Annie Leibovitz and the Queen's 90th Birthday Portraits

John Bragg

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I am not sure what to make of the official Royal photos taken by Annie Leibovitz to celebrate the Official Royal Birthday. They have a very desaturated look and are not a patch on the work of previous Royal Photographers like Lord Snowdon and Patrick Lichfield. Whilst I konw not what medium was used for the shoot, they dont look like the carefully crafted royal images of the past and the shot of Her Magesty and Princess Anne looks poorly composed and amateurish, especially the randomness of Princess Anne's hand appearing out of the Queens side !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...lotte-and-george-share-the-spotlight-in-offi/
 
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HiHoSilver

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Leibovitz is always interesting for me. 'A bit like I think about Shakespeare. 'Master of the craft, insanely creative - and that's the interest. Its not because the work hooks my sense of aesthetics - it doesn't, but it is always interesting to me. I often say 'wow', but never 'that's gorgeous'.
 

RobC

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after the hoo haa about her last session photographing the queen I expect she just got in and out of there as quick as posible with no fuss.
 

CropDusterMan

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I kinda like the photo...I know there are going to be a bunch of haters come in here and blast Annie
for this and that...but she is very talented and hard working and immensely successful.
 

jmlynek

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I'm not usually a fan of Liebowitz's work, but I think the one of the Queen with her grand- and great-grandchildren is interesting. The image in the article is cropped, which destroys some of the imagery in the picture. This link shows more: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2...appearance-in-new-annie-leibovitz-photos.html

I find the clock on the mantle above the Queen's head and the infinite regression of the mirrors interesting, as well as the large number of unlit lights quite pointed. The young fellow on the left has his hands in his pockets and the girl on the right is separated from the group. Not sure why the little one is holding Her Maj's purse though. There may be a an underlying story there or perhaps it was simply the moment.

Not sure why there is an empty settee on the left.
 

removed account4

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CropDusterMan said:
I kinda like the photo...I know there are going to be a bunch of haters come in here and blast Annie
for this and that...but she is very talented and hard working and immensely successful.
Click to expand...

couldn't agree more !
i like the photo of her with all
her great grandkids, the one on the steps
is nice too. i love how she let the queen make a portrait of her
i'm surprised the queen didn't make her soak in a bath of english breakfast tea or something
 

Poisson Du Jour

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There has been some coverage of this in Australia, after all, we're part of the Commonwealth!

Personally I do like the straightforward, thought-out, non-nonsense approach Annie Leibovitz has to photography, and these several portraits are lovely in their representation of generations and a glimpse of a life less ordinary. The Queen with the grandkids is a gem. It does say a lot though how "the other half" dress for a Sunday birthday shindig at Buck House: I imagine the light pink bespoke plaited dress on the girl at far right cost a fortune. Everything is very, very neat. So what if the lad at left has his hands in his pockets: let kids be kids! Other than having everybody stand 'on the spot' the photo doesn't look too posed, but more relaxed and informal. The Queen and corgies on the steps is disarmingly casual; one could be forgiven observing the Queen doesn't even look 90!! The couch photo of the Princess Royal and the Queen is "OK"; it gives the impression it was a "sit down while I get one photo of both of you" moment at the behest of Leibovitz. We don't see much of the Princess Royal but a few comments are "she looks old, the Queen doesn't!"

The 90th birthday shoot is overall good and pleasing to browse through and reflects well on the Queen's long and tireless devotion to duties, she is amazing. She has a lot of admiration here in Australia.
 
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BrianShaw

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Very diffrrent than the work of Snowden but I quite like them. If I were to offer on suggestion it would be to the Princess Royal - it is okay to put your arm around your Mum... At 90 and in the 21st century there should be at least a little affection shown!
 

MattKing

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Leibovitz was probably economizing with something like a Hasselblad H series camera - e.g.: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1040910-REG/hasselblad_h_70380534_b_h4d_40_le_dslr_camera.html
 

CropDusterMan

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pdeeh

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Where did I put my pike?
 

ic-racer

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Photography imitating painting? All my work is based on the premise that photography became its own medium in the Modern movement of the 1920s.
 

KidA

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I really hope Annie was mocking the project... if not she's just mocking herself; the images are quite poorly done, by any standard, if you ask me. The queen is not worth anymore respect than anyone else - but I know what you mean by at least buying a roll of film for such subjects that are regarded by many morons as 'more important.'
 

MattKing

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CropDusterMan said:
View attachment 155114
Click to expand...
And that "Riiiight" comes from a loyal Commonwealth subject of the Queen"

I like the shots - particularly the Corgis.

The Queen is, of course, "my" Queen.

I appreciate the role that the monarchy fulfills in our (Canada's) political and legal system. And I think that Queen Elizabeth II has been a very good representative of the monarchy.

If she had lived, Marilyn Monroe would also be 90 this year. I wonder if Annie Leibovitz would have been photographing her for her 90th as well, and how the photos would have compared.
 

RobC

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Since they are colour they wouldn't last more than 20 years max printed as c-prints. At least with digital they can be printed via inkjet which might actually last a bit longer. The media, i.e. the sites you are all giving links to, expect the images that are released to them to be in colour. So frankly I thinks it makes 100% sense for her to shoot digital for the media. And how many of you actually know whether she shot some B&W or transparency film for private images for the Queen. My guess would be none of you know.
 

pdeeh

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It is a curious phenomenon that I have noted -- any mention at APUG of a successful, well-known, moderately well-off contemporary photographer seems to be met with a chorus of disapprobation for them and their work.
(Except Salgado, who appears to be some sort of Saint, until someone is rude enough to mention he uses digital cameras)

heigh-ho
 

Richard Man

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"Fun"? THe diatribes are beyond curmudgeon. If I don't use film and read posts like those, that will certainly turn me off. Bad ambassadors. Feh.
 

Diapositivo

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You mean, a phisical contact! THE HORROR of it!
 

removed account4

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yup,
same old same old / SSDP
 

cliveh

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I'm not a fan of her work. For the shot posted, why didn't she get closer. I don't see all that background has any relevance, unless she wanted it to look like a snap.
 

MattKing

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pbromaghin

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But Harry is Capt. Wales to the Army.
 
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