Annie to get the Ansel treatment

[MIke Sherck]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=akGeVTGU4k04

Basically, Annie's been rescued by a company that's going to help her mine her image archive. Expect posters, calendars, greeting cards, and for all I know, printed towels and images on coffee cans. I think we're all likely to get right tired of those famous John Lennon and Demi Moore photos before too long. But if a rising tide lifts all boats, perhaps some other photographers (i.e., ones I like,) will get pulled along.

Yes, I'm an optimist ;)

Mike

[Jack Dahlgren]

"Leibovitz, who photographed John Lennon hours before his death and captured Whoopi Goldberg in a bath of milk, in September renegotiated a $24 million loan to gain control of her photographs as well as her three brownstones in Manhattan’s West Village and a 228-acre property in Rhinebeck, New York. In return, the lender dropped its lawsuit against her."

Sounds like real estate speculation just wasn't her thing.

[Daniel Stone]

I used to "look up" to Annie, I mean, getting the chance to photograph these "luminaries" of our time(i.e. Lennon, Whoopi, Demi, etc.)

but after this little fiasco with her finances, just shows me she's less than she's made up to be, at least to me.

a fellow assistant I worked with on a job here in LA worked for her for almost a year after he got out of art school. he said he 1. learned nothing about photography from her, and 2. found out that she's about as big of a B!+ch that can be out there. Especially to her crew members.

he told me that someone who accidentally loaded a back with color instead of b/w got kicked off set immediately, and she cussed him out pretty bad(under her breath) while shooting the rest of the day.

but people still line up around the block to assist her, same with Markus Klinko and Indrani(beauty/fashion photogs in NY), they filed for bankruptcy last year. just shows how hyped up some of these people really are vs. what they actually know.

-Dan

[Thom Bennett]

he 1. learned nothing about photography from her

He was there to work; she ain't a college.

and 2. found out that she's about as big of a B!+ch that can be out there.

So? Can you imagine the pressure that she is under to produce tantalizing images and deal with high profile subjects and the myriad things that are going on during her shoots? The last thing she needs to worry about is her assistant's feelings. Again, he was there to work and make sure the shoot was a success.

he told me that someone who accidentally loaded a back with color instead of b/w got kicked off set immediately

No shit! That's a huge mistake! Of course she kicked him off the set. She couldn't trust him to do the simplest thing.

[D. Bryant]

he 1. learned nothing about photography from her

He was there to work; she ain't a college.

and 2. found out that she's about as big of a B!+ch that can be out there.

So? Can you imagine the pressure that she is under to produce tantalizing images and deal with high profile subjects and the myriad things that are going on during her shoots? The last thing she needs to worry about is her assistant's feelings. Again, he was there to work and make sure the shoot was a success.

he told me that someone who accidentally loaded a back with color instead of b/w got kicked off set immediately

No shit! That's a huge mistake! Of course she kicked him off the set. She couldn't trust him to do the simplest thing.

Annie was at the right place at the the right time in history and was prepared to take advantage of the opportunity.

She probably is a bitch to work for, she is very driven and is under a lot of pressure.

Personally I think she has what it takes to succeed at what she does.

Vision trumps technique!

Just my 2 cents,

Don Bryant

[Daniel Stone]

he 1. learned nothing about photography from her

He was there to work; she ain't a college.

He(my friend/fellow assistint) knew that, he started as an unpaid intern, moving up to a paid assistantship after a few jobs after proving himself. very true, but there's asking questions to learn, and there's learning by watching. he didn't pick up anything from her from either method.

and 2. found out that she's about as big of a B!+ch that can be out there.

So? Can you imagine the pressure that she is under to produce tantalizing images and deal with high profile subjects and the myriad things that are going on during her shoots? The last thing she needs to worry about is her assistant's feelings. Again, he was there to work and make sure the shoot was a success.

you're right! But do you know if she assisted anyone? From all the mini-movies/docu's made about her, I thought she just rolled into shooting straight from school(which ain't bad, but you have to be able to follow before you can lead IMO), so she may not fully understand the life of an assistant. who am I to know? I'm still in the assisting phase of my young career. It doesn't pay well(yet), but the knowledge I'm gaining and the people I'm networking with is well worth the lower pay.

he told me that someone who accidentally loaded a back with color instead of b/w got kicked off set immediately

No shit! That's a huge mistake! Of course she kicked him off the set. She couldn't trust him to do the simplest thing.

very true, but she's always been known for large productions, especially in the last 20 years. if there's only 2 film backs on a set, something's definitely wrong with the producer/assistant who wrote up the rental order. Just have both b/w and color loaded so you're ready to rock if she calls for either...but I hear where you're coming from.



-Dan

[Brian K]

he 1. learned nothing about photography from her

He was there to work; she ain't a college.

and 2. found out that she's about as big of a B!+ch that can be out there.

So? Can you imagine the pressure that she is under to produce tantalizing images and deal with high profile subjects and the myriad things that are going on during her shoots? The last thing she needs to worry about is her assistant's feelings. Again, he was there to work and make sure the shoot was a success.

he told me that someone who accidentally loaded a back with color instead of b/w got kicked off set immediately

No shit! That's a huge mistake! Of course she kicked him off the set. She couldn't trust him to do the simplest thing.

I have to disagree with you. While it's obvious that the assistant is there to work, there's a certain amount of training and teaching that comes along with hiring assistants, especially if they start out with you as unpaid interns. During the course of my career I hired hundreds of assistants and the fact is that none of them start out knowing how you work and need to be trained by you or your first assistant. And this is more than just an effective way to work, it's somewhat of a moral obligation to pass on what you were taught when you assisted.

As for her reputation as a bitch, in my assisting days I worked for photographers just as famous as her as well as non famous photographers and ALL of them have the pressure on them to get a shoot done properly. Some people managed to maintain civility and respect for their assistants, some were abusive. AL's reputation among assistants as a nightmare is legendary.

As for kicking an assistant off a set for loading a back with B&W instead of color, it's not a minor mistake, but maybe if she took a moment to teach that assistant how she worked the issue might never have happened. Bottom line is that the photographer is responsible for EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON SET. If an assistant screws up it's the photographer's fault for not training them properly, not supervising critical functions or hiring someone incompetent. An experienced photographer creates a work flow that minimizes the possibility of human error. On critical functions I would double check my crew, and would also have them double check me. People make mistakes, it's just that simple.

[Brian K]

Annie was at the right place at the the right time in history and was prepared to take advantage of the opportunity.

She probably is a bitch to work for, she is very driven and is under a lot of pressure.

Personally I think she has what it takes to succeed at what she does.

Vision trumps technique!

Just my 2 cents,

Don Bryant

Irving Penn was a true gentleman and just shows that you don't have to be a bitch to succeed. As for AL's vision, do you really think that a magazine or ad agency just lets her wing it? There are ADs, CDs , GDs, editors, etc on the set. And in most cases the concept for the image was determined well in advance and not necessarily by her.

[Mike Anderson]

he 1. learned nothing about photography from her

He was there to work; she ain't a college.


I think it's reasonable to expect to learn something pertinent to the field when being an assistant (or doing almost any job for that matter). Perhaps if the underlings had a better understanding of the game plan and big picture there would be less incidents of wrong film loaded, etc.

...Mike

[djcphoto]

1. learned nothing about photography from her...

I believe he learned not to load colour film instead of black and white :D

[Peter De Smidt]

... in my assisting days I worked for photographers just as famous as her as well as non famous photographers and ALL of them have the pressure on them to get a shoot done properly. Some people managed to maintain civility and respect for their assistants, some were abusive.

Speaking as someone who spent two years being a full-time assistant, I couldn't agree more.

[Greg Miller]

he 1. learned nothing about photography from her

He was there to work; she ain't a college.

I don't think many assistants do the job as their end game. Most are assisting with the expectation of learning what it takes to be a photographer and run a photography business in the real world , so that some day they can stop assisting and actually be the photographer.

[D. Bryant]

Irving Penn was a true gentleman and just shows that you don't have to be a bitch to succeed. As for AL's vision, do you really think that a magazine or ad agency just lets her wing it? There are ADs, CDs , GDs, editors, etc on the set. And in most cases the concept for the image was determined well in advance and not necessarily by her.

The subject at hand isn't Irving Penn, rather Annie Liebovitz.

Her vision and drive got her to the party. Annie has a large input on the shoots, her imagination and creativity go into the work she produces. She is more than a camera operator. Sure she depends on a lot of other people but she has too and so does anyone else at that level. And if she is a bitch that's just part of her style and personality.

Her assistants aren't making minimum wage. And if someone loaded the wrong film then they should be fired, IMO. When you are working at that level those kinds of mistakes can't be tolerated.

But I think she shoots mostly digital on assignment. She did PRESBO with a Leica S2.


Don Bryant

[Jim Ewins]

Photographers can be as arrogant as real artists

[John Kasaian]

Well, I'm glad she's got the wieght of financial doomm off her back. Thats a terrible thing for anyone to have to deal with. If the media coverage is accurate, I should have learned something about her that would perhaps make her photography more interesting, since I'd know more about where she's coming from, but I haven't.

[William McEwen]

Annie's best work is her intimate low-key stuff. The stuff shot with one camera and one lens and one film.

The big production shoots are over the top and boring.

[MIke Sherck]

Congratulations to her for this. Ansel was way old when he finally got a business manager with the smarts to make his images and personal image pay off big. He deserved every penny of it.

Annie does as well. More power to her if she makes it even bigger, pays all off and continues her success.

It can only help photographers and photography in general.

That was kind of my thought as well, but she's 60. Even these days, that isn't a spring chicken. Ansel's ascent to popular culture icon had a very widespread effect on art photography; perhaps if Annie turns lovable it'll have a similar effect?

Actually, I don't think it'll work out that way. It doesn't seem to be her personality. It will be interesting, though, to see what happens next.

Mike

[Photojeep]

Yes, I agree that assistants are there to work and be paid for their efforts. But there is also an implied agreement that some sort of teaching will occur. Having said that, I personally don't see the reason for ANYONE to have a childish yelling tantrum on a set. It is supposed to be professional, no matter who you are. Of course mistakes are going to happen. Everyone makes them. Professionalism also goes far beyond the shoot and if I am not mistaken, part of Ms. L's problem is that she also owed many thousands of dollars to support staff. To me that is far worse than loading the wrong film into a back. You hire someone, you pay them. Period. If you cannot pay them prior to getting paid, you let them know ahead of time. And when you do get paid, you pay those you owe. Anything less is as unprofessional as can be.

[MIke Sherck]

Many years ago I worked for a company who hired a "business consultant" to help them improve... something. Employees were all gathered in an auditorium and this consultant began his presentation. "I think we can all agree that we can go for 30 seconds without making a mistake. And if we can go 30 seconds without making a mistake, we can go a minute without making a mistake. And if we can go a minute without making a mistake, we can go two minutes..." on and on up to forever, I think it was. We can all see where this came from, and where it went.

At the end of the presentation the consultant asked whether anyone had any questions. We all sat there in uncomfortable silence, until I raised my hand. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my boss shaking his head 'no' emphatically. The consultant smiled in delight and pointed at me and I stood up.

"I'm just curious," I said. "Were you born stupid or is this something you've been studying?"

No, I didn't get fired. I -almost- got fired but fortunately I live and work in a rather unpretentious part of the country and the complete lunacy of the presentation saved me. But when I hear someone remark that an assistant who made the egregious
mistake of loading the wrong film in the camera back deserved to be fired for this one mistake alone, I think back on that earnest but stupid "business consultant" and marvel that there are still people in this imperfect world who never make a mistake and bravely hold others to the same lofty standard.

Mike

[Len Middleton]

Many years ago I worked for a company who hired a "business consultant" to help them improve... something. Employees were all gathered in an auditorium and this consultant began his presentation. "I think we can all agree that we can go for 30 seconds without making a mistake. And if we can go 30 seconds without making a mistake, we can go a minute without making a mistake. And if we can go a minute without making a mistake, we can go two minutes..." on and on up to forever, I think it was. We can all see where this came from, and where it went.

At the end of the presentation the consultant asked whether anyone had any questions. We all sat there in uncomfortable silence, until I raised my hand. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my boss shaking his head 'no' emphatically. The consultant smiled in delight and pointed at me and I stood up.

"I'm just curious," I said. "Were you born stupid or is this something you've been studying?"
Mike

MIke,

I always thought that was an urban legend. Did that actually happen?

The consultant may have been stupid, or maybe just cynical and seeing what he could sell.

For me, the greater folly was those who were apparently impressed enough with his message to hire him and pay for his services. As well as paying to have all those employees to sit and listen to such an absurd message.

I would look into the abilities of the individual who did the hiring if the organization wants to improve their performance and save the cost of his salary.

There you go, free advice from a management consultant and worth every penny.:D

Regards,

Len

[MIke Sherck]

MIke,

I always thought that was an urban legend. Did that actually happen?

The consultant may have been stupid, or maybe just cynical and seeing what he could sell.

For me, the greater folly was those who were apparently impressed enough with his message to hire him and pay for his services. As well as paying to have all those employees to sit and listen to such an absurd message.

I would look into the abilities of the individual who did the hiring if the organization wants to improve their performance and save the cost of his salary.

There you go, free advice from a management consultant and worth every penny.:D

Regards,

Len

Yes, it actually happened. The executives responsible are long since retired; this would have been in the early or mid-1980's, pre-1986 when I trashed my knee. For a while at the beginning of the talk a lot of us thought it was a joke or a prelude to something playing off how ridiculous it was, but no, this was the program.

There was a hostile takeover a few years later. Things got seriously heated then, what with anonymous cartoons and the company hiring detectives and trying (and failing) to make everyone take a lie detector test to try to find out where the cartoons were coming from. When I think back, it was one of the funniest jobs I ever had.

Mike

[Len Middleton]

Yes, it actually happened. The executives responsible are long since retired; this would have been in the early or mid-1980's, pre-1986 when I trashed my knee. For a while at the beginning of the talk a lot of us thought it was a joke or a prelude to something playing off how ridiculous it was, but no, this was the program.

There was a hostile takeover a few years later. Things got seriously heated then, what with anonymous cartoons and the company hiring detectives and trying (and failing) to make everyone take a lie detector test to try to find out where the cartoons were coming from. When I think back, it was one of the funniest jobs I ever had.

Mike

MIke,

Thanks for confirming that. I have heard a similar stories over the years, but as mentioned always thought that was just another urban legend. WOW, to think that some people actually thought that. :eek:

As a result of writing a newsletter on human errors and how to address it in industry, I received an invitation to present a paper and deliver a presentation. I may use your antedote as an example of potential solutions that have been proposed over the years, if you do not mind (no names will be used, to protect the identity of the guilty parties ;) ).

I find your comment about cartoons in the workplace amusing. As part of my work, I often visit industrial sites to determine how well they manage their business. During a tour of a site, I make it a point to look at offical bulletin boards and informal communications (workplace graffitti, cartoons, pin-ups, etc.) to see what is viewed as important to communicate and the mood of the organization. The informal communications are often more useful in helping one's true understanding of the organizational culture than discussions with management. In fact, restroon stalls are excellent locations to determine what individuals think of the situation when they feel they can express themselves privately... :D

Thanks for your story and insights,

Len

[MIke Sherck]

MIke,

Thanks for confirming that. I have heard a similar stories over the years, but as mentioned always thought that was just another urban legend. WOW, to think that some people actually thought that. :eek:

As a result of writing a newsletter on human errors and how to address it in industry, I received an invitation to present a paper and deliver a presentation. I may use your antedote as an example of potential solutions that have been proposed over the years, if you do not mind (no names will be used, to protect the identity of the guilty parties ;) ).

I find your comment about cartoons in the workplace amusing. As part of my work, I often visit industrial sites to determine how well they manage their business. During a tour of a site, I make it a point to look at offical bulletin boards and informal communications (workplace graffitti, cartoons, pin-ups, etc.) to see what is viewed as important to communicate and the mood of the organization. The informal communications are often more useful in helping one's true understanding of the organizational culture than discussions with management. In fact, restroon stalls are excellent locations to determine what individuals think of the situation when they feel they can express themselves privately... :D

Thanks for your story and insights,

Len

You can go ahead and use the anecdote; it's true and I'm hoping that the example will prevent it ever being repeated. :) You'll notice that I didn't mention the name of the company when I told it!

When I visit a home of an acquaintance new to me, I try to see what books they have laying around. As you say, informal means of communication often say more, and are more true, than the obvious ways.

Mike

[Hugo Zhang]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_en_ot/us_annie_leibovitz

[lilmsmaggie]

But when I hear someone remark that an assistant who made the egregious mistake of loading the wrong film in the camera back deserved to be fired for this one mistake alone, I think back on that earnest but stupid "business consultant" and marvel that there are still people in this imperfect world who never make a mistake and bravely hold others to the same lofty standard.

I have to agree with Mike. If you are considered a "professional," that carries with it a certain level of responsibility. A "professional" does not throw tantrums. A "professional" does not blame or scapegoat someone else for the responsibilities that THEY as a "professional" assumed. That asssistant deserved better. That assistant should have been given every opportunity to learn and be mentored by the "professional" who hired them. That assistant didn't get and sign the contract to do the shoot. The "professional" did!

I don't think Leibovitz ever worked as an assistant. Maybe while she was at Rolling Stone, but while she was there, if one believes the media, she was probably stoned half the time on cocaine.

Leibovitz for sure is an artist. But Leibovitz created her own financial mess by her perfectionist style and unending, absorptivitly expensive, renovations of the properties she invested in. She was also known to loose very expensive photography equipment that was leased and/or loaned to her for her various shooting assignments.

Being under pressure as a professional photographer is one thing; dealing with what comes with that territory, and nuturing and passing on your craft to those who look to you for guidance, is what being a "professional" is all about.

[Hugo Zhang]

What I don't get is this part: 24 millions of business loan and three historic Manhattan townhouses?

[MIke Sherck]

She also appears to have a learning disability:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=ar1Zh13PEjpE

Annie Leibovitz Sued by Brunswick Capital for Finance Fees

*Sigh*

[lilmsmaggie]

What I don't get is this part: 24 millions of business loan and three historic Manhattan townhouses?

1. She sold the rights to her photographs to pay for her excesses.

2. She was sued, because she insisted that renovation on one of those townhouses
have a basement where should could stand fully erect. In the process of excavating the basement, the foundation of her townhouse shifted, causing it and the neighboring townhouse to shift, resulting in millions of dollars of damage.

3. She was a spend thirft.

[lilmsmaggie]

After pondering this a bit, it occurred to me that perhaps some of Annie's troubles started with the death of Susan Sontag. It could be that Sontag was the "rudder" Annie needed to chart a steady course. I've heard that Leibovitz took Sontag's death hard; which meant she probably suffered from deep depression.

On a personal level, I can relate to this. Losing my wife was very hard on me. I went through a very long period of depression (years) where I did not manage my finances well or at all. In fact, I didn't care about money or how I spent it -- period! I became indifferent about money and the consequences of mismanaging it.

Looking at what Leibovitz has gone through after the loss of Sontag actually causes me to reflect on my own loss.

I guess what I'm saying is that maybe we should just cut her a little slack. She is after all a talented artist. Eccentric perhaps a bit foolhardy maybe - but talented nontheless.

[Brian Ellis]

I haven't read this entire thread but I skimmed it. I didn't see anyone talk about her drug addiction problems as the root cause of her difficulties. Very few people can function as mature adults when they're addicted to drugs for as long as she was.

[lilmsmaggie]

I didn't see anyone talk about her drug addiction problems as the root cause of her difficulties. Very few people can function as mature adults when they're addicted to drugs for as long as she was.

Brian, I hinted at it in my post. I didn't feel the need to go into any indepth detail.
I figured most follower's of her career probably picked up on it. :)

[Robert Hughes]

Artists are not necessarily smart money managers. Gutenberg, Van Gogh, Mozart and countless others died penniless.

[Hugo Zhang]

Artists are not necessarily smart money managers. Gutenberg, Van Gogh, Mozart and countless others died penniless.


Many of them never had enough money to manage. Vincent had to rely on his brother Theo to send him 150 franc a month and would go days with little to eat. Annie is not a struggling artist.

[bhampson]

When the creator occupies the limelight more than their art, then they are little more than the hype that shall die along with them. I have met and studied under a number of very famous/successful shooters and none of them were rude or unprofessional, if they were I would not have had anything to do with them. All masters teach, even if it is accidental or posthumously, if what is said of her conduct is true then she might do well to get over herself just a smidge.

[neil poulsen]

Artists are not necessarily smart money managers. Gutenberg, Van Gogh, Mozart and countless others died penniless.

No kidding!

It's neat that she was able to regain control of her work. She must have something on the ball to negotiate that one.

There's something profoundly sad about an artist being separated from their work.

[Andre Noble]

She was also known to loose very expensive photography equipment that was leased and/or loaned to her for her various shooting assignments.

If reports of how she treated some assistants were true, maybe it was her ill-treated assistant exacting a measure of financial recuperation (and not her simply 'misplacing' her gear)for the treatment she meted out??