january 2007 - Professional Photographer Magazine

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New PBS documentary
turns the camera lens on
Annie Leibovitz
Her images catch us off guard. Sometimes
they shock us. Sometimes they charm us.
These images make an imprint on our
minds, our souls. Never intending to
become an icon herself, Annie Leibovitz is
nevertheless as famous as her subjects,
and one of the most influential photographers
of our time.
“I wasn’t one of those photographers
that started when I was 12 and always
wanted to be a photographer,” says
Leibovitz. “It really was a much slower
awareness. It all came from the same place
of wanting to do art, wanting to do
something to express yourself.”
Known for steadfastly protecting her
personal privacy, Leibovitz has at last
dropped her guard to give a rare glimpse
into her world. On the heels of the October
release of her most recent book, “A
Photographer’s Life: 1990-2005” (Random
House), in the acclaimed series American
Masters, PBS presents Annie Leibovitz:
Life Through a Lens, premiering January
3, at 9 p.m. EST. Directed by the
photographer’s younger sister, Barbara
©Annie Leibovitz
Leibovitz, the program documents a year
in Leibovitz’s life, at work and at home.
“As her sister, I feel a serious responsibility
not only to tell her story, but to tell it
honestly,” says Barbara, whose own resume
includes several award-winning documentaries
for the Discovery Channel, National
Geographic, CNN, TBS and Discovery Health,
and PBS. “It was a challenge, but I learned
more about my sister than I ever imagined.”
The 90-minute Life Through A Lens
includes interviews with family members,
well-known Leibovitz subjects such as
Mikhail Barishnikov, Rosanne Cash, Yoko
Ono and Mick Jagger, and editors, stylists
and art directors who have worked with
the photographer.
The sisters had talked of working on a
pclose&
BY STEPHANIE BOOZER
22 • www.ppmag.com