Annie Leibovitz

jtk · Mar 27, 2018

Met her casually around 1967 when all she had was a Nikkormat and intensity. Fearsome, ambitious. Fine 35mm B&W photographer.

She deserves her fame but for years relied heavily on famous subjects. She's used to big teams and lots of the best lighting equipment...her management/direction is an education in how top studio photographers have worked for decades. Recently some of her work seems simpler and more serious.

trendland · Mar 28, 2018

Eric Rose said:
Sure and I will do a masterclass on ethics and morality from America's top politician before I judge said person.

First visit a course to understand the term: "Fake News".......
So what I realy don't like are experts who are thinking :"I should become an expert" What about Annie Leibowitz ?
Is she the photographer of the century?
I am sure she is beliving that ! Is she indeed such extreme talent?
Many would answer : "indeed" but also many will see this different.
I will give no statement to her Art. Her portraits are not bad. But have you ever seen bad pictures from people who shot a week the horseshoefalls ? Living in Niagara Hilton with big teams. Having most expensive equipment.Earning $6000,- a day?
with regards
PS : DT wasn't shot from her as far as I know. A task beyond the masterclass?

trendland · Mar 28, 2018

I made a mistake pls. add a zero to $ 6000,-/Day. .....

with regards

PS : Perhaps she is teaching : " How to easily blow up any budget and become a master from this "...

trendland · Mar 28, 2018

Folks, - I realy give up now.....

She indeed did it with Donald (and wife)
sight :

Yes thats the kind of art value each cent
of production costs. ....

with regards
PS : Have crazy ideas in regard of : "You will not realy shot me over a lava spooking volcano from this army helicopter in papua new guinea wearing my business outfit "
Top your budget in concern of : "First sent my the money (20 times more from your first calculation) - secondly I will (perhaps) talk with you (about more money) but in addition you have to transport (and pay) 4 sibirian tigers I urgend need for this shooting.
Last - give advises in a masterclass how to build up 400.000kw for lighting
(You indeed need such light if you shot black pumas in front of a lear jet against the sun ( " 800mm tele long distance wide shot - light has to stand behind Annie's camera " )

Mainecoonmaniac · Mar 28, 2018

trendland said:
Folks, - I realy give up now..... She indeed did it with Donald (and wife)
sight :
View attachment 197810
Yes thats the kind of art value each cent
of production costs. ....

with regards
PS : Have crazy ideas in regard of : "You will not realy shot me over a lava spooking volcano from this army helicopter in papua new guinea wearing my business outfit "
Top your budget in concern of : "First sent my the money (20 times more from your first calculation) - secondly I will (perhaps) talk with you (about more money) but in addition you have to transport (and pay) 4 sibirian tigers I urgend need for this shooting.
Last - give advises in a masterclass how to build up 400.000kw for lighting
(You indeed need such light if you shot black pumas in front of a lear jet against the sun ( " 800mm tele long distance wide shot - light has to stand behind Annie's camera " )

It's not her best work, but that's part of being a professional and being a hired gun. Frank Okenfels said to the effect that when he's a professional photographer he shoots what somebody wants while an art photographer shoots whatever he wants. A magazine pandering to the masses is pretty gross.

trendland · Mar 28, 2018

Mainecoonmaniac said:
It's not her best work, but that's part of being a professional and being a hired gun. Frank Okenfels said to the effect that when he's a professional photographer he shoots what somebody wants while an art photographer shoots whatever he wants. A magazine pandering to the masses is pretty gross.

I realy like her in 1992 but that is long time ago. ......?
How can a good photographer become such a "diva" ?
How can a good photographer with such income become bunkrupt (with 24 Millions) ?
But we all can learn during livetime. What I have leraned just yet is from were the crazy "workflow" of David La Chapelle (and others) is coming from.
Come on : just spend me 450.000 bucks and I will spend 6 month in a world's extremest region and I will come back with THE Photo of the year !!!!
(at 1/10 of her costs)
Something seams to happen her (long before her carreer) - I have no other explanation if One like her becomes such extreme...
with regards

Patrick Robert James · Mar 28, 2018

Eric Rose said:
I'm sure she will tell you a great photo needs a $50k budget for set design, numerous assistants to abuse and never pay your bill.
Sorry for the sarcasm but I have zero use for AL. Her best photos were made when it was said she was strung out on coke.

Haha! Yup.

I have heard some nasty things about her from nice people. I won't repeat them on the internet. lol. She is a real piece of work I guess....

removed account4 · Mar 28, 2018

Patrick Robert James said:
Haha! Yup.

I have heard some nasty things about her from nice people. I won't repeat them on the internet. lol. She is a real piece of work I guess....

i wonder if her losing it all a few years ago changed that. sometimes when reality hits someone in the face like stepping on a rake it tends to do that.

jtk · Mar 28, 2018

Mainecoonmaniac said:
It's not her best work, but that's part of being a professional and being a hired gun. Frank Okenfels said to the effect that when he's a professional photographer he shoots what somebody wants while an art photographer shoots whatever he wants. A magazine pandering to the masses is pretty gross.

I don't agree that "art" and "professional" are always clearly divided and t's obvious that few "art" photographers have the same professional love for their craft and art.

As well, "art" is commonly a way of saying "not good enough" but with a defensive perfume.

Mainecoonmaniac · Mar 29, 2018

jtk said:
I don't agree that "art" and "professional" are always clearly divided and t's obvious that few "art" photographers have the same professional love for their craft and art.

As well, "art" is commonly a way of saying "not good enough" but with a defensive perfume.

What you say can be true. But there are some artist like Richard Prince claims that printed ripped off Instagram postings as "art" that sells for $100k.
https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/30/8691257/richard-prince-instagram-photos-copyright-law-fair-use

RalphLambrecht · Mar 29, 2018

CMoore said:
Anybody take her online class.?
Not that i have ever done something like this, but it sure seems like a reasonable price.......

https://www.masterclass.com/classes/annie-leibovitz-teaches-photography#/take_class?product_id=10

I find online classes to be ineffective.

Mainecoonmaniac · Mar 29, 2018

RalphLambrecht said:
I find online classes to be ineffective.

Some online classes are better than others and we all learn differently. I'm a subscriber of Lynda.com and I find their classes are excellent and work for me. I'm learning disabled and I could pause the videos to reiterate sections that I have difficulty with. Also, online learning allows me to learn at times convenient for me. I haven't subscribed to Master Class yet, but I plan to. Cheers!
Don

removed account4 · Mar 29, 2018

RalphLambrecht said:
I find online classes to be ineffective.

hi ralph

online classes seem to be the next generation of long distance learning. new york institute of photography for decades ( at least since the 1920s )
has offered classes for long distance learning. i have a 5-7" thick binder filled with their learning "modules" i found at an antique store for not much $$ IDK 20 years ago.
it for through the mail classes. someone i worked for who was probably the best portrait photographer in new england learned through the mail, until
it came time for her retouching module. she had to find an apt in nyc in and go to the school for classes with a live instructor. she could retouch a 3.5x5 (split 5x7 ) neg
and enlarge it to 20x24 and they would look perfect.

YMMV

CMoore · Mar 29, 2018

"Online classes".....that is like saying cars, or dogs, or hammers.
There are all kinds, for all different Purposes/Uses, and their relevance changes from one person to the next.

WilmarcoImaging · Mar 31, 2018

I took the class and it was good. I recommend it. One assignment was in the personal reportage genre which for me is coloring outside of the lines. I did the assignment and am still working on post processing.

It was not a technical course. It was mostly about what makes a good photograph, from your (the photographer’s) perspective. Annie describes herself as “not a technical photographer”. She spoke about why she became a photographer, that she looks at herself as a portraitist, and about building a connection with the sitter. The course was not about how to light a shoot or how to achieve a look in post processing.

She spoke about how she has embraced digital as a positive element in photography’s progression.

Annie held online live “office hours” and it was cool. She strikes me as a human being.

There is an online community (a forum) connected with the class, and it was good to participate in this as I went through the program sections.

Money well spent imo.

Separately, I like her latest portrait of Lagerfeld in the March 2018 Vanity Fair.

CMoore · Mar 31, 2018

Very Interesting..... Thank You

jtk · Apr 1, 2018

RalphLambrecht said:

I find online classes to be ineffective.

Click to expand...

Ralph...you "find online classes to be ineffective." Please tell us about your personal experience.

What classes have you taken and why were they "ineffective" for you?

I've never taken a live "online class" so can't personally speak about their "effectiveness" ...

....however I've been told by an MD that online classes are ultra-effective for physicians and surgeons.

What does "effective" mean for you? What would make them more effective?

removed account4 · Apr 1, 2018

WilmarcoImaging said:
I took the class and it was good. I recommend it. One assignment was in the personal reportage genre which for me is coloring outside of the lines. I did the assignment and am still working on post processing.

It was not a technical course. It was mostly about what makes a good photograph, from your (the photographer’s) perspective. Annie describes herself as “not a technical photographer”. She spoke about why she became a photographer, that she looks at herself as a portraitist, and about building a connection with the sitter. The course was not about how to light a shoot or how to achieve a look in post processing.

She spoke about how she has embraced digital as a positive element in photography’s progression.

Annie held online live “office hours” and it was cool. She strikes me as a human being.

There is an online community (a forum) connected with the class, and it was good to participate in this as I went through the program sections.

Money well spent imo.

Separately, I like her latest portrait of Lagerfeld in the March 2018 Vanity Fair.

thanks for your experience !

wyofilm · Apr 1, 2018

RalphLambrecht said:
I find online classes to be ineffective.

As a professor I taught some online classes - sometimes prerecorded and sometimes a real time broadcast to an offsite location. I never thought the video experiences were as effective as the real thing. For one, there is no immediate feedback with the students. A deer in the headlights expression on students faces informed me I was either going too fast or not making sense. I could correct in real time. Secondly, there are constraints to how material is presented. Socratic method? Not possible. Online lectures/distance learning is the way of the future. About 10 years ago after giving a simulcast lecture I realized brick and mortar universities will be reserved for the biggest wallets in the future. The cost savings of broadcasting to thousands is some much cheaper than a lecture to 10's of students or even a 300 students in a lecture hall. Heck, the faculty member doesn't even have to present at the given university. Farm the lectures out offshore for cheap.

With the above said. Ten to fifteen minutes video segments can be useful in presenting material beyond a superficial level. Beyond that time students will lose focus. One can give a 50 min superficial video lecture. IMHO, books are better for in depth material, even augmented with short videos to reinforce.

faberryman · Apr 1, 2018

I have taken several online college level courses through Coursera with variable results. Some were great and some just plodded on. Everything depends on the instructor.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 1, 2018

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Part of mastery is knowing that one cannot know everything and everybody even masters should always expand their knowledge base.

well put.

Doylefotografix · Apr 1, 2018

Eric Rose said:
I'm sure she will tell you a great photo needs a $50k budget for set design, numerous assistants to abuse and never pay your bill.
Sorry for the sarcasm but I have zero use for AL. Her best photos were made when it was said she was strung out on coke.

She I’d not doing anything of interest anymore apart from her team using her celebrity to make her money before people realise she has peaked and done her best work.

slackercrurster · Apr 1, 2018

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Part of mastery is knowing that one cannot know everything and everybody even masters should always expand their knowledge base.[/QUOTEYes, always learning.

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Part of mastery is knowing that one cannot know everything and everybody even masters should always expand their knowledge base.

Yes, always learning. Just depends how you spend your time judging the payoff.

cliveh · Apr 1, 2018

I don't rate her work and think she is mainly all show and little talent.

CMoore · Apr 1, 2018

You very well might be right about that.
Although, dozens and dozens and dozens of Periodicals, Magazines, Retailers, Television shows and interviewers, movie stars, athletes, celebrities and other assortments of "famous people", Susan Sontag...........And The King and Queen of England... would possibly disagree with you.

Annie Leibovitz

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