Comments on: Annie Leibovitz’s Lighting, from the eyes of a Photo Assistant

By: KGB

KGB — Thu, 31 May 2012 03:58:00 +0000

My God has she sold out.
Her early [read RS work] showed something original, now nothing but overblown schmaltz…
Shoot an expensive set, not that well btw, then send it out to the retoucher.
Her work is overpriced, overrated, overblown nothing.
Why do they keep hiring her?
Annie Who?

By: spoonsacola

spoonsacola — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:28:00 +0000

I think the biggest problem in this image is the fact that the (overdone) lighting doesn’t actually match the final image. You can see where the moon ‘would’ have been in the sky they used. It matches up well enough with the waves camera left and right. Almost back lighting them, diagonally from the left. The lighting on Latifah is left, but way too forward and from the front. It just doesn’t look right and is jarring. Basic digital compositing mistake really – the lighting always has to fit the final image and, in this shot, it doesn’t. Latifah should have been lit way more from the back, with some general fill from the front. This is a FAIL for me. All the talent in the world can’t save sloppy work. I’ve seen FAR better stuff on deviantArt from no-namers. Still, as has been said – Annie is doing things and getting gigs I’ll never get to do. But that’s the way the industry is…

By: RickC

RickC — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Initially impressive but upon further inspection feels disjointed and full of seams. Looks like Queen Latifah was plopped into the octopus. They should have painted her arms and skin purple – ar at least have faded are arms into the purple so it seems her flesh and the octopus were one. In terms of posing, her arms are out of place, she should have at least made her arms more sinous-looking – she looks like she’s just at rest but the octopus arms are flailing and dynamic. Same for her bustier, it should have looked like octopus skin melding with her own flesh but looks like a bustier on an octopus LOL. Love Latifah and Annie but this was a failure, despite the beautiful lighting.

By: William Jason Wallis

William Jason Wallis — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:24:00 +0000

just lots of lights basically…

By: Neil e Gibbs

Neil e Gibbs — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:52:00 +0000

I guess that’s how it goes you shoot some frames, if you don’t like it shoot some more I’m guessing that’s the case here. Then PS that mother lol. well I can’t get down on her she’s in a place I’m not.

By: Donna Munshi

Donna Munshi — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:12:00 +0000

love it !!!

By: Corey Melton

Corey Melton — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 07:10:00 +0000

lol, i read this backwards. “Lighting setup is great. Queen Latifah is massive” HAHA

By: Guy McLoughlin

Guy McLoughlin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Amazing Photoshop work, and the original photos are OK too…

By: Joop van Roy

Joop van Roy — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:38:00 +0000

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1281/disneyqueenlatifah.jpg

By: Rick Lewis

Rick Lewis — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 05:08:00 +0000

What a beautiful image and what a lighting set up! Great work!!