Annie Leibovitz
Portrait photographer
Annie Leibovitz is an American photographer known for dramatic, carefully lit portraits of celebrities, artists and public figures. Chief photographer of Rolling Stone from 1973 and a Vanity Fair photographer since 1983, she has also shot fashion editorials and advertising campaigns that shaped celebrity driven fashion imagery.
| Profession | Portrait photographer |
|---|---|
| Rolling Stone | Chief photographer from 1973 |
| Vanity Fair | Since 1983 |
| Born | 1949, Waterbury, Connecticut |
| Honours | Prince of Asturias Award, 2013 |
Who is Annie Leibovitz?
Annie Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer born in Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1949. Her crisp, well lit and often theatrical portraits have made her one of the most recognised photographers in the world and a central figure in the relationship between fashion, media and celebrity.
Career
Leibovitz studied at the San Francisco Art Institute from 1967 to 1971, initially in painting before moving to photography. She began working for Rolling Stone in 1970 and was named its chief photographer in 1973, a position she held for about ten years. In 1980 she photographed John Lennon and Yoko Ono hours before Lennon's death, an image that became one of the most famous magazine covers of its era.
In 1983 she joined Vanity Fair, where her staged, colourful portraits of actors, musicians and public figures became a signature of the magazine. She has also photographed many advertising campaigns and fashion editorials and remains active, taking on high profile commissions.
Influence on the fashion business
Leibovitz's work has helped define how fashion and celebrity are presented together. Her influence on the industry includes:
- Portraits that merge fashion editorial with celebrity storytelling
- High profile advertising campaigns for major brands
- A cinematic, staged approach that many fashion photographers have followed
- Museum exhibitions that place commercial photography in an art context
Her books include A Photographer's Life: 1990 to 2005 and Pilgrimage. A retrospective of that period was shown at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco in 2008, and a major exhibition of more than 300 photographs spanning over 50 years was shown at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2023 and 2024.
She was the first woman to have an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, has been named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress, received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication in 2013 and was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2016.
Why it matters
Fashion brands increasingly sell through personalities, and Leibovitz's portraits helped establish that model long before social media. Her career shows how editorial photography builds the aura of designers, clothes and the people who wear them, and why commissioned imagery remains central to fashion marketing.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Annie Leibovitz?
Annie Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer. She was chief photographer of Rolling Stone from 1973 and has worked for Vanity Fair since 1983, becoming known for dramatic portraits of celebrities and public figures.
What is Annie Leibovitz known for?
She is known for carefully staged, well lit celebrity portraits, including her 1980 image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. She has also shot fashion editorials and advertising campaigns.