Jim Lind Photo

This is a post I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time as I’ve had a lot of people ask me about working for Annie Leibovitz. So I apologize for the delay.

Often I get “What was Annie Leibovitz like?”  “Was she mean?” “Did she yell at you?” Unfortunately for those drama seeking individuals I have no horror stories, the likes of Devil Wears Prada. Now I know she has a reputation of being less than nice to her interns or other staff members, however I never experienced any of this. What I did experience was an intense, perfection-seeking, middle aged woman. Over 40 years of photographic work under her belt, she definitely has a commanding presence — if not a celebrity status. I was often in awe how she was able to direct her subjects with precision and quickness. In her book At Work (which she gave a signed copy to me … see, she really IS nice), she is asked how she makes the talent feel at ease when she is photographing them. I was surprised by her answer as she replied,

“I never set anyone at ease. I always thought it was their problem. Either they were at ease or they weren’t. That was part of what was interesting about a picture”

This couldn’t be closer to the truth (as you may know from her infamous shoot with the Queen of England seen below). Rather she is there to visualize an aspect of what truly makes them who they are. I would think that is the role of most photographers, Annie just happens to be one of the best at accomplishing this.

There is a lot of work done behind the scenes and she is an integral part in all aspects. I’ve heard a lot around the internets and casual chatter that people think she is just a button pusher. If that were the case, why bother hiring a photographer when you can get a chimpanzee to hit the button and have the team members fix everything else. I found the best way to describe her role is to relate it to that of a director, where she has the underlying vision for the project. She delegates tasks to her team members who are more than competent and often know what she wants before anything is asked of them. Unfortunately, those people that can’t connect with her vision are the first to criticize her work. With that said, take this as you will because more than likely you have your opinion of her which can be totally valid. Although if you ever want to doubt her place in photography, than just take a long look at the Rolling Stones cover of Yoko Ono and John Lennon that she photographed an hour before he was shot.