Annie Leibovitz Drinks Green Tea!

We were lucky enough to be on hand for a personal tour of a new show at the High Museum of Art -- Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005 -- given by Annie herself for the media. (Well, there are perks!). She is an imposing figure at first sight -- six feet tall or more, dressed all in black, blond gray hair flowing in all directions, seriously Earth-friendly shoes (Merrills) -- but her accessibility and sense of humor soften that image right away. Walking through several galleries -- carrying her bottle of green tea -- she commented on her life and loves, hits and misses and set ups for some of the photos on display.

This show originated at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and its stop at the High is the only venue in the Southeast. And what makes it special is that it combines her commissioned, commercial work with the poignant, personal pictures she took of her parents and siblings, her lover, the late Susan Sontag, and her late-in-life children. Leibovitz turns 60 this year.

In recent years, she has eschewed studio shots, preferring to shoot her subjects in their environments. When she shot the well-publicized picture of Mikhail Baryshnikov, she said she spent three weeks at the Florida plantation where he and Mark Morris created so much of their work. "That was a turning point for me," she said, talking about the importance of environment.

The photograph of Queen Elizabeth of England is a more recent case in point. Ten years ago, Leibovitz told us, she had asked to photograph the Queen for her book, Women produced with Sontag in 1999. She was turned down then but, happily, Buckingham Palace called inviting Leibovitz to photograph the Queen in her environment -- the Palace, with natural light coming through an open door and a small strobe. Leibovitz was shown a variety of clothes and "books of the Queen's jewelry" before settling on the approach.
"It was like photographing your aunt," she said. "She was a little feisty."


Does she have a favorite photo or subject?
I don't have one favorite. I really see it as a body of work.

Advice for young photographers?
Find something you're interested in.

On her craft:
I think of myself less as a photographer...more of an artist using photography.
You learn the most from your work when you take the time to edit it.
There is a comfort in getting older and knowing what you're doing...You wish you had more time.

On beiing "green":
"Nature is the greatest designer," she said, talking about shooting landscapes. (There are some marvelous shots here.) And, as an aside, she said she tries to eat organically.

This show of extraordinary photographs including Demi Moore, Chris Rock, George W. Bush (with Condi Rice, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld), as well as her family -- including Sontag's breast cancer and treatment. They will be on view through Sept. 9. Don't miss it.

www.high.org