Annie Leibovitz, whose full name is Anna-Lou Leibovitz, was born on October 2, 1949, in Waterbury, Connecticut, United States. She is the daughter of Marilyn Leibovitz and Sam Leibovitz. Raised as one of six children, she grew up on military bases due to her father’s career as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Her mother was a modern dance instructor. During high school, Leibovitz developed an interest in various artistic disciplines, initially focusing on music before turning her attention to visual arts. She completed her studies at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1971.

Annie Leibovitz began taking photographs while visiting family in Japan, an experience that marked the beginning of her dedication to photography. In 1969, she spent five months working on a kibbutz in Israel, where she participated in archaeological work near the ruins traditionally associated with the Temple of Solomon. Photographs she had taken during her university years helped her secure a position at Rolling Stone. Upon returning to the United States in 1970, she officially joined the magazine.

In 1973, Annie Leibovitz was appointed chief photographer of Rolling Stone, a position she held until 1983. Her intimate and striking portraits of musicians and public figures played a major role in shaping the magazine’s visual identity. In 1975, she accompanied the rock band The Rolling Stones as the official photographer for their U.S. tour. During this period, she developed a cocaine addiction and later spent many years struggling toward recovery.

In 1983, after more than a decade photographing rock and roll legends such as John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen, Annie Leibovitz left Rolling Stone and joined Vanity Fair. This transition allowed her to expand her range of subjects to include figures such as the Dalai Lama, Václav Havel, and Donald Trump. From 1983 onward, she worked as a staff photographer for Vanity Fair while also contributing extensively to Vogue, often creating portraits by closely observing her subjects’ daily lives.

In 1990, Annie Leibovitz founded the Annie Leibovitz Photography Studio in New York. In August 1991, she sparked widespread debate with a Vanity Fair cover featuring a nude, seven-months-pregnant Demi Moore. One of her most famous images, the photograph was later parodied in the film The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, leading Leibovitz to sue Paramount Pictures. The court ruled the parody to be fair use, a landmark decision in U.S. copyright law.

Among her most iconic works is the final professional photograph of John Lennon, taken on December 8, 1980, just hours before his death. The image shows Lennon nude and curled around Yoko Ono, who is dressed in black. Originally, Leibovitz intended to photograph Lennon alone for the Rolling Stone cover, but Lennon insisted they appear together. Inspired by the artwork for his album Double Fantasy, she created what would become one of the most famous photographs in modern history.

Annie Leibovitz documented numerous historic moments, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Her contributions to photography have been recognized with numerous honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Center of Photography and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

She has three daughters: Sarah Cameron Leibovitz, born in 2001, and twins Susan Leibovitz and Samuelle Leibovitz, born via surrogate in 2005. One of the most significant relationships in her life was with writer, critic, and activist Susan Sontag. They met in the early 1980s while working on a book project, and their relationship lasted until Sontag’s death in 2004. Leibovitz photographed Sontag throughout every stage of her illness.

In 1991, Annie Leibovitz held her first museum exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., becoming the first woman and only the second living photographer to be honored there. That same year, she published the book Photographs 1970–1990. In 1996, she released American Olympians, documenting U.S. athletes competing in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1999, with contributions from Susan Sontag, she published the photo book Women.

In 2016, Annie Leibovitz photographed the Pirelli Calendar, portraying 12 influential women from music, cinema, literature, sports, and the arts. Shot in black and white, the calendar celebrated women for their achievements rather than physical appearance, featuring figures such as Fran Lebowitz, Mellody Hobson, Serena Williams, Yoko Ono, and Patti Smith.

Annie Leibovitz currently lives in New York City with her three daughters, continuing to be one of the most influential and respected figures in contemporary photography.

Source: Biyografiler.com