It was surreal to see Annie Leibovitz in person. As an amateur photographer, I have idolized her for years. I watched documentaries about her and learned that at some point in her life she was supposed to go to the University of the Philippines while her father was based here as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. She protested. She insisted on going back to the U.S. to study there. I imagined a parallel universe where she enrolled in U.P. A world where there would be no Annie Leibovitz, legendary photographer. No iconic photos of a naked John Lennon in a fetal position kissing Yoko Ono – a picture Leibovitz shot before he was killed. No image of a naked, pregnant Demi Moore. Then again, I have to give our country some credit. It was being in the Philippines that got her into photography.
There was also a documentary on Leibovitz shooting the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. A film that’s slightly unnerving to watch, with Leibovitz telling the Queen that her dress is "too dressy", and the Queen responding with an icy tone, "Dressy? Well it’s a dress, isn’t it?" It’s never a comfortable sight to have two queens in one square. That’s how Leibovitz strikes me. She is unto herself, a queen. Celebrities would drop anything to have their portraits taken by her. How many photographers have reached this royal status? Only Leibovitz. There is only one Leibovitz.
I remember attending a photography club here in Manila. It was interesting to watch them, with their dark shirts and blank expressions. They have a natural ability to blend into the background. To become part of the wall. To be still and quiet, and be in the perfect position to capture the moment without interrupting it. Inhale, click, exhale. A good photographer is invisible. And Leibovitz has mastered this art. While working for Rolling Stone Magazine, she hung out with musicians, joined them in their road trips, until such time that they got used to having her around with her small camera, clicking and clicking. She was part of their world. The result? Photos that reveal a different side of the gods. Lying on the floor, high on drugs. Or high up in the air at a concert. A shirtless Arnold Schwarzenegger cradling a porcelain doll.
In Cannes, Leibovitz gave a talk on Disney’s print campaign where A-list Hollywood stars dressed up as beloved fairytale characters: Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, Beyonce as Alice in Wonderland, Julian Moore as The Little Mermaid, Jessical Biel as Pocahontas, etc. The client, Executive VP for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Leslie Ferraro was also there. The campaign has been running for seven years. She said the challenge was to "distill the story to one frame.”
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Leibovitz said the secret was that she didn’t think of it as advertising, "It’s storytelling.” She also shared the trust Disney gave her, how this was instrumental to the success of the campaign: "Disney let me go with it. No one was telling me what to do.” And Ferraro agreed, saying, "Choose partners wisely and trust them. Let them do it.”
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Well, that’s easy to say if your photographer is a legend. A legend who could get away with saying something as dangerous as, "Trust what you think, what you feel. If you start to splinter yourself to please everybody, that can be hard. I don’t think I would’ve lasted this long, if I listened to anyone.”
Well, Annie, you’re one in a million. It’s hard to follow your advice and not listen to you.
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Article contributed by: Tin Sanchez
