Annie Leibovitz at Work

  Author:    ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
  ISBN:    0375505105
  Sales Rank:    12052
  Published:    2008-11-18
  Publisher:    Random House
  # Pages:    240
  Binding:    Hardcover
  Avg. Rating:    5.0 based on 54 reviews
  Used Offers:    31 from $21.99
  Amazon Price:    $26.40
  (Data above last updated:  2010-03-16 08:13:26 EST)
  
  
Sort customer reviews by:
  
Show All Reviews on Page      Hide All Reviews on Page
   
  
Annie Leibovitz at Work
  
Book Description
â??The first thing I did with my very first camera was climb Mt. Fuji. Climbing Mt. Fuji is a lesson in determination and moderation. It would be fair to ask if I took the moderation part to heart. But it certainly was a lesson in respecting your camera. If I was going to live with this thing, I was going to have to think about what that meant. There were not going to be any pictures without it."
â??Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz describes how her pictures were made, starting with Richard Nixon's resignation, a story she covered with Hunter S. Thompson, and ending with Barack Obama's campaign. In between are a Rolling Stones Tour, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, The Blues Brothers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keith Haring, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Patti Smith, George W. Bush, William S. Burroughs, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth. The most celebrated photographer of our time discusses portraiture, reportage, fashion photography, lighting, and digital cameras.

Amazon Exclusive Essay: Annie Leibovitz on Photography

In 1977, when Jann Wenner, the editor of Rolling Stone, asked me to prepare a fifty-page portfolio of my pictures for the tenth anniversary issue of the magazine, I decided not to simply make a selection of photographs that had been published. I looked at everything I had done since I started working. It was a revelation. For one thing, I had no idea that I had accumulated so many photographs. You lose track of them when youâ??re working every day. And you see the work in a different way when you look at it from the distance of time. You get a sense of where you are going. You start to see a life.

I had the opportunity to edit my work most thoroughly when I prepared two retrospective books, Annie Leibovitz: 1970â??1990 and A Photographerâ??s Life: 1990â??2005. It was thrilling to see that first book laid out chronologically. To see the pictures historically. The second book, A Photographerâ??s Life, was assembled immediately after the death of Susan Sontag and my father. Editing the book took me through the grieving process.

The books are pure. They are mine. The magazines I work for donâ??t belong to me. Itâ??s the editorâ??s magazine, and the editor has every right to use the material the way he or she wants to. It isnâ??t just that art directors and editors at magazines make selections that I wouldnâ??t necessarily make. Which they sometimes do. Or that they run pictures too small. Or that they put so much type on the pictures that you canâ??t see them anymore. Magazines have quite specific needs. Itâ??s a collaboration only so far, which is true of almost all assignment work.

When I began working on my new book, I thought it would be a pamphlet of maybe forty pages or so. I intended to take ten of my photographs and dissect them. They didnâ??t have to be my most famous pictures, just pictures that I cared about. But as I began going through the material I realized that I might as well be more ambitious. I started to think that I would try to answer every single question anyone has ever asked about how my work is done. To defuse the mystery, and the misconceptions. To explain that itâ??s nothing more than work. And learning how to see.

So my forty-page pamphlet became a 240-page book with over a hundred photographs in it. It is written for someone like the person I was at the beginning of my career, when I was in art school. A young me. I didnâ??t know which road I would take. Whether it would be a commercial road, a magazine road, an artistic road, a journalistic road. Itâ??s written for that person. Someone who is interested in photography but isnâ??t sure how they want to use it.

The book is more emotional than I had imagined it would be. But, most importantly, it is my edit. No one is going to care about, or understand, your work the way you do, and if you are going to explain it you have to be able to present it the way you want to. Thatâ??s what a book can do better than any other medium.

See Annie Leibovitz's 15 favorite photography books.

(Photo credit Paul Gilmore)

                  Reader Reviews 1 - 50 of 54            Next
  
  
Review
Date
Review
Rating(5 High)
Review
Helpful
to:
Customer Review Reviewer
Info
Permanent
Link
Reader Reviews Below Sorted by Newest First
01-16-10 3 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Background
Reviewer Permalink
Some insight to some of the photographer's most famous photos. Not groundbreaking, but interesting. Excepts have appeared elsewhere. It's always good to look behind the camera.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2010-03-16 08:18:21 EST)
01-08-10 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Annie Leibovitz At Work.
Reviewer Permalink
Great book. If you like Annie Leibovitz magazine work, you will love how she describes how she accomplishes her work of Photographic Art,and,you will come to realize why she is the most sought after Photographer in the world. I truely enoy this book and could not stop reading it. She is just pure magaic behind the camera.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2010-01-21 12:14:11 EST)
01-06-10 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  An insight on the work of an inspiring photographer
Reviewer Permalink
About the book physics just what you would expect on the hardcover version, beautifully done, good prints, well chosen photos.

You can read it in a weekend, it's hard to stop once you start, even though is divided in small chapters, so you can read it time to time.

Simply a good source of inspiration, for new photographers it has advice and peace on mind, by reading from a famous photographer that you're not alone and that she has experienced some or more or most of the things that could probably make you feel embarrassed about your photographic journey.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2010-01-13 13:16:40 EST)
08-30-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  An inspiration
Reviewer Permalink
The content of Annie Leibovitz at Work is an inspiration to other artists no matter what the media of their field may be.
The work ethic, the insight and sensitivity revealed is a beacon to those aspiring to become photographers of any description; fine art, commercial or otherwise.
I especially recommend this work to photography students as an example of what can be achieved with talent and hard work.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2010-01-13 13:16:40 EST)
08-10-09 3 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  an ingisht into an old pro
Reviewer Permalink
Is ok. Big fan of this lady, book could have been better. No technical info in this, instead she offers a philosophical view into some of her better known images.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-09-24 07:41:09 EST)
06-12-09 2 1\2
(Hide Review...)  No There There
Reviewer Permalink
We are absorbed by celebrity photographers, that is, photographers who photograph celebrities and who have become celebrities in their own right. Lord Snowden and Richard Avedon come to mind. (Avedon was so famous that a loosely fictionalized movie musical about him was made: "Funny Face" with Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn). Today's biggest celebrity photographer is Annie Leibovitz. She does it all: portraits, news photography, landscapes, nudes.

"Annie Leibovitz at Work" is a collection of her photographs and recollections. There are short chapters ranging between a few sentences and several pages. Each chapter is supported by one or more of the photographer's pictures. They are all here: John and Yoko, Schwarzenegger on the white horse, O.J., Sarajevo.

One might think that the book would provide insights into how Leibovitz gets her vision, or what her internal life is like or at least something meaningful about her subjects. There is a tip of the hat to these matters, but mostly Leibovitz just follows the route of "then I did this, and then I did that, and then I did the other thing." We want insights and we get a peek. In fact, in her musings, she almost suggests that the photograph can't provide us with understanding of the world. I began to wonder if there was no there there.

Perhaps as a sop to those who thought they would learn to take better pictures, or at least something about the photographer's technique, there are two chapters at the end of the book entitled "Equipment" and "the Ten Most Asked Questions". These chapters are as light weight as the rest of the book. Those interested in learning how to take pictures of celebrities or otherwise would be far better off reading the books of authors who have not achieved celebrity status outside of the photographic world like Joe McNally or Michael Grecco.

The book could have redeemed itself with Leibovitz' pictures, except that they are all printed at snapshot size. Her pictures deserve more real estate.

The most telling thing about this book is that nowhere on the cover or title page does it say that Leibovitz wrote this book. Instead, in the back of the book we find the statement "Text based on conversations with Sharon Delano." Let's hope we get better information when the photographer actually writes her own book.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-08-13 08:19:02 EST)
05-31-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  ANNIE
Reviewer Permalink
If you admire Annie Liebovitz and her photographs, you must own this book. It explains so much about her and how she chooses her subjects. She is a perfectionist and humanist. This is one of the best books about an individual ever written. Buy it or listen to it or check it out of the library.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-06-13 00:59:37 EST)
05-31-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Inspiring
Reviewer Permalink
This book was fantastic. As a young up and coming photographer, it is absolutely inspiring to read the story from on of the greats. The love that Annie has for the art is detailed excellently through this book. I would recommend this for anyone who is even slightly interested in Annie, or even photography itself.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-06-13 00:59:37 EST)
05-17-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  The most enjoyable book on photography I've read in a long time
Reviewer Permalink
Annie Leibovitz's simple, straightforward, honest and self-effacing look at her work and her process makes this book thoroughly enjoyable. With none of the hyper-opinionated shooting advice of many of her colleagues, she proves, to paraphrase Lance Armstrong, that "It's Not About the Gear." Whether you love her work, or hate it (and really, how can you hate it?), I think you will come to appreciate her approach to shooting, her normalcy, and her willingness to share so much of what's going through her head when she works. If you are not a photographer, I think you will still enjoy the celebrity insights, the whirlwind life, and the approach to creativity that Ms. Leibovitz describes so articulately. If you are a photographer, you will find this view of the artist at work simply inspiring.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-06-06 00:24:53 EST)
05-14-09 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Inspiration
Reviewer Permalink
I must confess from the start that I love Annie's work. The title says much about the nature of the book.I bought this book for that reason. I found her candid review of the life of a working professional photographer fascinating. That said, this is not a technical manual for aspiring portrait photographers. You can, like myself, draw much from Annie's work but if it's technical details shot by shot then you are best looking elsewhere.
For me, Annie Leibovitz At Work serves as an inspiration. As such I got my money's worth from this book without a doubt.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-05-23 07:53:46 EST)
05-06-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Does Not Get Any Better
Reviewer Permalink
If one has a passion for photography - this book is a gentle masterpiece. Annie Leibovitz has not only shown us the finished product of so many interesting photographs; she has shared how and why she shot as she did. Her depth of knowledge regarding the history of this art makes the reading all the more enjoyable. Moreover, her honesty and humility about her work is beautiful. As such, for those who have some understanding of the history of photography and of cameras in general, the reader feels as if he/she is having a conversation w/ the author. I read the book in one sitting. For those who simply appreciate creative and sometimes stunning photographs, and enjoy great story-telling, this book is a smash hit on all fronts!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-05-16 06:51:54 EST)
04-20-09 3 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  An Amazing Book!
Reviewer Permalink
I found this book to be a great and raw journey of this artist from a newly minted college grad to Vanity Fair/glob trotting photographer.
I was surprised by the inclusion of photographs from the genocide in Rawanda, and was impressed by her dedication to her craft to risk her life this way. Really gives you a hard look at what goes on behind the lense, and the complexity of a good shot.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-05-09 06:55:06 EST)
03-13-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Straight to the point, no-nonsense approach
Reviewer Permalink
I went to the event with Annie Leibovitz, in Barnes & Noble at Union Square on rainy evening in New York winter. Getting this book, signed by her was one of the perks. The book is nicely designed, and well structured.
In a casual tone, Annie is leading us through her life as a Rolling Stone photographer to the point of being celebrity photographer...
There is interesting chapter 10 the most asked questions, where she explains some technical stuff, talks about digital transition and importance of having excellent assistants. And it's fun. Go and get it if you have any interests in photography as a medium.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-05-03 07:20:01 EST)
03-13-09 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Nicely surprised
Reviewer Permalink
The title is a bit misleading. I first thought the book would be full of technical details (set up, lighting, equipment used...) and was first disappointed. Reading further (I read it at once) I really enjoyed the "stories" around the picture. So, this is not a "recipee" book, but more a philosophical one about photography. I didn't rate it 5 stars because the pictures could have been printed in a better resolution.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-05-03 07:20:01 EST)
02-25-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  A book introducing Annie Leibovitz
Reviewer Permalink
A good book briefly describing Annie's life up to now. You can find most of Annie's popular works which you may have long been familiar with. It is worth reading to know this impressive portrait photographer's road to today's status in fashion.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-03-22 02:04:05 EST)
02-24-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Love this book.
Reviewer Permalink
Leibovitz is without a doubt one of the best photographers of our time. This book is not a technical dialogue of lighting, but the narrative of her journey as a photographer. She doesn't tell you what she got paid to shoot a job, but instead what she learned in being there. And she doesn't try to make it grander than it is. She relates to her photographs very humbly, and through that makes each one she takes, and each one I take, all the more beautiful.

"I'm always perplexed when people say that a photograph has captured someone. A photograph is just a tiny slice of a subject. A piece of them in a moment. It seems presumptuous to think you can get more than that." - Annie Leibovitz

Of course, the book was delivered in a timely manner from Amazon and was in great condition.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-03-22 02:04:05 EST)
02-19-09 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Her most insightful text
Reviewer Permalink
This is her best book in terms of providing text that gives a view on how she works and in terms of some rare humility displayed. It's not a four star for the images, which are better seen in other books. But I learned something about the photography craft as she performs it, and the book was not about raising her to some godlike status.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-27 12:13:40 EST)
02-16-09 3 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  A Pretty Face
Reviewer Permalink
As a fan and fellow photographer, I've loved Annie Leibovitz' work since it was first presented on the covers of Rolling Stone in the early 1970's. "At Work" is more or less a selected history of her shoots, and the first section is well written, promising more intimacy than the book as a whole delivers. I wanted to know more about Leibovitz or more of what was going on in those historic shoots, but was a little disappointed at the lack of depth or any insight into the person, or persons she was photographing. There is an informative technical section at the end of the book and lets equipment focused people in on what were her tools of trade. The binding, print quality and paper are first class. Would have liked larger image reproductions as much of Annie's work comes alive in bigger formats, rather than the frame-edged 4 x 5s presented.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-21 06:21:34 EST)
02-15-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Wonderful Read
Reviewer Permalink
I finally had the time to read the book and, amazingly, I couldn't stop (I have ADD when it comes to reading)! I read some other reviews here, I guess I didn't expect much of it, so when I read about how she got started and her encounters with her subjects it was a delight! I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to start learning and get an understanding the real meaning of photography.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-21 06:21:34 EST)
02-14-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  I learbed a bit
Reviewer Permalink
I'll admit I I knew of Annie Leibovitz, but not her work. This book is great for someone wanting to see her work and gain some insights into her life. The portraits of her daughter Sarah and Queen Elizabeth are stunning!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-21 06:21:34 EST)
02-14-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  A top pick for any college-level collection strong in photography books
Reviewer Permalink
AT WORK pairs first-person insights from photographer Annie Liebovitz with portraits of a wide range of her images, from a wartime era of reporting where she made her camera capture stories in still lifes to general news and headline reporting with visual impact. The result is a powerful collection recommended as a top pick for any college-level collection strong in photography books.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-21 06:21:34 EST)
02-06-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  outstanding
Reviewer Permalink
The book is just so well done. The pictures of course are outstanding. BUt knowing the stories along with them...brilliant
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-21 06:21:34 EST)
02-02-09 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  good insights/stories for aspiring photographers
Reviewer Permalink
good insights/stories for aspiring photographers. fun to read about all those iconic photos for everyone else.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-07 06:10:39 EST)
01-30-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  A skilled photographer at work
Reviewer Permalink
Annie Leibovitz is one of the best-known photographers in the world today. She is especially thought of (to me anyway) as the famous photographer for Rolling Stone magazine and now for Vanity Fair. Many of her photos are genuine classics, e.g., Rolling Stones, John and Yoko, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzeneger in his Pumping Iron days. This book presents fascinating vignettes of the stories behind many of the famous photos as well as some of the photos that may not be quite so famous. It also has a section about equipment as well as an extremely interesting section called the Ten Most Asked Questions.

If you are interested in photography, you will find the book particularly interesting. If you do not have an abiding interest in photography, you can still have an excellent time reading the quick stories of how the shots were taken.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-02-07 06:10:39 EST)
01-27-09 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Insight to the artist's process and and development in her own words
Reviewer Permalink
Not the fawning of a critic or a fan, but her own thoughts about the journey and what amount to recollected production notes flesh out a collection of her significant images. Great book.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-31 00:52:13 EST)
01-26-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Annie Lebovitz At Work WORKS!
Reviewer Permalink
This is a great book for all types of photographers. I read it in one day. Fun and informative.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-31 00:52:13 EST)
01-25-09 5 1\1
(Hide Review...)  Artist at work
Reviewer Permalink

Brilliant personal and professional look at one of our century's amazing artists. For those who admire human beauty, pain and love - from the woman who saw all the "who's and who's" in the world from her lens.
I cried towards the end...a great present for modern photography fans, and others dealing with art-text-fame and in between.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-31 00:52:13 EST)
01-22-09 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Annie Leibowitz at Work
Reviewer Permalink
Fine selection of photos by one of America's great photographers. Only quibble I have is the size of the photos. Think they should have been at least twice as large for greater impact.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-25 05:59:32 EST)
01-21-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Inspiring
Reviewer Permalink
This book was all that i expected and more. Read it and you are certainly bound to be inspired.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-25 05:59:32 EST)
01-14-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Annie Leibovitz in her own words
Reviewer Permalink
Excellent book as told by the photographer herself in her own words. I always love to read about the Hows, Whys and Where's of the pictures themselves. Very enjoyable. She's someone I would love to spend a day with on a photo shoot and watch and learn.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-24 00:49:45 EST)
01-11-09 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Not the best presentation of Leibowitz
Reviewer Permalink

Why isn't this coffee table size? There is no comparison of the portraits of Bette Midler, Keith Harring, Steve Martin and others with those of earlier full size publications. For Leibowitz fans there is not much new. The bio has been published in many other sources and even the phrasing sounded familiar to me.

Leibowitz photographs are always great, but size matters. The best of the new material was the photographs and the photographing of Queen Elizabeth. Here, again and especially, the photos cry out for size. Of the new material, the White House and the Obama campaign produced good photos, but maybe time will age them, or it could be the tiny look on the page.

I'm giving this book a 4 and not a 3 because Leibowitz is never average. But, if you want to enjoy a book of photos and share it with friends, spend a bit more for an earlier book in a larger format. It will cost more, but be worth it.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
01-07-09 3 0\1
(Hide Review...)  Not what I expected.
Reviewer Permalink
I watched an interview with Annie where she talked about how this book was meant to inspire young photographers and provide insight into the anti-glamourous life of a professional photographer. But when I bought this book I was disappointed to find a lack of inspiration (advice, technical information) and a definite focus on the glamour.
Throughout the book, Annie talks about the projects that she has worked on throughout her career but instead of talking about where she got the inspiration for the shoots, she writes about her relationship with her subjects, such as Mick Jagger, and her opinion of different actors/musicians/people working in the news media. Not at all what I expected. I re-listed and sold it 3 days later.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
01-06-09 5 0\1
(Hide Review...)  ANNIE LEIVOVITZ AT WORK
Reviewer Permalink
It's a wonderful book. I recomend it for everyone who enjoy not only photograph but art in general.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
01-06-09 3 0\2
(Hide Review...)  Xmas gift
Reviewer Permalink
Xms gift for my son, 24, very interested in photography. I think he appreciated the book.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
01-06-09 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Annie Leibovitz at Work
Reviewer Permalink
amazing insight and pictures.
the physical quality of the book is the best i have ever seen.
the paper is so durable it is obviously made to be looked at over and over for a lifetime or two or three.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
01-06-09 3 0\1
(Hide Review...)  When Night Is Falling
Reviewer Permalink
I find it nice and pleasant to see, but a little disappointing because I expected it to be better. The story is romantic and the acting of the two actresses is very good but not enough to develop and to go into the depth of the metaphor of circus&life.To me it's sounds as if something is missing....
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
12-28-08 4 2\2
(Hide Review...)  A Photographer Talks
Reviewer Permalink
Tina Brown, formerly of "Vanity Fair" supposedly once said that Annie Leibovitz was the Barbara Striesand of photography, inferring that the photographer was difficult to work with. I would sooner say that she is another Barbara, Barbara Walters of photography since after forty years in the business, she is now more famous than many of her subjects.

In her latest book Leibovitz writes extremely well about her life as a photographer from her first job with the magazine "Rolling Stone" as well as her work at "Vanity Fair" and other magazines. She takes a photograph or photographs for each chapter and then writes about that picture, how it came about, what difficulties were involved, anecdotal information, etc. For example, we learn that after she photographed the naked Keith Haring painted like one of his works (from the chapter entitled "Conceptual Pictures") that they actually went outside where she photographed Keith again on the streets of New York. Ms. Leibovitz covers Nixon's resignation, the O. J. Simpson trial, her time as a photographer for the Rolling Stones, Mikhail Baryshnikov's dance company and of course includes chapters on her two most famous images, the naked John Lennon embracing the clothed Yoko Ono and the very pregnant Demi Moore. My favorite chapter is about Leibovitz's photo session with the Queen of England where she puts to rest the rumor that the Queen stormed out of the shoot. Apparently the photographer found the Queen politely grumpy-- well, she is 80 and was wearing clothing that weighed 75 pounds-- but in the end quite delightful. What I found most disconcerting is that Leibovitz-- like practically everyone else-- has finally given in to digital photography. For example in three out of the four photographs of the Queen included here the photographer through the wonders of computers has superimposed Elizabeth on a different background. It is obviously a brave new world where even the professionals alter an image to meet their fancy.

Ms. Leibovitz's conclusions are shared by most photographers: that there is no such thing usually of a photographer's getting into the soul of a model, that she only has a brief slice of that person's life to work with; therefore, one would get the best, most revealing portrait of someone she knows very well. It is no coincidence that one of Leibovitz's favorite photographs is one of her mother. And smiles are almost always phony. The photographer says she has reluctantly come to the conclusion that the cliche that the camera loves certain people is true. "I realized when I studied pictures of Marilyn Monroe that it almost didn't matter who the photographer was. She took charge. It seemed like she was taking the picture." Leibovitz names Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve and Johnny Depp as other examples of people the camera loves in the chapter entitled "Presence and Charisma."

The funniest photograph in this book has to be Al Sharpton sitting under a hairdryer with his hair in curlers at the PrimaDonna Beauty Care Center. One of the cleverest is that of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon photographed in drag in 1995 for "Vanity Fair's first hollywood issue as a tribute to their roles in "Some Like It Hot." My least favorite photograph-- from Leibovitz's first book I believe-- is that of the seventy-five-year-old writer Robert Penn Warren, whom she convinced to take his shirt off. "I wanted to see under his skin, to see his heart beating, his lungs pumping." Apparently, with the exception of Queen Elizabeth who would not venture outside for a portrait, Ms. Leibovitz is good at getting subjects to do whatever she asks. I do not believe, however, that disrobing an old man lets you see inside him.

I own several of Leibovitz's books of photography; this one certainly is one of my favorites. The photographer will almost convince you that a picture is not worth a thousand words. She writes in a free, conversational style that is most seductive and comes across as pretty much ego-free for one whose name and photographs are pretty much household words. She is also free with advice and information-- unlike some famous photographers- for young photographers as she discusses equipment and answers the ten most-asked questions.

I cannot imagine anyone who would not be fascinated by Leibovitz's latest book.

(I meant to give this book five stars but cannot correct my error after I preview my review.)

(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
12-24-08 3 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Light on Images
Reviewer Permalink
A handsome book with interesting stories. Great images but lovers of her photography might be disappointed there aren't more. Very lightweight about her life.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
12-24-08 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Great insight
Reviewer Permalink
If you're trying to find a book to learn photographic technique move on! Nothing to see here. If however you want an insight into the work of a great photographer this is a great autobiography.
Easy, relaxed reading, with very little technical stuff. Still very inspirational.
Shares much of the text with Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens but the book is more focused on the work (as the title suggest) while on the DVD she shares more of her personal life too. Even this small difference shows perfectionisem called Annie Leibovitz.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:14 EST)
12-22-08 4 0\2
(Hide Review...)  Great gift for budding photographer
Reviewer Permalink
Gave this as a gift for my brother's girlfriend. She is majoring in Photography. She loved it!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-22-08 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Good book for photographers and fans
Reviewer Permalink
Interesting book, not really about the technical aspects of her work though. There is a little of that in there, but it doesn't go into much detail. But some great stories and behind the scenes insight.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-22-08 5 0\1
(Hide Review...)  Annie Leibovitz at Work Review
Reviewer Permalink
I enjoyed this book. I am a big fan of Annie Leibovitz. She talks about different stages of her life through photographs and gives some tips on getting a camera of your own and taking pictures to chronicle your life.

although she doesn't mention anything too private, I kind of got that the lady is focused, does her homework, and takes great pains to make sure everything is okay. Good example for anyone in any field.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-21-08 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Annie Leibovitz
Reviewer Permalink
Annie Leibovitz at Work......
I bought these 2 books and gave one to my friend. She and I loved this book. She was the one that put me on to the book in the first place and I took the ball and ran with it. I'm very happy that I did. Would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys photography.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-20-08 5 0\1
(Hide Review...)  Amazon Quality
Reviewer Permalink
Amazon has never let me down in the years I've shopped with them. Great quality and truth in advertising! Thank you! My most recent purchase, "Annie Leibovitz At Work" is certainly another example of the fine products one should expect from Amazon.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-20-08 4 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Great insight in the work of Annie Leibovitz
Reviewer Permalink
This book gives a great insight into what Annie uses to get great photos, and how she does that. I would recommend this book to everyone interested in photography and beautiful photos.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-17-08 4 1\1
(Hide Review...)  Easy read to understand the heart and mind of Annie
Reviewer Permalink
This is a really easy read. It is like sitting with Annie hearing her recount the different phases of her life and the people she had met and take photographs of. It is totally non-technical, but it gets into the heart and mind of one of the greatest photographers, and how she views her role in capturing life. In fact, it goes beyond anything a technical book on photography can teach you about, and helps you see life in a new perspective, and how as a photographer, you can capture an image of that part of your life.

Right at the end of the book, there is a section where Annie talks about equipment, and it can be summed up in her words, "Digital gives a more honest view of how things actually look, and with the advent of all these possibilities, I still want the pictures to look like they're real. Whatever camera helps me do that is the camera I'm going to use. I'm not nostalgic about cameras. When I talk about how important the camera is to me, I mean the idea of the camera. What photography does. I'm not into it because of the equipment, and I'm not concerned with the things that concern more technically acute people. I want to use whatever helps me take a picture in all kinds of light with faster speed and fewer problems. I changed my 35mm digital camera four times in one year. As soon as I hear there's a better one out, I'll try it." (page 207)

There is also a section entitled "Ten Most-Asked Questions" where she gives her views on them. The 10 questions are:
1. What advice do you have for a young photographer who is just starting out?
2. What is your favorite photograph?
3. Who's the most difficult person you've ever photographed?
4. How many pictures do you take?
5. Are you happy with the move from film to digital?
6. How is photographing a celebrity different from photographing a regular person?
7. Where do you get your ideas?
8. When do you know you have a good picture?
9. How much direction do you give?
10. How do you set people at ease and get them to do the things that they do in your pictures?
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-17-08 5 (NA)
(Hide Review...)  Knowledge and Inspiration
Reviewer Permalink
Having newly started on my photography hobby yet having always been a HUGE fan of Annie Leibovitz, I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page of "At Work". Annie Leibovitz inspires me to be a better photographer.
Thank you for sharing the love of your work!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-16-08 1 1\38
(Hide Review...)  2 is NOT better than one!
Reviewer Permalink
While I am happy with the book, I am more than inconvinienced by being sent TWO of them!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
12-02-08 5 12\13
(Hide Review...)  On A Scale of Five Stars I'd Give This Book At Least A Six!
Reviewer Permalink
This reviewer and long-time professional and amateur photographer has been waiting for a book containing this information to be published for years. And it's finally here and I for one am very grateful. For years I've wondered how Annie managed to take that incredible picture of a nude John Lennon kissing a fully dressed Yoko Ono while they were both lying on the floor. I had no idea that it was only a single test shot and that it was a Polaroid taken on the afternoon of his murder. That fact alone almost makes me revise my opinion of Polaroid photos. That small Polaroid certainly could be successfully reproduced for other uses.
Interestingly enough, Annie relates how strongly both John and Yoko felt about this image. You'll have to read the book to find out, however, I'm not going to tell.
Another photograph I've always admired was the Whoopi Goldberg picture with her mostly submerged in an old-fashioned bathtub of milk. How in the world did she persuade people to pose in such fantastic situations? Who knew that after only a few frames of her famous portrait of the Blue's Brothers, John Belushi would storm out of the shoot and was so upset with the blue paint she had put on his face that he wouldn't speak to her for six months? The nude profile photograph of a very pregnant Demi Moore was another of those remarkable photos I wanted to know more about. All these and many other nagging questions about the subjects of some of her famous pictures are answered in this autobiographic tome.
Those were only the subjects I was personally most curious about, but I was also interested in how a student in the San Francisco Art Institute who didn't even care much for Rock and Roll music would end up as the photographer for "Rolling Stone." That story had always interested me. How she was asked to go on tour with the Rolling Stones was another riveting tale. To make that coverage even more exciting Andy Warhol and Robert Frank (a photographer who Annie considers almost a God) were also on that particular tour making a documentary film about the Stones. Truman Capote was there too. This was the same young woman who John and Yoko had asked the "Rolling Stones" writer interviewing them "why he had a kid taking all the magazine's pictures?" They were used to being photographed by the most famous photographers in the world. The kid's pictures of them proved to be the most lasting and among their personal favorites.
There is a section in the book about her general photography philosophies and the technical equipment that she used to make her pictures over the years and how it has changed. There is also a section that answers the 10 most often asked questions that people want answered. There is something for everybody.
For a photographer or a "Rock & Roll" music fan, this is a "Must Read." For the average person, it's just a "great read." This is one of the most interesting books about a photographer's life and work that I've ever read and I've read and reviewed hundreds of them.
It was difficult, almost impossible to put aside this page turner once I peeked at the photos and started reading. So many of my long-term questions were answered and I didn't have to die and go to heaven in order to gain that enlightenment. Neither do you, dear reader.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2009-01-18 06:00:16 EST)
11-29-08 4 5\5
(Hide Review...)  Biographical Notes, Technical Insights, and Inspiration . . . Portrayed on a Too Small Page
Reviewer Permalink
Any fan of Annie Leibovitz will want to read and cherish this book. The words and images will mean the most to young people dreaming of having a career in photography who wonder about how she got started.

Annie Leibovitz's photography has surrounded and informed us for so long that it has become part of the landscape, perspectives that we employ and too often take for granted. In Annie Leibovitz at Work, she takes us behind the camera a little to understand her motivations, her family, her career, her assignments, her purposes, and how those iconic images were constructed. I enjoyed the book very much but I found that it had two flaws that bothered me: She is a usually little too coy in holding back details that her disclosures make enticing. The page sizes are too small to properly display the images. The print quality is excellent, but you can only do so much when images intended for full magazine pages or portraits are displayed in 3 inch by 5 inch formats. A minor weakness is that some of the images she talks about aren't portrayed (presumably either a space or a permissions problem, but it is disappointing whenever it happens).

Here are some of the poignant stories in the book:

1. Taking the last portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono before John was murdered.

2. Photographing the Rolling Stones on tour while trying to keep a nervous independence from the parties and the crush of fans at the end of a concert.

3. John Cleese nearly suffocating to get the picture of pretending to be a bat hanging from a tree.

4. Capturing Al Sharpton at the beauty parlor.

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger changing his image through her photographs.

6. The story behind the pregnant cover of Demi Moore.

7. Cindy Sherman wanting to disappear in her portrait.

8. Capturing the war in Sarajevo.

9. The slaughter in Rwanda.

10. Posing OJ during his LA trial.

11. The arrogant photograph of the new White House team in town (December 2001).

12. Philip Johnson and his glass house.

13. Agnes Martin

14. Queen Elizabeth

Of the technical details, I was most interested in her descriptions of how she put together multiple shots to appear as one image.

Here are some of the many iconic images in the book:

Richard Nixon leaving the White House, Washington, D.C., 1974
Hunter S. Thompson and George McGovern, San Francisco, 1972
Tom Wolfe, Florida, 1972
Apollo 17, the last moon shot, Cape Kennedy, Florida, 1972
The Rolling Stones, Philadelphia, 1975

Keith Richards, Toronto, 1977
Mick Jagger, Chicago, 1975
Mick Jagger, Buffalo, New York, 1975
John Lennon, New York City, 1970
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York City, December 8, 1980

Tess Gallagher, Syracuse, New York, 1980
Robert Penn Warren, Fairfield, Connecticut, 1980
Bette Midler, New York City, 1979
Meryl Streep, New York City, 1981
The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi), Hollywood, 1979

Steve Martin, Beverly Hills, 1981
Whoopi Goldberg, Berkeley, California 1984
Keith Haring, New York City, 1986
John Cleese, London, 1980
Andrée Putnam, New York City, 1989

William Wegman and Fay Ray, New York City, 1988
Evander Holyfield, New York City, 1992
Willie Shoemaker and Wilt Chamberlain, Malibu, California, 1987
The Reverend Al Sharpton, PrimaDonna Beauty Care Center, Brooklyn, New York, 1988
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Malibu, California, 1988

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sun Valley, Idaho, 1997
Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rob Besserer, Cumberland Island, Georgia, 1990
Mark Morris, Cumberland Island, Georgia, 1990
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Paducah, Kentucky, 1988
Demi Moore, Culver City, California 1991

Cindy Sherman, New York City, 1992
Carl Lewis, Pearland, Texas, 1996
Sarajevo, 1993
Soccer Field, Sarajevo, 1993
Blood on a mission-school wall, Rwanda, 1994

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, Los Angeles, 1995
Patti Smith, New Orleans, 1978
Patti Smith, New York City, 1996
Puff Daddy and Kate Moss, Paris, 1999
Ben Stiller, Paris, 2001

Natalia Vodianova, Stephen Jones, and Christian Lacrois, Paris, 2003
Keira Knightley and Jeff Koons, Goshen, New York, 2005
Kirsten Dunst, Versailles, 2006
Cabinet Room, The White House, Washington, D.C. December 2001
Nicole Kidman, Charleston, East Sussex, England, 1997

Johnny Depp, New York City, 1994
Cate Blanchett, Los Angeles, 2004
Philip Johnson, Glass House, New Canaan, Connecticut, 2000
William S. Burroughs, Lawrence, Kansas, 1995
Agnes Martin, Taos, New Mexico, 1999

Marilyn Leibovitz, Clifton Point, New York, 1997
Sarah Cameron Leibovitz, New York City, 2002
Susan Sontag, Paris, 2003
Sharon Stone, Angelica Huston, and Diane Lane, Los Angeles, 2006
Kirsten Dunst, Bruce Willis, and James McAvoy, Los Angeles, 2006

Judi Dench and Helen Mirren, Los Angeles, 2006
Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet, New York City, 2006
Jack Nicholson, Los Angeles, 2006
Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace, London, 2007 (4)
Hillary Clinton, New York City, 2003

Take a close look and enjoy!


(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-12-04 01:43:45 EST)
  
                  Reader Reviews 1 - 50 of 54            Next
  
  
  
  
  
  

Because the data used to generate this site come from outside sources, VeryWellSaid.com cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the data.
Search VeryWellSaid™
Google
Web VeryWellSaid™
All Books Arts Biography Click Here For An A-Z Index Of All 213 Best-Seller Subjects Business Children's Comics
Computers Cooking Engineering Entertainment Health History Home Horror Humor Law Fiction Medicine Mystery
Nonfiction Outdoors Parenting Professional Reference Religion Romance Science Sci-Fi Sports Teens Travel
New subjects are added every week.
View Subjects Below by:
* Top Selling
 (click category name, left)
* Top-Rated Top Sellers
 (click 'Top Rated', right)
In the news...  
Dubai\UAE Top Rated
Influenza\Bird Flu Top Rated
Iraq Top Rated
Supreme Court Top Rated
All Books Top Rated
Arts Top Rated
Photography Top Rated
Digital Photography Top Rated
Digital Cameras Top Rated
Biography Top Rated
Business Top Rated
Management Top Rated
Marketing Top Rated
Sales Top Rated
Stocks Top Rated
Bonds Top Rated
Real Estate Top Rated
Trading Top Rated
Commodities Trading Top Rated
Time Management Top Rated
Starting A Business Top Rated
Children's Top Rated
Comics Top Rated
Computers Top Rated
PC Top Rated
Mac Top Rated
Programming Top Rated
Design Patterns Top Rated
.Net Top Rated
C# Top Rated
Vb.Net Top Rated
Asp.Net Top Rated
Java Top Rated
Python Top Rated
PHP Top Rated
Perl Top Rated
Javascript Top Rated
Ajax Top Rated
CSS Top Rated
Open Source Top Rated
SQL Top Rated
Databases Top Rated
Oracle Top Rated
MySql Top Rated
Sql Server Top Rated
IIS Top Rated
Apache Top Rated
Linux Top Rated
Windows Server Top Rated
Project Management Top Rated
HTML Top Rated
UML Top Rated
IT Certifications Top Rated
Cisco Certifications Top Rated
MCSE Top Rated
MCSD Top Rated
Cooking Top Rated
Italian Cooking Top Rated
Vegetarian Cooking Top Rated
Wine Top Rated
Engineering Top Rated
Entertainment Top Rated
Health Top Rated
Nutrition Top Rated
Dieting Top Rated
Sex Top Rated
History Top Rated
Military History Top Rated
British History Top Rated
Middle East History Top Rated
Land Battles Top Rated
Naval Warfare Top Rated
Air Warfare Top Rated
9/11 Top Rated
Terrorism Top Rated
Home Top Rated
Mortgage\Home Equity Loan Top Rated
Cars Top Rated
Car Buying Top Rated
Sports Cars Top Rated
Cat Top Rated
Humor Top Rated
Horror Top Rated
Law Top Rated
IP Law Top Rated
Legal History Top Rated
Fiction Top Rated
Oprah's Book Club Top Rated
Medicine Top Rated
Cancer Top Rated
Stroke Top Rated
Heart Disease Top Rated
Fertility Top Rated
Diabetes Top Rated
Pharmacology Top Rated
Back Problems Top Rated
Menopause Top Rated
Thyroid Top Rated
Pain Top Rated
Organic Chemistry Top Rated
Immune System Top Rated
Mystery Top Rated
Nonfiction Top Rated
Outdoors Top Rated
Running Top Rated
Radio Control Models Top Rated
Guns Top Rated
Parenting Top Rated
Divorce Top Rated
Professional Top Rated
Reference Top Rated
Religion Top Rated
Romance Top Rated
Science Top Rated
Physics Top Rated
Chemistry Top Rated
Astronomy Top Rated
Psychology Top Rated
Science Fiction Top Rated
Sports Top Rated
Teens Top Rated
Travel Top Rated
USA Top Rated
Europe Top Rated
France Top Rated
Italy Top Rated
England Top Rated
China Top Rated
In Association with Amazon.com