Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on October 2, 1949, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's parents had emigrated from Romania.[1] Her mother, Marilyn, was a modern dance instructor of Estonian Jewish heritage; her father, Sam Leibovitz, was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. The family moved frequently with her father's duty assignments, and she took her first pictures when he was stationed in the Philippines during the Vietnam War.[2]
In high school, she became interested in various artistic endeavors, and began to write and play music. She attended the San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied painting. For several years, she continued to develop her photography skills while working various jobs, including a stint on a kibbutz in Amir, Israel, for several months in 1969.[3]

Career

Rolling Stone magazine
When Leibovitz returned to the United States in 1970, she started her career as staff photographer, working for the just launched Rolling Stone magazine. In 1973, publisher JannWenner named Leibovitz chief photographer of Rolling Stone, a job she would hold for 10 years. Leibovitz worked for the magazine until 1983, and her intimate photographs of celebrities helped define the Rolling Stone look.[3] While working for Rolling Stone, Leibovitz became more aware of the other magazines. Richard Avedon's portraits were an important and powerful example in her life. She learned that she could work for magazines and still create personal work, which for her was the most important. She sought intimate moments with her subjects, who open their hearts and souls and lives to you. [4] She was awarded The Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS) in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography in 2009.[5]
Photographers such as Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson influenced her during her time at the San Francisco Art Institute. Their style of personal reportage - taken in a graphic way - was what we were taught to emulate.[4]

The Rolling Stones

Leibovitz photographed The Rolling Stones in San Francisco in 1971 and 1972, and served as the concert-tour photographer for Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas '75. Her favorite photo from the tour was a photo of Mick Jagger in an elevator.[6]

Joan Armatrading

In 1978 Leibovitz became the first woman to photograph Joan Armatrading for an album. She did the photography for Armatrading's fifth studio album To the Limit, spending four days at her house capturing the images.

John Lennon 1980

Leibovitz's portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1980
On December 8, 1980, Leibovitz had a photo shoot with John Lennon for Rolling Stone, promising him that he would make the cover.[8] She had initially tried to get a picture with just Lennon alone, which is what Rolling Stone wanted, but Lennon insisted that both he and Yoko Ono be on the cover. Leibovitz then tried to re-create something like the kissing scene from the Double Fantasy album cover, a picture that she loved. She had John remove his clothes and curl up next to Yoko. Leibovitz recalls, What is interesting is she said she'd take her top off and I said, 'Leave everything on' — not really preconceiving the picture at all. Then he curled up next to her and it was very, very strong. You couldn't help but feel that he was cold and he looked like he was clinging on to her. I think it was amazing to look at the first Polaroid and they were both very excited. John said, 'You've captured our relationship exactly. Promise me it'll be on the cover.' I looked him in the eye and we shook on it.[9] Leibovitz was the last person to professionally photograph Lennon—he was shot and killed five hours later.[10]
The photograph was subsequently re-created in 2009 by John and Yoko's son Sean Lennon, posing with his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl, with malefemale roles reversed (Sean clothed, Kemp naked),[11][12] and by Henry Bond and Sam Taylor-Wood in their YBA pastiche October 26, 1993.

Other projects

Leibovitz at Annie Leibovitz A Photographer's Life, 1990–2005, San Francisco, California, 2008
In the 1980s, Leibovitz's new style of lighting and use of bold colors and poses got her a position with Vanity Fair magazine. Leibovitz photographed celebrities for an international advertising campaign for American Express charge cards, winning her a Clio award in 1987.
In 1991, Leibovitz mounted an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. She was the second living portraitist and first woman to show there. Leibovitz had also been made Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government.[13]
Also in 1991, Leibovitz emulated Margaret Bourke-White's feat, when she mounted one of the eagle gargoyles on the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building in Manhattan, where she photographed the dancer David Parsons cavorting on another eagle gargoyle. Noted Life photographer and picture editor John Loengard made a gripping photo of Leibovitz at the climax of her danger. (Loengard was photographing Leibovitz for the New York Times that day).
A major retrospective of Leibovitz's work was held at the Brooklyn Museum, Oct. 2006 – Jan. 2007. The retrospective was based on her book, Annie Leibovitz A Photographer's Life, 1990–2005, and included many of her professional (celebrity) photographs as well as numerous personal photographs of her family, children, and partner Susan Sontag. This show, which was expanded to include three of the official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, then went on the road for seven stops. It was on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., from October 2007 to January 2008, and at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco from March 2008 to May 2008. In February 2009 the exhibition was moved to Berlin, Germany.[14] The show included 200 photographs.[15] At the exhibition, Leibovitz said that she doesn't have two lives, career and personal, but has one where assignments and personal pictures are all part of her works. This exhibition and her talk focused on her personal photographs and life.[16]
In 2007, The BBC misrepresented a portrait shooting by Leibovitz of Queen Elizabeth II to take the queen's official picture for her state visit to Virginia. This was filmed for the BBC documentary A Year with the Queen. A promotional trailer for the film showed the Queen reacting angrily to Leibovitz's suggestion (less dressy) that she remove her tiara, then a scene of the Queen walking down a corridor, telling an aide I'm not changing anything. I've had enough dressing like this, thank you very much.[17] The BBC later apologized and admitted that the sequence of events had been misrepresented, as the Queen was in fact walking to the sitting in the second scene.[18] This led to a BBC scandal and a shake-up of ethics training. See The Tiaragate Affair.
In 2007, The Walt Disney Company hired her to do a series of photographs with celebrities in various roles and scenes for Disney Parks Year of a Million Dreams campaign.[19][20][21]
Leibovitz claims she never liked the word celebrity. I've always been more interested in what they do than who they are, I hope that my photographs reflect that. She tries to receive a little piece of each subjects personality in the photos. [4]
On April 25, 2008, the televised entertainment program Entertainment Tonight reported that 15-year-old Miley Cyrus had posed topless for a photo shoot with Vanity Fair.[22][23] The photograph, and subsequently released behind-the-scenes photographs, show Cyrus without a top, her bare back exposed but her front covered with a bedsheet. The photo shoot was taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz.[24] The full photograph was published with an accompanying story on The New York Times' website on April 27, 2008. On April 29, 2008, The New York Times clarified that though the pictures left an impression that she was bare-breasted, Cyrus was wrapped in a bedsheet and was actually not topless.[25] Some parents expressed outrage at the nature of the photograph, which a Disney spokesperson described as a situation [that] was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines.[25]
In response to the Internet circulation of the photo and ensuing media attention, Cyrus released a statement of apology on April 27
I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about.[25]
Leibovitz also released a statement saying
I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted, Leibovitz said. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful.[25][26]
In October, 2011, Leibovitz had an exhibit in Moscow. In an interview with Rossiya 24, she explained her photography style.[27]

Archive

Since 1977, Leibovitz licensing images have been represented by Contact Press Images, a photojournalism agency based in New York City. She ceased to be represented by Jim Moffat at A Corporation for Art & Commerce in 2009.

Personal life
 
Leibovitz had a close romantic relationship with noted writer and essayist Susan Sontag. They met in 1989, when both had already established notability in their careers. Leibovitz has suggested that Sontag mentored her and constructively criticized her work.
After Sontag's death in 2004, Newsweek published an article about Leibovitz that made reference to her decade-plus relationship with Sontag, stating that The two first met in the late '80s, when Leibovitz photographed her for a book jacket. They never lived together, though they each had an apartment within view of the other's.[28]
Neither Leibovitz nor Sontag had ever previously publicly disclosed whether the relationship was familial, a friendship, or sexual in nature. However, when Leibovitz was interviewed for her 2006 book A Photographer's Life 1990-2005, she said the book told a number of stories, and that with Susan, it was a love story.[29]
Even though Annie Leibovitz and Susan Sontag never formally stated their relationship Annie has said in her book A Photographers life Words like 'companion' and 'partner' were not in our vocabulary, Leibovitz says. We were two people who helped each other through our lives. The closest word is still 'friend'. [30]
In the preface to the book, she speaks in greater detail about her romanticintellectual relationship with Sontag, briefly discussing a book they were working on together and describes how assembling A Photographer's Life 1990-2005 was part of the grieving process after Sontag's death. The book and accompanying show include many photographs of Sontag throughout their life together, including several on her deathbed.
Leibovitz acknowledged that she and Sontag were romantically involved. When asked why she used terms like companion to describe Sontag, instead of more specific ones like partner or lover, Leibovitz finally said that lover was fine with her.[31] She later repeated the assertion in stating to the San Francisco Chronicle Call us 'lovers'. I like 'lovers.' You know, 'lovers' sounds romantic. I mean, I want to be perfectly clear. I love Susan.[32]
Leibovitz is Jewish and nonobservant. Asked if being Jewish is important to her, Leibovitz replied, I'm not a practicing Jew, but I feel very Jewish.[1]

Children

Leibovitz has three children. Her daughter Sarah Cameron Leibovitz was born in October 2001 when Leibovitz was 52 years old.[33] Her twins (two girls) Susan and Samuelle were born to a surrogate mother in May 2005.[32]

Financial troubles

In February 2009, Leibovitz borrowed $15.5 million, having experienced financial challenges in recent years.[34] She put up as collateral, not only several houses, but the rights to all of her photographs.[35] The New York Times noted “one of the world’s most successful photographers essentially pawned every snap of the shutter she had made or will make until the loans are paid off.”[34] In July 2009, a breach of contract lawsuit against Leibovitz was filed by Art Capital Group in the amount of $24 million regarding the repayment of these loans.[36] In a follow-up article,[37] the Times explores why an artist of her standing could be in such financial straits, despite a $50 million archive. They cite a long history of less than careful financial dealings, and a recent series of personal issues. The latter include the recent loss of her father, her mother, her companion (Susan Sontag), the addition of two children to her family, and the controversial renovation of three properties in Greenwich Village. In early September 2009, an Associated Press story quoted legal experts as saying that filing for bankruptcy reorganization might offer Leibovitz her best chance to control and direct the disposition of her assets to satisfy debts.[38] On September 11, Art Capital Group withdrew its lawsuit against Leibovitz, and extended the due date for repayment of the $24 million loan. Under the agreement, Leibovitz retains control over her work, and will be the exclusive agent in the sale of her real property (land) and copyrights.[39]
In March, 2010, Colony Capital concluded a new financing and marketing agreement with Leibovitz, paying off Art Capital and removing or reducing the risks of Leibovitz losing her artistic and real estate.[40]
In April 2010, Brunswick Capital Partners filed suit against Leibovitz, claiming that they are owed several hundred thousand dollars for helping her restructure her debt.[41]
In December 2012 her famous Townhouse in West Village, NY was listed for sale, asking price was set at $33 Million. Leibovitz stated that she sold her home in order to move closer to her daughter.[42]

Examples of Leibovitz's photographs

Leibovitz in front of her More Demi Moore Vanity Fair cover photo, 2008
John Lennon and Yoko Ono for the Jan. 22, 1981 Rolling Stone cover, shot the day of Lennon's death.
Linda Ronstadt in a red slip, on her bed, reaching for a glass of water in a 1976 cover story for Rolling Stone magazine.
Demi Moore has been the subject of two highly publicized Vanity Fair covers taken by Leibovitz More Demi Moore (Aug. 1991) featuring Moore pregnant and nude, and Demi's Birthday Suit (Aug 1992), showing Moore nude with a suit painted on her body.[46]
Fleetwood Mac for a 1977 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood are shown lying together, as are Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham at the opposite end of the bed. John McVie is shown reading Playboy magazine.[47]
Whoopi Goldberg lying in a bathtub full of milk, shot from above.[48]
Christo, fully wrapped so the viewer must take the artist's word that Christo is actually under the wrapping.[49]
David Cassidy on the Rolling Stone cover depicting him naked from his head to his waist.[50]
Dolly Parton vamping for the camera while Arnold Schwarzenegger flexes his biceps behind her.[51]
Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, as The Blues Brothers, with their faces painted blue.[52]
Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, both nude, with a fully clothed Tom Ford, for the cover of Vanity Fair's March 2006 Hollywood Issue.[53][54]
Knut with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio, a 2007 Vanity Fair cover.[55]
Queen Elizabeth II on occasion of her state visit in United States in 2007.[56]
Jackie and Joan Collins in a limo, Los Angeles 1987.[57]
Sting, with whom she shares a birthday, naked in the desert, covered in mud to blend in with the scenery.[58]
Closeup portrait of Pete Townshend framed by his bleeding hand dripping real blood down the side of his face.[59]
Fire portrait and caption Patti Smith Catches Fire.[60][61]
Cyndi Lauper, She's So Unusual and True Colors album covers[62][63]
Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A. album cover.[64]
Gisele Bündchen and LeBron James on the April 2008 cover of Vogue America.[65][66]
Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair photo in which the child star appeared semi-nude, leading to a controversy.
Michael Jackson twice for the cover of the Vanity Fair magazine, including other additional photographs of him which were not featured on the cover of the magazine.
Bill Gates for the cover of Gates' book The Road Ahead.
Family of Barack Obama in the White House.[67]
Johnny Depp and Kate Moss at the Royalton Hotel, New York in 1994. A nude Moss laying on a bed while fully clothed Depp is lying between her legs, covering her abdomen.
Lance Armstrong riding his Trek Madone bicycle in the buff in the rain. It was shown in Vanity Fair's 1999 December issue.
Lady Gaga for Vogue and Vanity Fair
Rihanna for Vogue 2011.and 2012.
The cast Of Les Misérables Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen for Vogue in 2012.