Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Annie Leibovitz (CI 15: Image Critique)




Choosing just one image to critique from Annie Leibovtitz's enormous body of work was difficult! I finally settled on this photograph of the actress Cate Blanchett from the December 2004 issue of Vogue. This is a quintessential Annie Leibovitz celebrity portrait. which she is famous for. To give a bit of background information, I believe this shoot was done as promotion for the release of the movie The Aviator, in which Cate portrayed iconic actress Katherine Hepburn. This is in the more recent phase of Annie's career, where she has concentrated mainly on very high-end fashion shoots and Hollywood portraits. I love this shot because it's so fun and joyful. It has great composition (rule of thirds, space for her to ride in to) and a great sense of movement. I think Annie captured the "decisive moment" here - the subject's pose and expression are perfect. She looks glamorous, but still approachable and human. Even though you know the shot was set up, it has a candid feel to it. The overall mood of the photo is happy and carefree, and it has a definite vintage look, as indicated by the clothing and style of bike, and supported by the fact that it's in black and white. The photo has the sleek sophistication of a fashion magazine shoot that Annie is known for nowadays, and also her trademark of bringing out the energy and humanity in her subject.