A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005 Paperback – November 3, 2009

Bought as a gift and it was greatly appreciated

I must admit, I bought this book from Amazon blindly and without reading the reviews. So when I recieved my copy of Annie's 2nd Volume of her A Photographer's Life series I was greatly dissapointed with the immense volume of family snapshots (easily 90% of the book) and lack of celebrity portraiture (about 5% of the book).I don't think anyone can challenge Annie's technical mastery with the camera when it comes to shooting portraits - but I have to say that looking at the family photos there are a lot of technical mistakes that she has made in shots, but she has still included said shots into the book solely because of the emotional connection SHE has to it.While I agree it takes a certain amount of courage to include photographs of your family in a book showcasing your work - I think the courage is more on the part of the subjects. And once you get over that this large happy family have let you into their world and look at the actual result we are left with a gaze into an atypical family which really doesnt have anything special to see. Annie examines illness, age, and rebirth, but these are things that are all too familiar with our lives and she breaks no new ground whatsoever - unlike the M.I.L.K. collection of books, in my humble opinion.As I said earlier, with the exception of a few photographs she has carefully set up to take photos of her mother, father and best friend - the photographs fall very short of being examples of a master photographer. More oftan than not, subjects are left out of focus as a result of a super shallow depth of field or the composition and DOF provide essentially snapshots of family life, but seem to be treated as something more because they're black and white.The bulk of celebrity shots provided herein are actually available in Vanity Fair's Hollywood as they come from circa 2000. The ones not provided in Vanity Fair's Hollywood are only of President Bush Jnr and members of his administration and a handful of other people you can do without the photos of.The remaining 5% of photos are blurry desert landscape shots from Annie's work for a travel magazine and some shots of The World Trade Centre site.If you're after photographs of celebrity artists from magazines like Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair I would recommend the following instead of this book:- Vanity Fair's Hollywood- Mark Seliger's Physiognomy- Mark Seliger's In My StairwellAnd if are after books with honest and emotional subjects of familys then you should definitely buy the three M.I.L.K. hardcover hooks, FAMILY, LOVE, and FRIENDSHIP.

I bought this used from a public library in Maine - it arrived in pristine condition and was a really competitive price compared to some of the other sellers offering the book. If you love Annie Leibovitz as I do this is a must have book!

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005 by Annie Leibovitz is one of the most compelling and heart tugging books I have ever seen. She has the most uncanny ability to capture every side of human nature, the sides whose images are forever singed in your mind - they are at the very least unforgettable and extraordinary.It's her heart that you can just feel in her work. I've been a lover of photography my entire life. What makes this book so special is that it's so touching. I got chocked up looking at several of the pictures - it's that kind of photography, and the stories about the people she photographs that make her work what I call the pinnacle in human photography.She knows there are many sides to a person, and she captures the side to convey the message that is the most real and poignant with soul-provoking images. That's what I mean by her work "taking you to your core" - She captures the soul of a person, and those frames capture a moment in time that remains eternal.If there was ever a photographer who is as real and genuine as her work, it is Annie Leibovitz. GET THIS BOOK - there is so much in it that will open your heart to just how precious human lives are. Annie captures them all because her heart is what inspires her work.Deserves a thousand stars, and more!Barbara Rose, author of If God Hears Me, I Want an Answer!

The media could not be loaded.  About the book :Breathtaking and very emotional….it’s not perfect and some pictures are not sharp or well-exposed but it holds deep and intimate stories so if you want technically perfect pictures it’s not for you.About the book’s condition :It’s way better than what I have expected! It’s won’t be the last time I bought from the seller.

It was refreshing to see a collection of Annie's work that focuses more on the person behind the camera than the people in front of it. While I love the photos she does for the magazines, I was tired of seeing books that focused on that. That's too superficial to me. I was interested in getting into her soul. And this book gave it to me!From the introduction pages to the final snapshots of her children, this book kept me drawn in. I felt like I was there with her experiencing all the events. It gave me a personal glimpse of what she's been through without being intrusive. If I were to be really picky, I would say that, yes, there are some pretty obvious technical mistakes. Especially for someone as experienced as herself. But that's not what this book is about. If you want the technically flawless and aesthetically perfect stuff, go look in Vogue or Vanity Fair. If you want to see a bit of her heart and soul, get this book.

This is an exquisite collection of her work, should be in the library of many photographers and artist alike. So glad I got a copy from this independent bookseller. I must add that it was wrapped the best I have seen in a long time. The copy was in excellent condition.

My only goal is to take better and more memorable pictures of my friends and family using my new camera. I love Annie Leibovitz work. Her pictures are haunting and seem to be the exact angle for her portraits. This book sits in my home office and inspires me to look at my subjects from different angles and to just keep trying. Her portraits strike me mute, yet amazed and inspired. There is a side shot of Willie Nelson that captures the wrinkled terrain of his face, beard and gentle eyes. There is no need for Willie's guitar. Although not in the book, the nude picture she did of Gary Player who is in his 70's is incredibly inspiring. Thank you Annie Leibovitz!

This book is a complete delight( I am slightly saddened at its now current price which has risen considerably). Its a complete joy and gives you the opportunity to really understand her personal as well as work life nad the poignant photographs of her partner and children , she had later in life. This is a lifelong book on your permanent life shelf and worth the cost.

Learned more about the photografer view

Excellent Book. Well presented. Insightful into the life of a world class photographer.

Love this book and annie's work the best!

Sono figlia di un fotografo e i miei ricordi più belli sono legati all'immagine di mio padre dietro un obiettivo. Ora che non c'è più, riguardando le foto che mi ha lasciato, lo ritrovo in ogni scatto, anche se non compare fisicamente, ed è una importante eredità di affetti e valori.Ecco perchè ho trovato bellissima quest'opera della Leibovitz che, accanto agli scatti patinati a cui ci ha abituato (e attraverso cui la conoscono i più), raccoglie immagini intime, comuni, a volte persino sfuocate, eppure eccezionali ed emozionanti, perchè intrise di emozione.Ho dovuto acquistare l'edizione in inglese perchè quella in italiano è attualmente non disponibile, ma non penso che tra le due ci siano sostanziali differenze a parte la lingua.Ho letto attentamente le recensioni su entrambe le edizioni e mi pare di notare un diverso approccio tra i clienti italiani e i clienti americani. Questi ultimi hanno trovato scandalosa l'impaginazione e troppo invadente la presenza delle immagini "private" della Leibovitz.Io, molto razionalmente, penso che sia difficile mettere insieme un volume che, per quanto di grandi dimensioni, è senz'altro angusto per certe immagini di ampio respiro. Ma del resto, è l'unico mezzo per diffondere queste immagini tra un pubblico che non potrebbe avere altrimenti accesso alle mostre. Ho cercato di andare oltre i limiti dell'impaginazione, e concentrarmi sulle foto, e assicuro che la bellezza del lavoro non risulta affatto sacrificata. Inoltre, il titolo del libro è "Vita di una fotografa", e la vita di Annie Leibovitz non è fatta solo di attori, modelle, presidenti (quella parte riguarda la sua professione!), ma è costellata di affetti ed eventi lontani dal glamour, e soprattutto dell'amore per i propri genitori, per la compagna Susan Sontag, per i figli... A mio avviso sono le immagini più belle, quelle che mi hanno fatto battere il cuore e commuovere.Comprate questo libro, se amate la fotografia, per rendervi conto di cui si possano scattare immagini perfette tecnicamente, ma anche immagini isitintive, sincere, vere, bellissime anche quando sono sfuocate.