The Power of Imagery: Annie Leibovitz on 50 Years of Working to Portray Women

Annie Leibovitz in conversation with Alison Cuddy at Chicago Humanities Festival. (Photo by David Kindler)

You have likely heard the adage that a picture is worth 1,000 words. In the case of Annie Leibovitz, iconic photographer for more than 50 years, her pictures are priceless.

The legendary creative force and winner of the International Center of Photography Lifetime Achievement Award and the Centenary Medal of Royal Photographic Society, Leibovitz humbly graced the Chicago Humanities Festival stage recently to talk about how women are seen—and not seen authentically—and ultimately not known.

“@Annieleibovitz, iconic photographer for more than 50 years, humbly graced the @Chihumanities Festival stage recently to talk about how women are seen—and not seen authentically—and ultimately not known. #femaleartist ”

“I think I have this slideshow down to six hours,” said Leibovitz, who apologized for losing a button on her blouse just before arriving on stage. “This is not my look exactly, but I didn’t bring a second shirt.”

As the packed house of almost 1,500 sighed, oohed, aahed and chuckled over the hundreds of memorable photos flashing across the screen, Leibovitz humbly and candidly told the inside stories of photographing stars, celebrities, politicians, queens, dancers, artists and presidents as well as landscapes, still lifes and structures.

She shared inside stories—none salacious—about her photo subjects from Lady Gaga and Nancy Pelosi to Queen Elizabeth, Kate Moss, Caitlyn Jenner, Nicole Kidman, Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Moore, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlize Theron, Michelle Obama, Serena and Venus Williams  and of course the men who populated her photos as well from Kanye West to Bill Carter and John Lennon.  

“I think it is important to go back and look at your work,” she said, to put it into context and to see where you have literally been.

The mother of three daughters, Leibovitz says she studied painting in the 1960s at the San Francisco Art Institute, but discovered she wasn’t so good at it.

“I think I was a terrible painter and I always knew I would be in art in some way, I didn’t have the patience for painting,” she said. “I was gawky, shy and awkward and still am, and the photo department was more friendly.”

Working as a staff photographer at Rolling Stone from 1970 to 1980, then for Vanity Fair from 1980 to 2000, Leibovitz was also doing shoots for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, as well as for Ms.. At the request of her close friend, the late Susan Sontag, Leibovitz published a book on the images of women.

“That is like photographing the ocean,” said Leibovitz. “That project was remarkable and it’s never easy. We don’t know what we look like or who we are as women.”

““That is like photographing the ocean,” said @Annieleibovitz on publishing a book of images of women. “That project was remarkable and it’s never easy. We don’t know what we look like or who we are as women.” #womensart #inspirationalwomen”

While Leibovitz has been working in photography for half a century, the numbers of photographers identifying as female is growing.

Recently the Women Photographers International Archive held its first ever Congress, “Women, Photography, and Feminism,” in Miami, with hundreds of women photographers, scholars, curators, and artists from more than 15 countries attending.

“Recently the @Wophafoundation held its first ever Congress, “Women, Photography, and Feminism,” in Miami, with hundreds of #women #photographers, scholars, curators, and artists from more than 15 countries attending. #femaleartists”

Speaking at the conference, documentary photographer and Guggenheim Foundation Fellow Maggie Steber said, “When I was coming up in photography, there were a lot of women and even before me, powerful and courageous women covering everything from war to local stories, but many of them were on newspapers staffs and so you didn’t really hear about them. We are now seeing a whole new generation of women photographers from all over the world.”

As one of the most renowned photographers in the world, Leibovitz has spent years documenting in portraits the unseen sides of individuals, as well as complicated and contrived fashion spreads for magazines. Many of her subjects identify as female.

“As one of the most renowned photographers in the world, @Annieleibovitz has spent years documenting in portraits the unseen sides of individuals, as well as complicated and contrived fashion spreads for magazines. #womenleaders”

Speaking about her elaborately staged shoots for Vogue, Leibovitz said, “Every single time it is starting from scratch. Coming from the world I came from, people don’t really like to have their photograph taken, it’s like you’re the dentist.”

As the first woman to have a feature exhibition at Washington's National Portrait Gallery in 1991, Leibovitz has served as a role model for women photographers and artists across the world; her work is mandatory in art school curriculum of photography.

“As the first woman to have a feature exhibition at @Smithsoniannpg in 1991, @Annieleibovitz has served as a role model for #women #photographers and artists across the world; her work is mandatory in art school curriculum of photography. #womensart”

Photography is traditionally a male-dominated profession, and has mountains of anecdotal evidence of sexism, patriarchy and unequal compensation.

 Data USA reports that in 2019, the wage gap for 121,000 U.S. photographers was an annual salary of $31,325 for women and $42,142 for men.

According to the Census Bureau, 52.7% of photographers identify as male. The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 shows that the job outlook for photographers from 2020 to 2030 is 17%, a much higher rate than many other industries.  

“#Photography is traditionally a male-dominated profession, and has mountains of anecdotal evidence of #sexism, patriarchy and unequal compensation.”

Speaking about the recent Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit, “The New Woman Behind The Camera,” curator Andrea Nelson tells CBS News, "You can't just simply say, right, that there is sexism, although, you know, that is apparent. Women often had shorter careers than their male colleagues. I think there's also just you know, some bias in past histories where a number of women were working in the studio, in commercial practices, in fashion photography. And these have often been overlooked by histories of photography as something that wasn't as artistic enough or creative enough."

As a leader in the artistic world of photography, Leibovitz is seen as someone to emulate, admire and learn from on many levels; a role she embraces but finds uneasy to speak about publicly.

“As a leader in the artistic world of photography, @Annieleibovitz is seen as someone to emulate, admire and learn from on many levels. #glassceiling #womenwholead”

“I’m here tonight but this is hard for me,” Leibovitz said about being a role model, when asked about her responsibility to mentor others by Chicago Humanities Festival Artistic Director Alison Cuddy.

“I love my work so much but I feel you need to be accessible and available. What’s important is the work ethic and to keep working.” Leibovitz added, “I feel very responsible to the portrait work and I want to continue taking portraits.”