Celebrity photos by Annie Leibovitz. Annie Leibovitz exhibition in the Hermitage (39 photos) Biography and career

The Annie Leibovitz exhibition in the Hermitage is a significant and meaningful event. Now there is an additional reason to strive for this wonderful city. In the meantime, staying in your city, you can only envy and envy those who can easily, having bought a ticket, immerse themselves in “Photographer’s life”.
Many people live through photography. In every sense of the word. They press a button, get pleasure, or money, less often - both. For some, photography becomes life, its double and basis. And only a few have the talent to fit this life into almost every photograph, so that the picture exists independently of the author, like a separate, smoking piece of life.
“Photographer’s life” is a fairly succinct title for the exhibition. Life turned into hard cash of glamorous photographs, into an inconvertible scattering of poignantly personal family cards. Perhaps, it is this combination of the incongruous that gives the exhibition that piercing high note that a violin sometimes plays in a deserted underground passage, when you shudder and think: “God, how sad our life is!”

Before us is a complex mosaic of photographs. However, all the incredible semantic interweavings look organically at the exhibition, since they are what make up the life of photographer Annie Leibovitz. A tangled tangle of events: commissioned filming, the birth of children, family celebrations, death of friends and loved ones, filming again. Without dividing into sections, in one piece - just life.

The main goal of photography from the point of view of Annie Leibovitz is the eternal search for the underbelly truth of existence. We are accustomed to soul-baring photographic portraits by Annie Leibovitz. Every time you can hear the watermelon crunch of reality, cut through by Mamyia’s scalpel-sharp optics. Faces, faces, faces.

But after an unexpected turn of the lens, we see that the author turns an equally uncompromising and bold look at himself, at his private life. One by one, unnecessary masks fall off - social, mask own body, the shame of nakedness, the fear of death - further, further - these are just masks. Gradually you begin to see the smallness and insignificance of individual life, unless it is enriched by work aimed at creating a different, higher reality. A labor entirely carried out by photographer Annie Leibovitz. The work of life. In every sense.

1. © Annie Leibovitz, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

2. © Annie Leibovitz. Leonardo DiCaprio.

3. © Annie Leibovitz

4. © Annie Leibovitz. Sting

5. © Annie Leibovitz. Carl Lewis.

6. © Annie Leibovitz. Queen Elizabeth the Second.

7. © Annie Leibovitz. Angelina Jolie.

8. © Annie Leibovitz

9. © Annie Leibovitz. Leonardo DiCaprio.

10. © Annie Leibovitz

11. © Annie Leibovitz

12. © Annie Leibovitz

13. © Annie Leibovitz

14. © Annie Leibovitz

15. © Annie Leibovitz

16. Penelope Cruz and Woody Allen. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

17. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

18. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

19. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

20. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

21. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

22. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

23. © Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

24. © Annie Leibovitz

25. © Annie Leibovitz

26. © Annie Leibovitz

27. © Annie Leibovitz

28. © Annie Leibovitz

29. © Annie Leibovitz

30. © Annie Leibovitz

31. © Annie Leibovitz

32. © Annie Leibovitz

33. © Annie Leibovitz, for Louis Vuitton

34. © Annie Leibovitz, for Louis Vuitton

35. © Annie Leibovitz, for Lavazzi

36. © Annie Leibovitz, for Lavazzi

37. © Annie Leibovitz, for Lavazzi

38. ©Annie Leibovitz, Patti Smith

39. ©Annie Leibovitz, Susan Sontag

June 4, 2010, 10:41 pm

Once, speaking about her senior colleague Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz noticed that he was very sociable, talked for a long time with his models, revealing their essence, making them forget about posing. “But I can’t talk. I’m looking for a topic,” she lamented. This distinguishes Leibovitz not only from Avedon, but also from the vast majority of successful photographers. Perhaps the main skill of portrait painters is the ability to make a model talk, evoke certain emotions, and make them forget about the camera. Leibovitz does not have these abilities, and... we have to admit, he gets along just fine without it. Instead, she uses a method that can, with a certain degree of convention, be called pseudo-reporting. Annie Leibovitz- her real name is Anna-Lou, but everyone always called her Annie - she was born on October 2, 1949 in the northeastern United States in Connecticut. She was the third of six children in the family of an Air Force lieutenant colonel and a modern dance teacher. Because of official duties father, they often moved from place to place, never staying anywhere for long. Annie later saw in this way of life something similar to the act of photography: “Something becomes part of your life for a very long time.” short time, and then you leave forever."
She was always interested in art and, after graduating high school, entered the San Francisco Art Institute. She became interested in photography during a trip to Japan after her sophomore year, and after returning she enrolled in evening photography courses. And a few months later I dropped out of college and went to Israel. For six months, Annie lived in a kibbutz (agricultural commune), worked on an archaeological expedition excavating the palace of King Solomon, and took a lot of photographs along the way. She later recalled that the decision to become professional photographer came to her precisely in Israel. And after several issues of Rolling Stone magazine with photographs of musicians caught her eye, the girl realized what she wanted to devote her life to. In 1970, Leibovitz met Rolling Stone founder and editor-in-chief Jen Wenner. Impressed by her work, Wenner gave her her first assignment and on January 21 next year her photograph graced the cover of the magazine. A few years later, she became the chief photographer for Rolling Stone - at that time it was already one of the most fashionable magazines in the music world, and there was a kind of competition among musicians to be on the cover. In the 1970s, Annie Leibovitz took many of the photographs that have become icons of music photography. Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Patti Smith, and many other superstars posed for her. In 1975, she was the official photographer for the Rolling Stones during their American tour. On December 8, 1980, on behalf of the magazine, Annie Leibovitz photographed John Lennon and Yoko Ono in connection with the release of the album “Double Fantasy”. Filming was not easy, she had to constantly change plans and start again. At first she was going to take a photo of John alone, but he demanded that his wife be nearby. Annie asked them to take off their clothes, but Yoko categorically refused to be naked from the waist down. Needless to say, the photographer was somewhat disappointed. She decided to leave Yoko Ono fully dressed and asked them to lie down on the sofa, not yet really imagining what she wanted to get in the end. But then everything went like clockwork: “He curled up next to her and it looked very, very cool,” she later recalled, “I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was a very cold woman, and it was as if he was trying to hold. ... We looked at the first Polaroid with interest, they were both very excited. John said, 'Promise me this will be on the cover.'"
This was the last photograph of John Lennon (more precisely, the last photograph taken by a professional photographer); five hours after the photo shoot, the famous musician was killed. Annie Leibovitz carried out his instructions: the photograph was published on the cover of Rolling Stone, and in 2005 it won first place in the “Best Magazine Cover of the Last 40 Years” competition. The August 1991 cover of Vanity Fair took second place in the competition. The photo for this cover (demi Moore naked while eight months pregnant) was also taken by Annie Leibovitz. Annie moved to Vanity Fair, the most “star” magazine on the planet, in 1983, and in the early 1990s, having become one of the most famous, sought-after and highly paid photographers in the world, she opened her own studio in New York. She works in many genres: nude, landscape, still life, interior photography, reportage and genre sketches... But, perhaps, her main gift is photographic portraiture, and in this genre she has reached great heights. Singers and musicians, actors and artists, writers and politicians posed for her; the list of celebrities she photographed spans several pages of text. In 2007, there was a slight embarrassment: the English Queen Elizabeth II asked Leibovitz to photograph herself during a trip to Virginia, and she in response asked her crowned model to take off her crown - it’s good not to undress yet. The Queen obeyed, but, according to the BBC report, she was furious, which she later took out on her aide.
In 1989, the famous American writer Susan Sontag needed a photo for the dust jacket of her upcoming book “AIDS and Its Metaphors” and she turned to Leibovitz. It must be said that Sontag was keenly interested in photography; her book “On Photography,” published in 1977, received a prestigious prize National Council literary critics. This book is indeed very easily and interestingly written, one can only regret that it has not yet been published in Russian. In addition, Sontag owns several more studies in the field of photography: “Magical Fascism” (“Fascinating Fascism”, 1974) about the work of Leni Riefenstahl, “When we look at the pain of others” (“Regarding the Pain of Others”, 2003) and a number of others . The influence of the famous writer on no less famous photographer difficult to overestimate. “You are good, but you can be even better,” Sontag said during one of their first meetings, and Leibovitz literally did everything to earn her approval. In 1993, Annie goes to Sarajevo during hostilities - she would never have gotten involved in such an adventure if not for the influence of a friend. There she took one of her saddest photographs, “Fallen Bicycle of Teenage Boy Just Killed by a Sniper.” “I was on my way to photograph Miss Sarajevo, suddenly a shot rang out and a boy on a bicycle fell right in front of my car. We took him to the hospital, but he died on the way,” she said. In 1999, Sontag and Leibovitz published the book “Women” - a unique portrait of the fair sex of the late 20th century. The book contains about two hundred photographs: teachers and soldiers, astronauts and miners, artists and politicians, daughters and mothers, different nationalities, religions, ages, different skin colors, famous and not so famous, beautiful and... even more beautiful, in a word, Women. Annie later admitted that there wasn’t enough space in the album for everyone – there wasn’t even a self-portrait of the photographer. Until recently, Annie Leibovitz's personal life was of little interest to anyone. When a 51-year-old woman gave birth to her first child in October 2001, no one had any idea who the girl's father might be. Everything changed after the death of Susan Sontag at the end of 2004, when Newsweek reported that the two women had more than just business and friendly relations. Somewhat later, Annie admitted that the father of her child was the writer David Rieff, the only son of her late friend. In 2005, Annie became the mother of two more children, this time born with the help of a surrogate mother. And although the children take up almost all of her time (“I feel like the director of the summer children's camp“, - Annie grins), she also finds time for what she loves - photography, organizing exhibitions, publishing books. Her latest photo album, A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005, contains more than two hundred personal photographs of Annie - a kind of visual diary, a cry from the heart, a confession - interspersed with a hundred or so images of the world fashion, glamor and celebrities. “I have only one life and all my photographs - personal and taken on assignment - are part of this life,” she wrote in the foreword, of course, she knows better, but for an outsider, these are two completely separate worlds, sometimes. It’s hard to believe that the photographs were taken by the same photographer at the same time. “The book owes its birth to my grief,” the author admitted, referring to the death of Sontag and her father, who died in early 2005. And again I want to. I disagree, not all of the photographer’s works bear this imprint - moreover, looking at them you are convinced that in order to convey the joy of life, photography does not have to be glamorous, or as it is now customary to say, “pop”. photographs by Annie Leibovitz" Bette Midler-RS 306 (December 13, 1979) Keith Richards-RS 356 (November 12, 1981) Meryl Streep-RS 354 (October 15, 1981) Rod Stewart-RS 73 (December 24, 1970)

(English: Annie Leibovitz, born October 2, 1949, Westport, USA) – worldwide famous photographer American origin. He is the official photographer of US and US. Annie Leibovitz's most famous works are portraits of Hollywood celebrities, musicians and politicians. She is the author advertising project Disney Dream Portraits, 2000, Lavazza calendar 2009.

According to Annie Leibovitz, the most important thing for her in her work is to convey a person’s character through a photograph.

“So that the photographs are on top level“You need to become part of what’s happening.”

Biography and career

Childhood and early years

Annie Leibovitz (birth name Anna Lou) was born on October 2, 1949 in Westport, Connecticut. She grew up in the family of Samuel, an Air Force colonel, and Marilyn, a modern dance teacher. By origin, his father was Romanian, his mother had Russian-Jewish roots. Annie Leibovitz was raised with her sisters Susan, Barbara, Paula and brothers Howard and Philip. The family moved frequently due to Samuel's work responsibilities.

“We moved from place to place. A family in a car was something permanent. We practically lived in it. We slept in the car and took turns driving.”

Marilyn Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz's mother always took a camera on the road and took family photos. Her love for photography passed on to her children.

“When you were practically raised in a machine, it is easy to become an artist. You see the world already in a ready-made frame, through the car window. In fact, I was never really interested in photography - it was something in the family for me. We often took photographs, they are very dear to me, as well as to my mother, she hung them everywhere. The camera was another member of the family for us.”

In the late 60s, during the Vietnam War, Annie Leibovitz, along with her father, went to the Philippines as part of his service. Here she took her first photographs.

Education. Interest in photography

In 1967, Annie Leibovitz entered the San Francisco Art Institute in the art department. During her freshman year, she wanted to become an art teacher.

In 1968, Annie Leibovitz enrolled in a photography course. During the day, students took photographs in the city, then developed and printed their work, and in the evening they discussed the results.

“You wander the streets and capture life as it is. Then there was a collective viewing and discussion of the photographs. When your photos are next to other people's, you want them to be no worse. The Art Institute and photography courses were oriented towards Robert Frank and Henri-Cartier Bresson. Their style is mobile, relaxed, light, flowing. The first book that helped me understand what it means to be a photographer was called “The World of Cartier-Bresson.” I remember how, sitting above her, I realized that this way you could travel around the world. The camera gives you the right to be everywhere and to be on your own, but with a specific purpose.”

In her third year, Annie Leibovitz went to Israel. For 6 months she worked on an archaeological expedition, participating in excavations of the palace of King Solomon. Annie Leibovitz later recalled that the decision to become a photographer came to her in Israel. Her friend regularly sent her issues of Rolling Stone magazine. Subsequently, Annie Leibovitz realized that she wanted to take photographs for this publication.

Start of a career

In 1970, Annie Leibovitz showed her work to the founder of Rolling Stone magazine, Jan Wenner.

In 1971, Annie Leibovitz received a position as a photojournalist at Rolling Stone.

In the 1970s, she took many of the photographs that have become icons of music photography. Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Bob Marley, Patti Smith and others posed for Annie Leibovitz.

In the early 1970s. John Lennon decided to give his first interview to Rolling Stone magazine about his life in the Beatles. Annie Leibovitz persuaded the editor to take her on as a photographer. During filming, she tried to capture John Lennon's emotions and convey them through the photo.

“I didn’t yet know how to force people to do what I needed. I was metering the exposure and said to John, “If you can, look at me for a second.” And at that moment it clicked.”

As a result, Annie Leibovitz managed to create one of the most famous portraits of John Lennon. This photo was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone.

“Annie did a stunning portrait of John. This is obvious. Annie could tell by the way I grabbed onto it that I was delighted and considered this photograph an event.”

Jan Wenner, editor of Rolling Stone

Annie Leibovitz was given complete freedom of action in the magazine. She visited many cities and met famous musicians. According to Annie Leibovitz, “the most important thing was to capture the details of events and convey them through photography.” Sometimes in order to achieve the required level mutual understanding, she spent several days with those whom she photographed, “living the same life with them.”

“To take perfect pictures, I need to be in the know, to be inside the situation. You know, the best pictures are always what surrounds you, when you yourself are also part of the environment.”

In 1975, Annie Leibovitz took a number of photographs of Arnold Schwarzenegger during his participation in the Mr. Olympia competition.

“Annie has a great ability to adapt to people and circumstances. She somehow enters your world and becomes a part of your life. At a certain point, you stop noticing that Annie is filming and recording everything.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Recognition of creativity

“You can see in my photographs that I am not afraid to fall in love with those I photograph.”

In 1975, Annie Leibovitz was the official photographer for the Rolling Stones during their US tour. Jan Wenner was against her accompanying them. He was afraid that Annie Leibovitz would start using drugs.

“Film as much as you like, but you don’t have to travel with them. Many of my friends returned as drug addicts after such a tour.”

Jan Wenner

Annie Leibovitz later admitted that she had been using illegal drugs for several years. Shooting the Rolling Stones brought her great fame and made her the No. 1 photographer in the world of American rock and roll.

In 1976, Annie Leibovitz became interested in filming dances. She photographed Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mark Morris.

“I had a dream to show how dance is done. It was wonderful to realize that you were just taking a portrait of the moment. It was art floating in the air.”

In 1977, an important event occurred in the life of Rolling Stone magazine: the editorial office moved to New York and occupied 48 rooms on Fifth Avenue. According to Annie Leibovitz, for her “this city was associated, first of all, with.”

In 2009, Annie Leibovitz did a photo shoot for the cover and pages of March Vogue US with Michelle Obama.

For the December pages of Vogue US, she shot “A Little Girl and a Boy Lost.” Annie Leibovitz was inspired to create it by the opera “Hansel and Gretel”, staged by Richard Jones based on the fairy tale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm. Andrew Garfield also played the roles of children left in the forest, and Lady Gaga appeared as a witch.

In 2010, Annie Leibovitz conducted a photo shoot “Brief Encounter” with the participation of Sean Combs for the pages of the February Vogue US.

On the pages and cover of the January 2011 Vogue US, shots from a photo shoot with Meryl Streep appeared. Annie Leibovitz shot the cover and pages of October Vogue US with Michelle Williams. The issue was dedicated to the release of the film “7 Days and Nights with Marilyn,” in which the actress played the main role.

“People are not used to seeing Angelina from this angle. I like that everything turned out very realistic. Annie Leibovitz managed to convey the spirit of travel and the idea of the campaign through Angelina’s personal feelings and tastes.”

Pietro Beccari, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton.

In 2012, Annie Leibovitz shot for the pages of June Vogue US with Karlie Kloss. The photo shoot was dedicated to the 2012 Summer Olympics. Annie Leibovitz photographed Karlie Kloss along with athletes representing the United States at the games in London. The photographer emphasized the harmony of contrast between catwalk outfits and traditional sports uniforms. Annie Leibovitz shot for the December Vogue US with the participation of the main characters of the film “Les Miserables”: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen. A photograph featuring Anne Hathaway was published on the cover of the publication.

In 2013, a photo shoot was published on the pages of the February Vogue US with the participation of Kasia Struss, and. Annie Leibovitz photographed models with police officers, firefighters, military personnel - people of those professions who help during natural disasters, including during Hurricane Sandy.

Disney Dream Portraits Project

In 2011, Annie Leibovitz presented a series of framed portraits of famous people advertising campaign Disney amusement parks. The photographer captured celebrities in images fairy-tale heroes Disney cartoons. Gisele Bündchen appeared in the role of Wendy Darling, Mikhail Baryshnikov tried on the image of her lover, Peter Pan.

Marc Anthony played Aladdin, Whoopi Goldberg played the Genie, and Jennifer Lopez played the character Jasmine from the fairy tale “Aladdin's Magic Lamp.”

Jessica Biel tried on the image of Pocahontas, Rachel Weisz played the role of Snow White, David Beckham was her prince, Scarlett Johansson was Cinderella. Queen Latifah became the witch Ursula from the cartoon "The Little Mermaid". Penelope Cruz and Jeff Bridges starred as Beauty and the Beast from the fairy tale of the same name.

Annie Leibovitz albums

“Annie has become a truly great chronicler of our country. She photographed what we cared about, what we thought about.”

Hillary Clinton

In 1999, Annie Leibovitz and Susan Sontag published the book Women. The album contained about 200 photographs of women different professions, religions, nationalities, social affiliations.

The publication published photographs from her personal archive, as well as portraits of celebrities. In the foreword to the album, Annie Leibovitz wrote: “I have only one life and all my photographs - personal and commissioned - are part of that life.”

In 2011, the photographer published the album “Pilgrimage”. The book collected about 120 photographs of houses, landscapes, places associated with famous people who are no longer alive. Annie Leibovitz's attention was drawn to personal belongings, elements everyday life- to what could tell about a person. The album contains photographs of Virginia Woolf's work chair, the River Ouse in which she drowned, photographs of Sigmund Freud's library, his couch for receiving patients, etc.

“These are photographs of the absence of people, photographs of what remains when a person dies. I was more interested in the sense of place.”

Celebrity portraits

“Every photograph of Annie Leibovitz seems to have her stamp on it. When you look at the photo, it’s clear that only she and no one else could have done this.”

Anna Wintour

Annie Leibovitz is the author of portraits of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, Barack and Michelle Obama, George W. Bush, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jamie Foxx, Uma Thurman, Julianne Moore, Jack Nicholson, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Cruise, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Woody Allen, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cameron Diaz, Cate Blanchett, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Sting, Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix , Michael Jackson, Kate Winslet, Mikhail Gorbachev, Barbra Streisand, Robert Downey Jr., Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and others.

“If I didn’t have my camera, eventually I would lose the meaning and purpose of life.”

Personal life

Annie Leibovitz currently lives in New York. She has three children: she gave birth to daughter Sarah Annie in 2001, and in 2005, a surrogate mother gave birth to twins, Susan and Samuel.

For more than 15 years, Annie Leibovitz had a sexual relationship with the writer Susan Sontag. In 2004, Sontag died of leukemia.

Interview with Annie Leibovitz for FotoTapeta (Interviewer - Anna Beata Bodzwikz, January 19, 1998)

F.T.: Would you call yourself shy?
A.L.: ABOUT! We are all shy! Sometimes no one knows what to say. Sometimes we sit in my studio and everyone is silent. It's driving me crazy. There must be some reason why photographers aren't very good at verbal communication. Although I don't want to believe it, I just think that we are lazy... We think that since we are photographers, it means that we don't need to try to establish contact with someone. In general, I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to follow what is happening and speak at the same time.

F.T.:Can you say that you hide your shyness behind the camera? You hide and start filming.
A.L.: I don't think it's really that complicated. When we are young, the camera plays the role of a friend for us. You take it, go somewhere and feel as if you are not alone, but in company. It's a kind of license that allows you to walk alone, but at the same time do something. It seems to me that in these moments we forget that we are somewhere. We don’t hide, we just forget. We see so much that we forget we exist. Do you know what I mean? But things change, we get older and we have different tools and different approaches to everything. We are starting to use photography in a different way.

F.T.:Having a camera puts us in a different position...
A.L.: When I was younger, I did things with a camera that I couldn't do without it. I remember driving to the docks in San Francisco and asking a fisherman to give me a ride on his boat. I would never have done this if I didn't have my camera with me.

F.T.:This is a kind of protection.
A.L.: I think it's a license. She was once a protection. For example, during my tour with the Rolling Stones. If I didn't have a camera with me back then to remind me to do something, I would have simply slipped away from my responsibilities. I would forget about my right to exist. The camera is a heavy burden, you know. Now we have compact plastic cameras, but back in the 70s they were metal and very heavy. F.T.: Yesterday I went to see your exhibition again and saw a huge crowd of people walking along the walls and looking at your works. But I suddenly became interested in why the exhibit on display is not very large? Or is this a special version for Eastern Europe?
A.L.: With all due respect to Marek Graidel, I must admit that he hung my work in the gallery incorrectly. I gave him a plan, a legend... Some of the photographs should not have been hung so separately, they should have hung side by side and been considered as a grouping. For example, photos of my family always hang as if they were on the wall in my house, they should have hung next to each other. The order of their arrangement was supposed to copy the wall in my mother's house, they always hung that way.
These photos need each other. They need to be looked at at one glance, so they must be nearby. I am also very sensitive to the arrangement of photographs from Sarajevo. These works should always be one block. At this exhibition they hang separately. I'm very proud of the photographs I took in the eighties because they are so bright and colorful. But I always compare them with works of a later time, dark and gloomy, and that’s why I wanted to dilute latest pictures such a bright positive spot. The portraits were also supposed to hang all together, but they were positioned incorrectly. The way they did it confuses me. There should have been a chronology there, but there isn't. Because of this, perception has become more difficult. In other words, all this material needs to be looked at differently.

F.T.:I was surprised that the photos were so small...
A.L.: This is another problem. At the original exhibition, which took place in 1991, the scale of the photographs in inches was 16x20. The photographs at the beginning of the exhibition are small, and then they become larger and simpler. The last photos - from the Olympic Games - were the largest.
While the exhibition was traveling, I selected about five works and made them larger so that they would immediately attract attention. There was a close-up photo of John and Yoko, as well as Keith Haring. But for the exhibition that is currently traveling around Europe, we made them all the same size. We couldn't transport large photographs. Additionally, as the exhibition moved, I learned that photographs may not always fit into the various spaces provided.

F.T.: Do you print your own photos?
A.L.: No, not myself. I've been working with two people for twenty years now. There is also a problem that in each new place the photographs look different. These photos are designed to be backlit, and without light they are too dark.

F.T.:In general, we understand a portrait as a person’s face. But in your portraits you can often see the body, and not just the face.
A.L.: When I was younger, I didn't realize I was doing this. It was natural. I always chose 35mm lenses. Everything turned out in such a style, as if the lens was slightly removed. The point is that you can’t shoot close with such a lens. Then I got a 105mm lens, but most of my work was done with a 35mm lens. It was boring for me to get close to the subject; such pictures seemed uninteresting. Besides, I was young and therefore afraid to come closer. I was even afraid to film in the studio because I felt claustrophobic. I always tried to shoot somewhere where the subject of the shoot would not look at me. It was unbearable for me to feel like the person you were photographing was constantly looking at you.

F.T.:But your photos from the 80s are just like these. They are more situational...
A.L.: There are situations there because I wanted them. It was easier to tell the photo shoot participants to do something, it made them feel more comfortable. It is easier for them to play a role than to be themselves in front of the camera. I’m sure that this happened to you too, when you arrive on set and the first thing you hear from the hero is: “What should I do?”

F.T.: The hero of the shoot, first of all, wants to look attractive.
A.L.: Ha ha ha...

F.T.: For me, one of the most striking photos in your exhibition is the portrait of Joseph Brodsky. Tell us about it.
A.L.: The only reason this photo stands out so much, and I've seen better portraits of Brodsky, is because in my photo he doesn't look happy, he looks like he's very uncomfortable. And I thought it looked unusual and interesting. When I photographed a group of Nobel laureates, I only took a few pictures of Brodsky. I asked if I could take five or six pictures and he sweetly agreed.

F.T.:I met him in Warsaw in 1992 and also took some photographs. There was something tragic about him...
A.L.: I think. he always looked like he was very uncomfortable. Perhaps he was experiencing physical discomfort due to his heart... I met him a couple of times and every time he looked exactly like that. This photo looks like a photo from the war, it is full of pain. That's why he wrote what he wrote. If you look at my latest portraits, you'll see that I'm getting closer now. It's because I've matured. Now I'm not afraid to do it. But there are too few people left who want to look into the eyes. Irving Penn said he didn't want to photograph anyone under sixty, and I think that makes sense. The faces of all the older people I photograph are incredible.

F.T.: The smallest photograph in your exhibition is a photograph of a crucified woman.
A.L.: Susan Sontag always scolds me because this photo is so small. I like the way it is because it reminds me of the little figurines of the crucified Jesus that hang in people's homes. Diamanda Galas is a great actress. There is something demonic in her image.

F.T.: I'm wondering if anyone will notice this photo at the exhibition...
A.L.: Well, you noticed.

F.T.:In Poland, a Catholic country, this photo may offend someone's feelings...
A.L.: I'll be interested to see the reaction... But this photo has a lot in common with her personal experience. She lost her brother to AIDS, and she has several performances where she screams for an hour.

F.T.:Some of your works made in the 90s look dark, as if they were made using non-standard technology. Did you use any special negatives?
A.L.: A Polaroid 6x6.5 negative was used, you can tell by the angles. The negatives are great, they are fine grained and look old fashioned. You know, black people on a black background, dressed in black and white, always look attractive in my eyes! This beauty can be seen in my Olympic photo shoot, their skin loves black and white photos.

F.T.: Have you ever met Diane Arbus?
A.L.: I never met her, but I know people who knew her. I remember moving to New York in the 70s. I remember walking through the streets and her work was everywhere. On every corner of New York! Diane Arbus knew all the people she photographed and was friends with them. She was a very, very valuable photographer because she photographed people that we as a society didn't want to look at. It’s not even that we didn’t want to, we didn’t see them.

F.T.:in his book "The American West" tried to repeat the work of Diane Arbus?
A.L.: He wanted it, he wanted... He wanted to be Diane Arbus, he really wanted it. He was criticized for wanting to be Diane Arbus, but that's totally fine. I think he did a great job. He is very honest about his work, how and why he did it. He was completely amazed by Diana's creativity, respected her, admired her. Now his daughters Amy and Dawn are his best friends. How can you not love his work, it’s so incomparable! He couldn't become Diana, but he could integrate into his work what he saw in her work. And we all do it! That's what's wonderful! There's nothing wrong with that. We all live in this world and feed each other. This is wonderful!

F.T.:How do you feel now, in the days of computers and artificial image creation. Do you feel that photography is losing credibility?
A.L.: She will never lose trust...

F.T.:So this doesn't bother you?
A.L.: This doesn't apply to real photographers. This is done by people who don't understand something and aren't smart enough, but their work will be integrated into photography in a good way, it will become a tool. When something new appears, it is often abused until it is learned how to use it correctly. Sometimes in my studio I use the computer to post photos, which is convenient. Computer photography will not be photography in the full sense of the word, but it will still become something. I think that the process of creating photographs will always be based on chemistry...

F.T.: I'm happy that you think so.
A.L.: But you know all this too.

F.T.: No no!
A.L.: Yes, you know it! You just want to hear confirmation, in fact you know it all.

F.T.:At the press conference you said that during a photo shoot you take about 100-200 photos. Why do photographers need to take so many pictures?
A.L.: Well, this is not always necessary...

F.T.:But they do it.
A.L.: There's really no need to make excuses if you're taking a lot of pictures. But I was taught that on business trips, film is considered the cheapest material in the truest sense of the word. The time of the photographer and the person he is photographing is truly valuable. It always amazes me that even if a person stands in one place, and you continue to take photo after photo, all the photos will end up different. Because even a very small detail can make a photo successful or unsuccessful. I don't really take many pictures. The process can only be stopped by the situation. I can shoot a person in one position, use about two small films of film, and then see that this position is not working and change it. But the amazing thing is that when shooting a portrait, every detail can make the photos different.

F.T.:I wonder why some great photographers stop shooting?
A.L.: I think that when you are young, photography is your friend, and when you get older, it sometimes loses its power in your eyes. I used photography as a way to make new friends and be friendly, because I didn't always feel comfortable without a camera. I don't need my camera that often these days, but I need it because it's pretty much the only reason people talk to me. Haha... After all, I'm a photographer. I used to take photographs all the time, now I do it too, but not so much, a few shots at a time. They are like souvenirs. When you are constantly asked to take photos, it gets boring. Do you know what I mean? When you go with a camera to meet friends and then they constantly ask “When will we see the photos?”, you answer “Soon, soon...”.

F.T.: If you consider this question too personal, you may not answer it. As far as I know, you don’t have your own family: children, husband... Do you think family helps an artist or not?
A.L.: I think it's a sacrifice. This classic story: time goes by so quickly that you don't notice it. I think work is the only thing in this sense that I can regret, but I will never think that it is too late for me to do something about it. Work is a big baby and you can't do anything else. Fortunately, I have many good friends, but everything that is done for work creates new job. I was born into a huge family and it supports me. I have five brothers and sisters, they all have children, and my parents are still alive. I'm very lucky in this regard. But time goes by very quickly, there is no doubt about it.

F.T.: When I interview, this is always the first question I ask. In this case it is the last one. Who do you love more - cats or dogs?
A.L.: Oh God... If I had any animals, they would already be dead...

F.T.:I mean the aesthetic side of the issue...
A.L.: It would be rotten cats and dogs, because I’m almost never at home... Recently I had my eye on a Russell terrier. They are very smart...

F.T.: So that means you are for dogs! What a shame!

Annie was the third of six children in the family of a US Air Force officer, and her family moved quite often due to her father's work responsibilities. She shot the first footage in the Philippines, where her father was stationed during the Vietnam War. Annie later studied at the San Francisco Institute of Art. Since 1970, she worked as a photographer for Rolling Stone magazine, and in 1983 she began collaborating with Vanity Fair magazine, for which she made an unforgettable series of portrait photographs of celebrities.

In our selection today best photos stars ever created by Annie Leibovitz.

1. Actress Meryl Streep, 1981.

2. Future 38th Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1975.

3. A naked John Lennon kisses a clothed Yoko Ono lying next to him. This photo was taken on December 8, 1980, just hours before Lennon was killed.

4. The infamous photograph of Demi Moore, published in August 1991.

17. Miley Cyrus with her back bare. The photo was published in June 2008 in Vanity Fair magazine; the singer was only 15 years old at that time.

is a famous female photographer from the USA, known for her photographs of show business stars. Annie Leibovitz was born on October 2, 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut, into a military family. Leibovitz's ancestors immigrated from Central and Eastern Europe. Due to his father's service in the US Air Force, the family often moved from place to place.

The girl was interested in art in high school, then the future photographer began writing music and texts, and after school she entered the art institute in San Francisco, where she studied painting. At the same time, Annie Leibovitz became interested in photography.

In 1970, after returning from Israel, Leibovitz began her career as a staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine. In 1973, publisher Jann Wenner appointed Leibovitz as the magazine's chief photographer. Annie worked at Rolling Stone until 1983, and her intimate photographs of celebrities made the magazine one of the most authoritative publications in the world. Annie Leibovitz's photographs are incredibly expressive and distinctive; the celebrity photographs she took in her time are still some of the most recognizable and best-selling. Leibovitz herself admits that her development as a photographer was influenced by the works of such masters as Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

As for Leibovitz's personal life, she had a close relationship with writer Susan Sontag, whom she met in 1989. Annie and Susan were together until Sontag's death in 2004. The women did not hide their friendships and romantic relationships. They never literally lived together, but they spent a lot of time together. Leibovitz admits that Sontag was her best friend and one of her closest people.

Today's selection features the most recognizable and famous photographs celebrities performed by Annie Leibovitz.