annie.leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz--the woman, the photographer, the wonder. Annie is nothing short of a wonder, nay, a photographic saint of our time. Her images are world-renowned and iconic, yet simple and honest all at once. The latter part can't be truly said of some of her more recent work, which are clearly very strongly digitally enhanced images, and some people (my self included) can't help but stop and think, "Does this just look awesome because it has so many celebrities in it?" But after that short spurt of doubt in dear Annie's work, I looked deeper and saw that Annie brings out a surprising side of every celebrity she shoots--something other people wouldn't automatically think when given the task of photographing Whoopi Goldberg, Keira Knightly, John Lennon and Yoko. Plus, I realized that they don't just let anybody photograph the "gods" of our time. Annie had to work her way up there.

Although her later work undoubtedly has the "wow" factor, it is Annie's early work that truly inspires me so profoundly. The simplicity is what shockingly makes the best pictures in a strange way. Too often, I get so wrapped up in the angle and the multiple focus points and the depth perception and the colors and the shadows and--it just gets to be too much. It's the same with life. I focus on so many things and want all of them to be perfect to the point that I over-think them. I over-do it, and it winds up being worse because of it. Hence, I have learned when it is best to just say, "whatever." 

Rule #33: Care less.

[[Oh yes, by the way, I write a list. A list of how to survive life. The rules may pop up in here once in a while.]]

So it is Annie's understanding of this concept that I admire. An understanding that when you strip away all the make up, all the wardrobe, all the fancy editing, you get a person. A person with a background. A family. A vulnerability. A weakness. A view of the world. A truth. In a way, I feel sad for Annie. Not that I know her personally or anything, but she must sometimes be sad that her job has turned into extreme sets and pyrotechnics. It has turned into show business, and for some reason, that seems lonelier than a person in their favorite t-shirt against a white wall. Nonetheless, she is on the path she is, doing what she loves, and kicking ass while she's at it. And for that, she's my hero.