Stephanie Corriz: Annie Leibovitz Inspired Project

   There were many great photographers from the list of artists, but the one who stood out the most to me, was Annie Leibovitz. I looked up several of her photographs to get the basis for my project. I knew I wanted to work with several models for added drama. I also knew I had to direct them more this time and force the situation. I chose five very unique and creative models. All of them had their own specific identities and strong personalities. My next obstacle was finding the location. Initially, I wanted to do the shoot at St. James Tea Room. However, it was difficult to get a hold of them in such a short time (I decided to do the shoot that weekend in case none of the photos worked) so I changed the location to the Albuquerque Botanical Gardens. During this time, the Botanical Gardens had their creepy crawly exhibit. There were a variety of insects, parasitic and carnivorous plants, as well as their Fall Festival flowers, plants, and trees. It was a perfect and entertaining location that would add a little drama to the shoot. Eventually, I was able to get a hold of St. James Tea Room and did a shoot there, but with one model. These photographs did not fit the theme of the Botanical Gardens photos well, so I chose just one photo from that shoot.

My idea was to use the fall colors, backgrounds, and the bug exhibit to add more of a theatrical feel to the photos, like the drama shown in Annie Leibovitz’s photos. I also wanted to make it look like a fashion spread for something you would see in a fall issue of a reputable magazine, similar to her work in Vanity Fair and Vogue. Despite using all five models, I found myself taking stronger photos with just a single person opposed to a group. Annie Leibovitz’s photos are quite a production. At times she works with many models in a shoot, and each one of them comes out really strong in the photo. There is also a lot of trust and respect that models have for her because of her reputation and impressive works as a photographer. I can really sense that when I see her photos. Her models are aware that they are making a piece of art. I think my models and I were going in the right direction, but we were all very new to this so it created a sense of awkwardness behind and in front of the camera. The photos I chose were more subdued compared to the other photos I took, but I felt like they were the strongest. They are less dramatic versions of Annie’s work. I read a lot of critiques about people who enjoy her earlier photography and think her new stuff has been edited too much in Photoshop, so I think these photos are a good middle ground. They look real, but have a subtle sense of drama, refined beauty, and an element of fashion. If I could have used some Photoshop and would have had a lot more skill, I think I could have taken Annie’s style a lot further. Overall, it was an amazing learning experience and I was able to see where I need to improve as a photographer.

Below is a link to a Vanity Fair contributors article on Annie Leibovitz that gives a brief overview of her life and work.

http://www.vanityfair.com/contributors/annie-leibovitz