If Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon had a daughter together, it would be Annie Leibovitz. Leibovitz's photos combine Avedon's high fashion, yet, like Newton, tend to be provocative and sometimes even controversial. However, you may not agree with what Leibovitz says, but there is no deny that she is a master at her craft.I missed Leibovitz's big retrospective exhibition in San Francisco early this early. Fortunately, I found there was a documentary (made by her sister Barbara) accompanied the exhibition and the DVD was out lately, so I happily ordered it and started to take down notes like a good student while watching it. Here is for those who are interested in how the master works.
Process and Photo Tips
- blend in with your subjects by spending time (a lot) with them, so much so that they don't even notice you are there any more. It's when you will get the fresh shots.
- study the master's work (yes, even Annie Leibovitz needs to do that). Leibovitz studied Barbara Morgan and Richard Avedon before shooting dance portraits of Mikhail Baryshnikov.
- get a mentor, learn how to look at your own photos with critical eyes.
- never be satisfied with a common photo, always strive for a photo which can make a difference
- do tons of research before shooting (not a surprise since most of her works are commercial and her subjects are celebrities), think film production
- collaborate with your subjects, listen to them and their ideas. (Before she got the shot of the famous Vanity Fair cover of Demi Moore, Leibovitz had done a few successful ones with Moore half naked, then Moore asked her if she could do a nude, well the rest is history.)
- Remember, portraits are moments you pass through each other's lives.
- You have to be able to connect to people to get the shots
- told Arnold Schwarzenegger while shooting in cold weather "the freeze and pain are only temporary but the shot is permanent".
- Hilary Clinton admitted getting nervous before being photographed by "one of the best photographers in the world".
- Patti Smith was surprised at her photo (is that me?) and found herself gradually grew into the person she saw
- hand held almost all her shots, rarely use a tripod
- use mostly natural light with minimized strobe while shooting on location
- shot in cloudy day, the sky seems to be post-processed to give more drama
- have a entourage of assistants and is notorious for her hot temper as a boss (hint, you really don't want to be her assistant)
Leibovitz's equipments will definitely make a lot of us envy. In short, she has all the toys. She use a Leica for personal work, a Mamiya and a Canon for some commercial work, a Leaf or Hasselblad (with those expensive digital backs) for her Vanity Fair commercial shots. Images are transmitted to a Mac through wireless on the camera immediately so she can view them on a 30" screen right after a shot on location. She also carries a small digital compact with her.
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