Herb Ritts is one of the most inspirational photographers of the 80’s and 90’s next to Annie Liebovitz Patrick Ecclesine and David Lachapelle
From Chris Isaac’s video for Foolish Game to the Calvin Klein ads, even if you’re not into photography you have seen his work in countless ads, music videos and album covers.
He’s photographed everyone from fashion models , to actors, athletes, political figures and musicians. A self taught photographer, who had never taken a photography class, and had a sense of natural light, he attributed his success to having a passion for people, and an eye for photography.
His career began in 1979 when he took some photographs of a friend/aspiring young actor by the name of Richard Gear.The photos was picked up by Vouge and Esquire. Due to the response from the pictorial Mademoiselle Magazine called and asked him to shoot a few pictures of Brook Sheilds for a small editorial. He decided to take the job, with no professional photography experience, and the pictures turned a 4 page spread, Launching his career.
His style and lighting is very unique, and nearly impossible to duplicate. The only known photographers who truly had similart skills in lighting I believe are Annie Leibovitz, David Lachapelle and Patrick Ecclesine He was drawn to clean lines, and strong forms. And mostly shot in Black and White.
Throughout his 18 yr career he has gone on to direct music videos, commercials, and published 6 books. He Worked for Interview Magazine, Vouge Magazine, Victoria’s Secret. Elle, Rolling Stone, Time. Vouge Allure, Glamour, GQ, Newsweek, and Harper’s Bazaar.
At one time was rumored to have made $30,000 a day
On December 26, 2002, Ritts died of complications from pneumonia at the age of 50.
Showing posts with label Celebrity Photogrpaher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrity Photogrpaher. Show all posts
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Is Annie Leibovitz Overrated?
When you tell someone you're a photographer, or aspiring to be one, usually Annie Leibovitz's name will come up...not because she's the most influential, but because she's the most famous. People who know very little to nothing about photography, for some reason or another know who Leibovitz is.
There aren't too many well known photographers out there..
Annie (yes, I will call her by her first name, as if I know her personally) is the most well known photographer I can think of besides David Lachappell and Patrick Ecclesine, but they are a whole other blog post.
When I first discovered a passion/love for photography I looked at who the best of the best were, and in searches.. Annie's name always came up. I found her fascinating, worked for Rolling Stones (something I really wanted to do), Works for Vanity Fair (How cool was she?), and some of the most memorable photographs I've seen (like John and Yoko) she took!! This girl already lived the life, I wanted to live! Well at least professionally she did.
Then I heard some not so great things about her.. like that shes hard to work for, and not the nicest person on the planet. And while you try not to let that affect your opinion of a person too much..it does.
When her book 'Woman' came out I got to learn a little more about her life, but i wasn't too impressed with the book. Kind of felt like you're looking through someone else's well organized scrapbook or photo album. Almost felt invasive.
Fast forward to 2007... The gap ads came out.. And I fell in love with her work all over again.. She made you want to buy clothes from black and white portraits.. That's talent! And I still have yet to see John Mayer look so good!
After Gap came the Disney Dream portraits, and the woman impressed me yet again. The woman had me, a 30-something year old single woman, with NO kids.. want to go to Disneyland. Until I realised Disneyland isn't as majestic as the photos are.
About 3 months ago, I met a photographer in Santa Fe. He said he use to live in the Los Angeles area, and that he shot a few celebrities. Of coarse.. Annie Leibovitz's name came up, and he said something that really resonated with me. He said.. "Annie's NOT a great photographer, have you seen her Nature book? And all her commercial stuff, she has someone else light!... but what she is... is a marketing genius. Whoopie Goldberg in a tub with milk.. that's whats brilliant."
I had to think about that for a while.. am I wasting my time studying photography? When really all I needed was marketing degree?
Then.. I thought about it some more.. Annie Leibovitz is old school! She was a photographer before it was easy to be a photographer. She did not just point and shoot (and as you can tell from my last post.. I obviously have issues with those kind of photographers), but going through older pictures of hers, before digital cameras, I decided.. She's more amazing than I thought she was..She IS an amazing photographer as well as a creative genius. and that's what separates her from other photographers. So her nature stuff isn't all that great, and most photographers these days have people light for them... She's still amazing at portrait photography! Who cares if shes "Barbara Streisand with a camera".. She's kinda earned her diva status.. If she wasn't the best at what she does, These companies would hire someone else who was less temper mental for a lot less money.
There aren't too many well known photographers out there..
Annie (yes, I will call her by her first name, as if I know her personally) is the most well known photographer I can think of besides David Lachappell and Patrick Ecclesine, but they are a whole other blog post.
When I first discovered a passion/love for photography I looked at who the best of the best were, and in searches.. Annie's name always came up. I found her fascinating, worked for Rolling Stones (something I really wanted to do), Works for Vanity Fair (How cool was she?), and some of the most memorable photographs I've seen (like John and Yoko) she took!! This girl already lived the life, I wanted to live! Well at least professionally she did.
Then I heard some not so great things about her.. like that shes hard to work for, and not the nicest person on the planet. And while you try not to let that affect your opinion of a person too much..it does.
When her book 'Woman' came out I got to learn a little more about her life, but i wasn't too impressed with the book. Kind of felt like you're looking through someone else's well organized scrapbook or photo album. Almost felt invasive.
Fast forward to 2007... The gap ads came out.. And I fell in love with her work all over again.. She made you want to buy clothes from black and white portraits.. That's talent! And I still have yet to see John Mayer look so good!
About 3 months ago, I met a photographer in Santa Fe. He said he use to live in the Los Angeles area, and that he shot a few celebrities. Of coarse.. Annie Leibovitz's name came up, and he said something that really resonated with me. He said.. "Annie's NOT a great photographer, have you seen her Nature book? And all her commercial stuff, she has someone else light!... but what she is... is a marketing genius. Whoopie Goldberg in a tub with milk.. that's whats brilliant."
I had to think about that for a while.. am I wasting my time studying photography? When really all I needed was marketing degree?
Then.. I thought about it some more.. Annie Leibovitz is old school! She was a photographer before it was easy to be a photographer. She did not just point and shoot (and as you can tell from my last post.. I obviously have issues with those kind of photographers), but going through older pictures of hers, before digital cameras, I decided.. She's more amazing than I thought she was..She IS an amazing photographer as well as a creative genius. and that's what separates her from other photographers. So her nature stuff isn't all that great, and most photographers these days have people light for them... She's still amazing at portrait photography! Who cares if shes "Barbara Streisand with a camera".. She's kinda earned her diva status.. If she wasn't the best at what she does, These companies would hire someone else who was less temper mental for a lot less money.
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