Guide Note

Jill Greenberg is a photographer whose work has attracted controversy. In 2006, she was criticized for her photographs of crying children, "End Times".¹ Critics maintained that intentionally inflicting distress on children, so that she could photograph them in tears, was abusive. In 2008, she drew fire for the techniques she used to create unflattering pictures of John McCain.

Fast Facts

1. Born: July 1967²
2. Birth place: Montreal, Canada²
3. Married to Robert Greenberg
4. Children: Violet and Zed
5. Education: BFA in Photography from Rhode Island School of Design
6. Clients: Phillip Morris, MTV, RCA, Microsoft, Kraft Foods, Sony Pictures,, HBO and several others²

Photographer Jill Greenberg's portrait of John McCain was used on the cover of the October 2008 issue of The Atlantic. In an interview with the photography website PDNPulse, Greenberg admitted that she intentionally set McCain up for unflattering images.³

"Given her strong feelings about John McCain, we asked whether she had any reservations about taking the assignment in the first place...."I am a pretty hard core Democrat. Some of my artwork has been pretty anti-Bush, so maybe it was somewhat irresponsible for them [The Atlantic] to hire me." "--Photo District News³

Photography | John McCain