Leibovitz portrait of the Queen

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Sparrow

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Annie Leibovitz portrait of the Queen was on the news this morning, had an uncanny resembalanse to Helen Mirren
:D
 
Did A.L. do HRH Dianna a few years back? I'm underwhelmed by A.L.s Queen's portrait.
 
I can't seem to find the portrait but I've heard about the surprise that Leibovitz didn't do something more, well, Leibovitz with her subject. That makes me wonder why on earth the Queen would have wanted Leibovitz to do a portrait in the first place. It's like asking Warhol to paint something "normal."
 
sooner said:
I can't seem to find the portrait but I've heard about the surprise that Leibovitz didn't do something more, well, Leibovitz with her subject. That makes me wonder why on earth the Queen would have wanted Leibovitz to do a portrait in the first place. It's like asking Warhol to paint something "normal."
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Normal?.......like a soup can?
:angel:
 
Thanks for posting the picture. I like it, too, though am I the only one who sees the pose and lighting as giving her an air of resignation, like she's more of an aged observer now than the symbolic leader of the British people? There's almost something sad there, to me. But don't get me wrong, it's certainly dignified and posh. Anyone else see a sadness there?
 
may I recommend http://www.royal.gov.uk/ ? ;) Nice photos there.


I have just seen the portrait and I find it quite magnificent. It seems to evoke a painting from the XVII-XVIIIth century and Her Royal Highness seems to gaze at both past and future with dignity and apeased thoughts.
 
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I've not generally been a fan of Liebovitz's Vanity Fair work, it's too overblown and artificial. But I was very impressed by the way this was both dignified and insightful. The magnificent textures, and the grey clouds, heavy with portent, add the depth and moodiness of a Reynolds painting from the 18th century. There's a grandness, and a vulnerability there too.
 
Paul T. said:
I've not generally been a fan of Liebovitz's Vanity Fair work, it's too overblown and artificial. But I was very impressed by the way this was both dignified and insightful. The magnificent textures, and the grey clouds, heavy with portent, add the depth and moodiness of a Reynolds painting from the 18th century. There's a grandness, and a vulnerability there too.
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Spot on Paul, my feeling too, I just couldn’t put the words in the right order
 
I agree with Paul and Sooner above. There's something about the mood of the weather outside that makes it for me. There is an omonous atmosphere here. (Of course the viewer brings along their own notions and biases.)

As an aside: perhaps one of the characteristics of "good art" is its ability to waken viewers' personal notions, thus involving them in the experience of looking at art.

I'm also curious what equipment AL chose to do this portrait. I mean, we fret over what gear to take on vacation; how much more critical/important is it when we are talking about doing a portrait of the Queen of England?
 
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I like the photo.

A sort of veiled maliciousness about it.
 
Edward Felcher said:
I like the photo.

A sort of veiled maliciousness about it.
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Edward, do you mean the queen herself, or something outside?

(See, this is what I mean.)
 
Seen it. Don't like it.
Looks a bit like a bad HDR shot from flickr.
I also don't care for the distortion at the edges.

When I first saw it, I imagined I had taken it.
My reactions were:
1) "Oh crap. I wonder if I can fix that in Photoshop."
2) "Do you think HRH will do a re-shoot?"
 
FrankS said:
EDIT

I'm also curious what equipment AL chose to do this portrait. I mean, we fret over what gear to take on vacation; how much more critical/important is it when we are talking about doing a portrait of the Queen of England?
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yes I wondered about the 3:2 ratio is it a crop?, it’s a very wide FOV whatever it is, a H3D with a 28mm? I’m assuming this isn’t film

anybody know what she uses?
 
Sparrow said:
yes I wondered about the 3:2 ratio is it a crop?, it’s a very wide FOV whatever it is, a H3D with a 28mm? I’m assuming this isn’t film

anybody know what she uses?
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Isn't LB a Mamiya shooter?

RE: the Queen, I would have expected more from LB, hers seems to me IMHO a very standard pose. What would Avedon have done?
 
I'm not thrilled with it either Steve. I find myself being drawn to the window more than I am the queen herself. I like ALs work, but I feel she was maybe intimidated by the queens majasty which persuaded her to make a simplistic decision to photograph her the way she did. It would of been great to see that over the edge kind of shot with the queen. I think it could of been done without being disrespectful to her Highness. Technically I think Annie probably used her Ditigal Hasseblad, and it shows. Too much white balance maybe, I think the queen is too white, but just my opinion anyway.
 
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