Thesis & Background: Your thesis about the body of work and point of view you’ve chosen to explore, as well as background about the artists that lead you to your thesis.

The Ebb and Flow of The Circle of Life

Anna Lou “Annie” Leibovitz was born October 2, 1949 in Waterbury, CT, and was the third of six children raised by her parents, who hail from European Jewish descent. Her passion for art and photography stemmed from both of her parents: her father was a lieutenant colonel for the US Air Force—resulting in living on several military bases, and moving across the world numerous times—and her mother was a dance instructor. Leibovitz watched her mom interact with art mediums, and then took to photography to capture life on the military bases that her father exposed her to.

                                                                                      Cindy Crawford, New York, 1993

Leibovitz graduated from SF Art Institute as a photography major, and her first legitimate job she held was a thirteen-year stint at Rolling Stone (starting in 1970). Three years into her new job, at just 24, she was given the title of chief photographer. This gave her even more freedom and resources to create a signature style, as well as develop an iconic look for Rolling Stones Magazine. Since then, she has had a lifelong career consisting of countless awards, iconic photoshoots, and being one of the most universally recognized photographers to date.

Her photo book, A Photographer’s Life (1990-2005), is one of her well known photo books, and provides a nice summation of her personal life and her professional career. It ranges from photos of family child births and beach days, to legendary celebrity photographs including Scarlett Johansson, the Clintons, and Nicole Kidman. It’s also a culturally significant photo book, as Leibovitz made public that the story told in this book between her and Susan Sontag is “a love story” opposed to words used by others such as partner, friend, or companion. This book shows not only the good parts of one’s life, but the bad and ugly too.

Leibovitz does not shy away from vulnerability in her photographs, but encourages it-and this is a major theme in A Photographer’s Life. She captures love and respect for elders in one photograph, and contrasts it with the following photograph of a funeral and children throwing dirt on the casket. While the subjects of the photographs may not be directly related, it shows the frailness of life and how life and society are constantly changing.

                                

                  My Parents with Sarah                                      Judean Memorial Gardens, Olney, Maryland, February, 6, 2005

I chose Leibovitz’s photo book because I believe it is a good reminder that everyone goes through ups and downs, how everybody’s story is special to them, and how rawness and vulnerability are something to embrace rather than shy away from. In my photographs, I will attempt to capture said rawness and vulnerability while simultaneously showing a story of life’s ups and downs in pure Leibovitz fashion.

   Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, pregnant with Rumer Glenn Willis  

Dylan,

This is an excellent start to your final project. I’m glad that you included some photographs, but one of them is sideways. Here are a couple of pointers for you going forward, and to correct in this opening statement.

First, keep your paragraphs short. When reading on screen short paragraphs work better. For example, in the first paragraph, “Leibovitz graduated . . . ” should begin a new paragraph. In the second paragraph, “I chose . . . ” should start a new paragraph.

Second, make sure that all of your sentences are correct. The second sentence should begin “Her passion . . . ”

Third, try to integrate the photographs into the body of the text rather than grouping them at the bottom.

Fourth, don’t forget to cite your sources. You can do this by inserting a link to the source (assuming it’s on the web).

You’ve outlined an excellent and challenging final project. I think that it is ambitious, but one that will be rewarding.

DDM

Methodology: What are the methods your artist uses in his/her photography? How did you attempt to see through his/her point of view by taking your own photos?

Annie Leibovitz’s photo book, A Photographer’s Life (1990-2005), is a well thought out, properly orchestrated book that tells the story of her life through images. The photographs show the general circle of life from her eyes, and also tells the tale of her life as she lived it. There is a wide variety of photographs: ranging from beautiful landscapes, the meaning of family at its very core, and celebrity photographs that she took for her job. 

Nicole Kidman, 2003 

Not only do her photographs capture the good, but they capture the bad and ugly. She explains in her New York Times interview that this photo book is so special to her and the world because it captures all of the hard truths that many shy away from. One photograph shows a family member on his deathbed surrounded by family, and another photograph shows the funeral. I found it important to note how there are children photographed putting a shovel of dirt on the casket, a concept that hails from Jewish tradition. This is one instance in which the circle of life is demonstrated in her photo book. Most of her photographs are captured in black and white which is why I used the tools from my iPhone to transform all of my photographs into said format. Her photographs also vary between candid photos and staged photos, which is something I took into consideration while photographing my photos with Leibovitz influence.

 

Her most dramatic and staged photographs are those of celebrities, and these are the photographs that are colorful-opposed to her typical black and white photos. The photograph of Nicole Kidman, posted above, has an instant impact on the audience. Her gown is exquisite, the light is seemingly shining perfectly behind her, and the makeup adds even more to the overall dramatic effect. Every detail of this photograph was cultivated perfectly by Leibovitz, and this pattern is consistent amongst all of her celebrity photos. One of my favorite photographs present in this entire photo book is the one of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore pregnant with their daughter Rumer in 1988. This photograph is detailed, staged, and colorful like her other celebrity pictures, yet also contributes to the overall theme of the circle of life.                                                                                                                                 My Parents with Ross

Regardless of the subject or the final outcome of the actual aesthetic, each person in her photographs are meant to feel a certain type of comfort and safety as they are photographed. Leibovitz has proved time and time again that having an agreeable person to shoot will cultivate a special bond between the photographer and the subject, leading to an even better outcome/experience for all. I attempted to replicate that comfort when shooting my subjects in a safe space (from their perspective), calling on Leibovitz’s skills to create the best photograph imaginable each time. 

While I can’t include photographs of celebrities directly into my work, I attempted to incorporate her approach to both her family pictures and her celebrity ones. My main focus was capturing the circle of life, which is hard to capture in candid photographs only, so I have a nice variety of candid and staged photographs in an attempt to capture the ebb and flow of life we all live through. All of my photographs but two are in black and white, which I think captures the dramatic impact that Leibovitz herself captured through her colorful works of celebrities.

One of the most important photographs in my collection is of my family having our weekly Shabbat dinner; if we could ignore the irony of using technology on Shabbat to capture a photograph with Jewish influence, you will be able to see that this family dinner on the holiest day of the week captures very important aspects of life: family time and religion. I initially thought I could capture my grandfather with my youngest cousin to show two members of the same gender in the same family at wildly different stages of life,

Michael Jordan, Vandam Street Studio

but because of COVID-19/social distancing that was not possible. I did however successfully plan to capture my brother where he is most comfortable in his life: on the basketball court. Another idea I had considered, but was not sure how it would fit/photograph, was to capture my dad working from home in his office. This idea included home life and him being a father, but also his responsibility to his bank and one of his passions, despite the fact that hardships and stress come along with his job. Luckily, this image was easier than expected to attain, and came out great. 

Leibovitz varied the locations in which she took her photographs, so I attempted to show variety in this area as well. I took pictures in different rooms of my house like my bedroom, the bar room, my father’s office, and the kitchen as well as photos outside my house and on the driveway. In the planning stages of this project, I was assuming I would go to the lake near my house to capture images of the sunrise and sunset. My goal was to convey the symbolism between the Sun’s daily cycle on Earth and the circle of life, but because of the virus that too was unattainable. 

All in all, I attempted to capture the ebb and flow that one will experience throughout their lifetime. Varying the use of staged and candid photographs, but nearly always using black and white coloring to emphasize contrast and dramatic effect, I created my own story through photographs that most definitely has Annie Leibovitz influence. 

                         

                            *No Title*                                                                              Self-portrait, Sylt Island

Dylan,

This is an ambitious methodology. You outline a wide array of types of photographs you seek to take, with the black and white character unifying them. After you have taken a lot of photographs, you will need to look at them to see which ones work and which ones should be discarded. You may end up restricting the types of photographs you include, which is OK. What you describe for the Shabbat table sounds challenging, indeed, especially with the constraints of COVID 19.

Good luck and have fun.

DDM

Photos & Analysis: Presentation of your own photographs inspired by that point of view. Text articulating what taking your own pictures taught you about the photographer’s point of view and its relevance. What is liberating about the point of view you’ve chosen to explore? How does it challenge you to look at the world differently?

A Leibovitz Inspired Take on Dorfman Family Life

When I first was contemplating how to take my own photographs in pure Leibovitz fashion, to say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. Leibovitz is an iconic photographer, and a different skill is honed in each one of her photographs; I didn’t want to misconstrue her work, nor did I want to neglect my own opinion and perspective in my photographs. To say this assignment was thought provoking and challenging would most definitely be fair. 

Taking these photographs allowed me to understand how much Leibovitz valued her relationship with the subject. I came to learn that the better the dynamic between photographer and subject, the better the quality and message in the photograph. Taking photographs of my loved ones was simply fun, and allowed me to depict my own personal story through these photographs. I believe that it would have been a much more difficult project with a different outcome if they were regular people and/or people I didn’t have a close relationship with. Photographing my immediate family allowed me to reveal my take on A Photographer’s Life in a fashion that calls on Leibovitz, and my own history. 

In my twenty photographs, there is a range of carefully staged photos to shots of candid experiences during my family’s time in quarantine. Leibovitz included a wide variety of art in her photo book. Another consistent Leibovitz concept is publishing the majority of her pictures in black and white, but also rewarding the audience with some colorful photographs when she deemed fit. I immediately took to this technique: most of my pictures are in black and white, yet the two photo series of my brother playing basketball I decided to keep in color. The colors of these two photographs were captivating and beautiful, and I believe that the audience would appreciate this splash of color in a sea of black and white. 

Through my pictures, I attempted to convey the good and the bad of life, and everything in between. The order in which I put my gallery is in age order. The purpose of this was to show that despite the stage in which you are in life, everyone experiences the benefits and heartbreaks that life throws at us. My father and my brother are 35 years apart, and yet both have undergone their own personal highs and lows. My dad has had a happy marriage and a successful work career, both with their own ups and downs naturally. My brother has only been alive for thirteen years, yet has experienced highs with sports accolades and lows with the losses and injuries that comes with the territory of competitive sports. Each moment in life is respective to the person, and the scale of how happy/or sad that time is, is also respective to that person. We can never truly comprehend what’s going on inside someone’s head and heart, which is why I attempted to show a range of happy, sad, and intriguing photos. Like Leibovitz accomplished in her photo book, I really took to capturing the ideal series that demonstrates the ebb and flow of life as seen from my family’s perspective. 

Selected Photos:

The first photograph I decided to analyze was that of my father working in his office. This photograph was staged, as I wouldn’t interrupt him if he was actually working, but the concept and setting was authentic. My dad loves what he does for a living, and it does give him joy, but of course it comes with its own stress and pressure. This job alone gives my dad highs and lows, which is a main theme in my series. I love this photograph because it shows so many things about my dad in addition to his passion/job. The art on his wall is a band doing what they love, music, which is something my dad also loves. Behind him are pictures and reminders of his family, comforting him and reminding him that work is not the end all be all. I think this photograph is interesting because there is way more to it that meets the eye, and of course it in itself reveals how the ebb and flow of life can take form. 

The second photograph I chose to analyze was a candid photograph of my parents hugging after our Shabbat dinner. I love this because it was candid rather than staged, and shows the simple happiness, respect, and love that surround my parents’ marriage. It conveys that even during these times, we have each other, and a simple hug can make us feel better. This photo was taken after Shabbat dinner, a tradition that our parents have kept consistent every week in raising us. The entirety of this photograph is just a reminder that in changing and questionable times, we can lean on each other for support and stability. This photo might not be the best or most intriguing photograph in the series, but it’s pure and happy, and shows an important “high” in the circle of life. While this photo was candid, it relates to Leibovitz as she has many examples of love and respect displayed through her eyes in her photo book. This photograph also relates to Leibovitz as it has many similarities to the image of her parents dancing. Her parents are conveying their love and happiness in their marriage through dancing in happy times, and my parents are showing their love and happiness through a hug, despite the world seemingly falling apart around us. When I was taking this photo I didn’t realize how it related to Leibovitz directly other than its coloring, but in my analysis I’ve come to realize how similar the two images are. Annie Leibovitz and I are different in an uncountable of ways, and yet we both managed to capture the love and respect our parents have for each other and their family in a single shot. 

The last photograph I want to single out is that of my younger brother playing basketball in our driveway. As stated earlier, the colors of this photograph were too beautiful to transform into black and white. The color of his shirt match the sky and the basketball lines, and tie together another piece of the photo that would be missing if it were black and white. Although I asked my brother to “shoot around” while I photographed him, this picture is candid. The image shows a carefree young boy playing a sport he loves, despite the chaos and unpredictability in the world that surrounds him. I think something can be said for capturing the simplicity in someone carefree doing something they enjoy, which is what was accomplished here. Another aspect of this image that I absolutely adore is how he’s checking the basket to make sure his shot went in. I think this is symbolic of a greater message in life: always follow through and make sure you’re responsible for your own fate. Austin making sure his shot went through is him looking to affirm his success in this task. Leibovitz inspired this because she always shot someone at their most comfortable moment, which is what occurred here.

 

Slideshow 1:

In my slideshow, I chose six pictures that best describe the ebb and flow of life, and the pictures that have the perfect combination of Leibovitz impression and my own perspective. The first photograph is a moment from Shabbat dinner: the matriarch of the family leading us in our own tradition that stems from our religion and ancestors. Leibovitz shows the importance of family an uncountable amount of times in her photo book, and this picture shows the respect and willingness of my family to honor our ancestors. Other photos in this slideshow reveal my brother playing basketball and having fun, and how that time can be interrupted by falling and being in pain (a symbolic low). The image of a tear on his face was staged, like Leibovitz staged many important photographs, but serves as a powerful message for my series. My self portrait shows me staring at a mirror, but my reflection being partially masked by the several bottles of alcohol in front of me. This photograph is staged as I feel no pressure or desire to drink alcohol in my life, but the message conveyed is that of a struggling introspective person in front of her vice. The last photograph in my series to convey the ebb and flow of life is of my two dogs sleeping on the couch. I think this piece comes across as simple at first glance, but after analysis you can see it has a powerful message: let sleeping dogs lie. This caveat is popular in life, and serves as a reminder to people that getting involved in a situation when not necessary can prove to be more harmful than if you just stayed out of it. These six images help convey the overall theme of both my photobook and Leibovitz’s, and was really enjoyable to put together.

Slideshow 2:

I believe these images best capture Leibovitz as a person, as a photographer, and as an icon. Her naked self portrait with her camera reveals both, and her candid photographs of her family express her importance of family. The image of the naked woman with a snake is a clear reference to the Garden of Eden, touching on her Jewish heritage, and the children throwing dirt on the casket at the funeral calls on a reference to Judaism, the circle of life, and life’s ebb and flow. Overall, these images perfectly depict the life cycle, how life comes with the good and bad, and how vulnerable pieces can be used to convey much more than just “visual art.”

Dylan,

You’ve completed an ambitious and thoughtful gallery of photographs, selection, and analysis. I am impressed with what you learned from trying to work as Leibovitz does and how questions of intimacy animate many of her photographs, even when she doesn’t initially know the person she is assigned to photograph.

I think that you should rearrange the slide show order of Leibovitz’s photos so that it corresponds better with yours. So, match up her self-portrait with your self portrait (which is very good–you made a good choice to use the bottles with the mirror behind it). Similarly, match up the basketball shot with your brother’s shot. I would reduce the number of Leibovitz photos to six, to work with your slide how.

It would be interesting to reflect upon not just the photograph of your parents embrace but also the Leibovitz photograph of the couple dancing at home. How do they relate to each other? How does yours comment on hers?

DDM

Conclusion: Did you come to understand your Jewish photographer differently after taking your own photos? What did you learn about your thesis?

This entire portfolio project was really interesting to complete, and shaped into something I had not expected. What I thought my project would look like in my head, and what it ended up being, were two completely different entities. Furthermore, my respect for Annie Leibovitz increased tenfold which I had not anticipated either. Seeing and witnessing all of the work and thought that goes into creating a mini photo book like I organized really put into perspective how much effort, pride, and time went into creating this legendary photobook, A Photographer’s Life (1990-2005). 

                                                                                    Susan Sontag, Petra, Jordan, 1994

If I were to say the biggest thing I took away from creating an Annie Leibovitz inspired photo book, it would be how the relationship between the photographer and subject makes all the difference in how the image is going to come out. Due to coronavirus, I didn’t get the opportunity to take photographs of subjects that weren’t my immediate family; with that being said, it’s not that difficult to assume how much harder and taxing this project would have been if I had to work with strangers, or at least people I wouldn’t trust with my life. Leibovitz explains that very concept very well in her interview with ArtScience Museum. 

Leibovitz reveals that while one photo in her series is not more powerful than the next, the image of her mom is one of her favorites; she continues explaining that she “can’t take that kind of picture on an everyday assignment… you don’t have the intimacy with the subject.” While my attempt at calling on her techniques to inspire my own work may not be done at a high level, I completely understand what she means when referencing photographing her family. I was able to capture an intimate and pure moment between my parents, or my brother in his comfort zone, because of our relationship and familial ties. I believe it would have been significantly more difficult to capture these singular images if they were strangers, and even more so to put together a whole story. 

                                                         

My Parents on their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary                                 Leaving Seattle, November 15, 2004

My thesis remained constant throughout the duration of my project, but my appreciation for it changed. Obviously, I know that everyone goes through ups and downs in life, but it took this project to really put in (visual) perspective that there is more to moments/people than meets the eye. This was also my first real attempt at creating a story through photography, and I just gained a new found respect for all of the photographers out there (the legends and the novices) who attempt to create art from their unique perspective. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed this project and learned a lot about myself, my family, and the art of photography while completing it. 

Dylan,

Very engaging and thoughtful conclusion. I appreciate your attention to intimacy and what it allows a photographer to do. At the same time, your awareness of the challenge of creating a mini-photo book reveals the accomplishment of a professional photographer like Leibovitz.

It’s also great that you let the project evolve from what you initially imagined it to be and then what it became. As you review the final project, please try to identify the Leibovitz photos with titles so that you credit her work.

DDM

Sources: List of all your sources with hyperlinks. Be sure to separate photo sources from written research sources.

All photographs were taken directly from A Photographer’s Life (1990-2005). Print.

Brooklyn Museum

Art Net: Annie Leibovitz

Biography.com: Annie Leibovitz

The Art Story

New York Times Interview

ArtScience Museum Video Interview