot of Kristen Dunst in France is boring, compared to the Rolling Stones images in the hotels and back stage.

[Colin Corneau]

Liebovitz, like most artists, evolved and changed as the years went by. That's a normal and healthy thing.

It's entirely subjective as to whether that was a bad or good thing. My take is it was still her voice coming through in recent images, regardless of how many layers of publicists and assistants she mummified herself in. My main beef was that (and this is entirely my opinion, nothing more) she became a cog in the grotesque machinery of celebrity image manufacture and celebrity worship.

In other words, it's open to debate whether she is, in recent years, an artist or merely part of a corporation's marketing plan.

However, I guess that's a question of subject, not execution.

[mark]

When this comes up I am reminded of this thread
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum50/4347-ansel-liebowitz.html