Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz is an American photographer who is known for her edgy celebrity portraits. Her most recent photo shoot for Vanity Fair involving teen idol Miley Cyrus provoked controversy when Cyrus, then 15, claimed to have been embarrassed by the shoot, which featured her clad only in a lacy sheet.

Fast Facts

1. Born: October 2, 1949
2. Birthplace: Waterbury, Connecticut
3. Attended the San Francisco Art Institute
4. Best known for work with Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines.
5. Engaged in long and intimate relationship with late author Susan Sontag

Background

Leibovitz got her big break with an assignment by Rolling Stone to shoot John Lennon in 1970. Her image of a bearded Lennon appeared on the cover of the January 21, 1971, issue of the magazine. Throughout the 1970s, the young artist photographed such cultural icons as Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Bob Marley, and The Rolling Stones. Just hours before his assassination in 1981, Leibovitz completed a photo session with John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono.

Recent Career

Beginning in the 1980s, Leibovitz began to tackle less music-related subjects, including politicians such as George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and even became a war zone photographer in Sarajevo during the Balkan Wars.

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