Annie Leibovitz at Work by Annie Leibovitz
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Book Reviews of Annie Leibovitz at Work
Book Review: The mind of the artist
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book because as a small travel publisher I have quite a library of photography books, and I thought this would be a unique addition.
I was right, but it's not what I expected.
A better title would be "Annie Leibovitz: On Work."
This is not a coffee table book, and it's not mainly photographs. For each image there's at least a full page of editorial, maybe two or three pages, as the author describes how each shot came about and her thoughts about the experience. The book is smaller than you might think--a little shorter and narrower than a Time magazine--and the photos smaller than you'd expect. Few are larger than a postcard.
There's no dust jacket, just a paper band that wraps around the bottom.
I was expecting the book to include technical shot-by-shot details, with background images showing reflectors, stylists and such. No such luck. Leibovitz does, however, include an insightful essay about the equipment she has used over the years, as well as an FAQ list. "What advice do you have for a photographer that's just starting out?" "Stay close to home." (She goes on to elaborate.)
The stories, though, are interesting, much like those in A Camera, Two Kids, and a Camel. Because Leibovitz has such a clean writing style, and her subjects are often celebrities, the book is a pleasant read, and every bit the unique addition to my library I was hoping for. Now that I've spent some time with it, I actually prefer that the book isn't bigger; it's much easier to sit back and spend time with it this way.
Getting back to the images, some of them really stayed with me. Besides the famous shot of Demi Moore that became a cover of Vanity Fair, there's another one, straight on, with the top of the naked actress fully exposed. A shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger on a white stallion looks like something from Herbert List. A simple portrait of Patti Smith has the revealing facial details and expression like the best work of Richard Avedon. Then there's a 1980s photo of Rev. Al Sharpton getting his hair done at a beauty salon. Made me laugh out loud.
I know many of these shots have been published before, but it is interesting to be able to flip from one to the other.
Here's the chapter list:
1. Nixon's Resignation
2. The Rolling Stones
3. John and Yoko
4. Conceptual Pictures
5. Advertising
6. Al Sharpton
7. Arnold Schwarzenegger
8. Dance
9. Demi Moore
10. Performance
11. Peak Performance
12. War
13. O.J. Simpson
14. Impromptu
15. Patti Smith
16. Fashion
17. Nudes
18. Groups
19. Presence and Charisma
20. Being There
21. My Mother
22. Sarah
23. Susan
24. Hollywood
25. The Queen
26. The Process
27. The Road West
28. Equipment
29. Ten Most-Asked Questions
30. Publishing History
Book Review: A terrific introduction to the art and reflections of Annie Leibovitz
Summary: 5 Stars
Annie Leibovitz is a well-known photographer. The first time I came to know of her was her work with "Rolling Stone" in the early 1970s. Later, she did photography for "Vanity Fair" and Vogue." This is an interesting volume. It is not a simple compilation of her photos, a coffee table book. The photos normally have a brief essay surrounding the pictures. Of her time at "Rolling Stone," as her career began, she observes (Page 11): "Being a photographer was my life. I took pictures all the time, and pretty much everything I photographed seemed interesting."
The heart of the book is photographs surrounded by her prose. One illustration is when she was designated the tour photographer for the Rolling Stoners' 1975 tour (I saw the group twice in Buffalo, NY that year--once indoors and once outdoors; what a trip!), although she also shows photos from 1977 (Catch Keith Richards lying down or with his son Marlon). She shows us several photos to give a sense of the tour. One of my favorites is Mick Jagger jumping into the air (see page 32). But it is her observations that make this an especially interesting part of the book, as she provides context for the photos.
Another interesting pair of photographs look at the singer Patti Smith. One photo was taken in 1978 and took place in a very hot room, with the singer sweating profusely (page 123); the other was taken about two decades later after the death of Smith's husband. Both photos capture something telling about the singer, just as the prose adds its own part to telling the story.
There are photos of Leibovitz' family, telling us something about the photographer as well as her family. On page 171, there are just four lines of her words to go with a photo of Susan Sontag, but those few lines are, for me, powerful. Another fascinating part of the book is several views of Queen Elizabeth II. The photos seem to provider a sense of this monarch that go beyond just a representation. And the prose in which the photos are embedded also add to the story. In a sense, as with other sections of this book, the prose and photos have a kind of synergistic relationship (obviously, I like the book by saying this!). The section called "The Road West" has two evocative images from Monument Valley that are most affecting. Other segments of interest: John and Yoko, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and Hollywood.
This is a well done volume, wedding some exquisite photographs with the artist's reflections. The two go together well, making this a pretty compelling work.
Book Review: The stories behind the shots
Summary: 5 Stars
"At Work" provides a wonderful overview of Annie Leibovitz's career. And what a career it has been -- she's been on the road with the Rolling Stones, she's photographed the Queen of England, the list goes on and on.
Unlike many photo/text books, this is not a how-to book. Sure, there is information on the equipment used for particular shoots, etc. That's not at all what "At Work" is about, though. Instead, it seems to be more about Ms. Leibovitz's progression as an artist. She shares the difficulties, occassional insecurities and successes she's had throughout the years.
Rather than a behind-the-scenes look at the technical side of photography, "At Work" is (in my mind, at least) a behind-the-scenes examination of Ms. Leibovitz's growth as a photographer. And, while the photos are wonderful, they are not necessarily the book's focus -- they illustrate the book's stories.
"At Work" is a quick read that I'm guessing I'll return to several times. I really appreciate that Ms. Leibovitz has shared the human side of high-end photography. Her journey certainly has been worth reading about, and it makes for a fantastic read.
Book Review: A skilled photographer at work
Summary: 5 Stars
Annie Leibovitz is one of the best-known photographers in the world today. She is especially thought of (to me anyway) as the famous photographer for Rolling Stone magazine and now for Vanity Fair. Many of her photos are genuine classics, e.g., Rolling Stones, John and Yoko, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzeneger in his Pumping Iron days. This book presents fascinating vignettes of the stories behind many of the famous photos as well as some of the photos that may not be quite so famous. It also has a section about equipment as well as an extremely interesting section called the Ten Most Asked Questions.
If you are interested in photography, you will find the book particularly interesting. If you do not have an abiding interest in photography, you can still have an excellent time reading the quick stories of how the shots were taken.
Book Review: Love this book.
Summary: 5 Stars
Leibovitz is without a doubt one of the best photographers of our time. This book is not a technical dialogue of lighting, but the narrative of her journey as a photographer. She doesn't tell you what she got paid to shoot a job, but instead what she learned in being there. And she doesn't try to make it grander than it is. She relates to her photographs very humbly, and through that makes each one she takes, and each one I take, all the more beautiful.
"I'm always perplexed when people say that a photograph has captured someone. A photograph is just a tiny slice of a subject. A piece of them in a moment. It seems presumptuous to think you can get more than that." - Annie Leibovitz
Of course, the book was delivered in a timely manner from Amazon and was in great condition.