Annie Leibovitz

[adina]

Last night I spend the evening at Barnes and Nobles paging thru some books. There was one about getting the best digital black and white, one called Grandmothers, The Faces of Ireland (i think). One about mothers and daughters (I'm not sure I'll make it thru the teenage years), and my favorite for now, American Music, which was a collection of photos by Annie Leibovitz.

Almost exactly a year ago, I made the decision to start marketing to the masses. If I go thru session by session, you can see where I started to move away from what I love about photography to what I think will sell better. Which is all well and good from a $ standpoint. But after taking a month off over the holidays, it's hard to get back into it. While getting a nice big check is still exciting, it's been a while since I've taken any thing that's been exciting for me. I have no problems getting 20+ images that will sell, but I'm not feeling inspired or creative about what I'm doing.

Back to my original point. Looking thru American Music reminded me exactly why I decided to do this in the first place. While I'm far from that level, that's the feeling/mood that I love about photography. I woke up feeling un-stagnant (is that a word) and ready to get back to it.

This Saturday, I'm going to play with the dh and kids. He'll be traveling on business in the future, and the girls like to send photos with him. And I have a session coming up in two weeks that are with some of my favorite kids (this will be the 3rd time I've photographed them) and the mom is pretty laid back about what she wants. Pretty much whatever I want to do.

So I guess this could go in the business/law section, but for me it's more a matter of art as opposed to business. Business-wise, I know I can do this. To keep challenging myself artistically is where I'm struggling.

BTW, my favorite photo from the book was the one of Jerry Garcia. But she does beautiful work for Vouge as well.

[SmartWombat]

Yes, there's a difference between work for hire, and art you want to make.
I hope you can find time to do both.

[Asylum Steve]

Last night I spend the evening at Barnes and Nobles paging thru some books...and my favorite for now, American Music, which was a collection of photos by Annie Leibovitz.

It's interesting you mention Annie and her latest project, as I've kind of gone through cycles with her over the years.

In her early days with Rolling Stone, I was simply captivated by her work, as were of course many others. As she rose to fame, she seemed to continue to create the images and have the life many of us wanted. Or thought we did. She definitely was one of the first "rock stars" of photography...

As time went on, the novelty of the "hooks" in her portraits struck me as more and more gimmicky and formulaic. I mean, how do you keep topping some of the famously outrageous images she's had on the covers of national magazines?

I also heard things about her personality and tempement (mostly bad), and at some point I simply lost interest in her and her work...

But then I too, discovered American Music, and have looked through it a few times during various visits to bookstores. And, like you, I'm inspired by the dramatic change in style for her, and the honesty and emotion these photos capture.

And so once again I see her as a good role model, as she has found a way to pursue this wonderful personal project to balance out her more commercial work...

[SmartWombat]

Once you have your own look, then the commercial pressure is to repat that look becaue it's what sold the early images. Doesn't that explain the "formulaic" tendency in her work?

[megan]

I haven't seen "American Music," but I have to agree with you about the gimmicks. I thought that exactly several years ago when American Express, right next door to me, had an exhibit of all of her AmEx portraits. Granted, it was commissioned. commercial work, but by the end of the show, I just went "Yuck." I had also seen a show of her work previously in Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and loved her early black and whites of the Rolling Stones. Much different than her work in the 90's, and much fresher.