Art Exhibit in the City - Women: New Portraits by Annie Leibovitz

I am embarassed to admit that I didn't know about this photo exhibit until my good friend Dinah mentioned it to me one time. For someone who professes to be an amateur photographer, I should be on top of these events, right?

The story ended well because I went to check it out one Saturday with Dinah and it was a wonderful experience.

This was the first time I saw the works of Annie Leibovitz upclose so I was very excited to go. We went to see the photo exhibit on the second week after it opened. The event is being held at one of the warehouses in Crissy Field and there is no charge to see the exhibit. 

 

I was told San Francisco is one of two venues of this traveling exhibit in the States.  The other venues will be in Asia and Europe. I felt very fortunate to be able to see this exhibit and some of her works upclose.

Since it is a free art exhibit and the artist/photographer is Annie Leibovitz so I wasn't surprised that the queue to go inside the venue was long. Though, the line went fast and the ushers were friendly. Even though this exhibit is about women, the crowd is pretty mixed.

   

Before this exhibit, I've only seen her work through print magazines, social media, on television and online. Most of the photos are photos of very famous people and mega celebrities, men and women.

   

It was great to see her other works about people who are not the Queen of England, one of the Beattles or Hollywood greats but are no less role models to the younger generation. These are portraitures and photos by Ms. Leibovitz that I've never seen before. I didn't know that Ms. Leibovitz went to an art school in San Francisco? That was good to know.

   

   

I've taken photography classes at the City College of San Francisco and I've learned some basic portraiture techniques including making the subjects at ease, trying to get them comfortable and making them pose that way you want to see them in the picture. In the photos in the exhibit, it shows how great a photographer Ms. Leibovitz is. I can sense the trust between her and her subjects and letting their guard down while bring that coolness into light in the photographs. Amazing!

   

   

There is a room where you can browse more of Ms. Leibovitz' works.

   

Going to the photo exhibit made me realize a lot of things. I made a mental note to take more portraitures of family and close friends. Thank you Ms. Leibovitz for being such an inspiration. And thanks to my friend Dinah for such a great idea to go see this exhibit. She enjoyed it too.

 

The photo exhibit runs through April 17, 2016 at 649 Old Mason St. in San Francisco.

~rl