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Vanity Fair Hollywood 2010: Annie Leibovitz Photos, Behind-the-Scenes Video

Shallow Nation — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:02:21 +0000

The March issue of Vanity Fair Hollywood 2010 is the 16th annual edition of the magazine feature. It is a photo shoot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz and this year’s subjects, up-and-coming actresses: Kristen Stewart (picture above), Carey Mulligan, Abbie Cornish, Mia Wasikowska, Amanda Seyfried, Rebecca Hall, Emma Stone, Evan Rachel Wood and Anna Kendrick. The magazine will be on newsstands on Feb. 9. Details including video are below, after the jump.

The Annie Leibovitz pictures, the cover and accompanying essay are on VanityFair.com: It’s Showtime!

See also: Behind-the-Scenes of the photo shoot: Fresh Faces, Bright Futures

Video is below.

YouTube Link

Via PopCrunch

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Vanity Fair Hollywood 2010: Annie Leibovitz Photos, Behind-the-Scenes Video

Obama Family Portrait Photo by Annie Leibovitz (Official)

Shallow Nation — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:39:10 +0000

Here is the official Obama family portrait photo by Annie Leibovitz. It was taken on Sept. 1, 2009 at the Green Room in the White House in Washington, DC, featuring the President, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia.

As Vanity Fair notes, the legendary photographer first began photographing the President and his family in 2004 when he was running for the Senate. She first photographed the family at the campaign headquarters in Chicago, with a caption, “Is this the face of a future president?”

More on the story along with additional pictures: Annie Leibovitz’s Portraits of President Obama and His Family ViaThe Swamp

A video interview with the famed photographer is below.

Link

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Obama Family Portrait Photo By Annie Leibovitz (Official)

Life Magazine Martin Luther King Photos: New MLK Assassination Photos (Video)

Shallow Nation — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:53:38 +0000

Life Magazine Martin Luther King photos taken the night of his assassination, April 4, 1968 have been released publicly for the first time. Find out more and see video here.

The 13 photographs were taken by Life magazine photographer Henry Groskinsky. He and reporter Mike Silva were on assignment in Alabama and rushed to Memphis when news reached them that King had been shot.

The photographs had never been published nor seen publicly. They were released on the magazine’s Web site on April 3, 2009, one day ahead of the 41st anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr assassination. King had been in Memphis, supporting black sanitation workers who had been on strike. He delivered his famous speech, ‘I’ve Been to the Mountaintop’ the night before his assassination. Had he lived he would have turned 80 this year.

All of the photographs can be seen here on the Life Magazine Web site.

In contrast, the photos in this post are familiar photographs, in the public domain and preserved by the U.S. Library of Congress.

The MLK assassination photos chronicle unfolding events in the aftermath, showing his associates, including Andrew Young and the late Rev. Ralph David Abernathy Sr. together in solemnity in the slain Martin Luther King Jr’s motel room, standing on the balcony where he was killed. There is also a photograph of the inside of King’s suitcase, as he had left it; a can of shaving cream top of clothing and the book he had been reading, Strength to Love. Another photograph, chillingly reveals workers cleaning up the blood.

Martin Luther King, Jr. with medallion he received from NYC Mayor Robert F. Wagner

Groskinsky was interviewed via phone at his home in Boca Raton, Florida and he said that he had he learned about a week ago that the Life Magazine Martin Luther King photos would be published on the magazine’s Web site. The 75-year-old Groskinsky does not own the rights to the photographs.

“It was a very sombre time and I felt like an intruder…I made only two or three snaps. I remember thinking this was a moment in history, that they were making decisions about how to go forward.”

Source: Newly released photos reveal aftermath of King’s assassination

According to The UK Guardian, the photographs were discovered when Life magazine partnered with Getty Images to place archival photographs online. Life.com editor Bill Shapiro is quoted as saying, “When I saw these plates my heart stopped because I knew what we had.”

In the interview, Groskinsky was asked about the MLK assassination photographs and why they were never published.

‘Once they got the famous photo’ of King’s associates pointing in the direction of the assassin, ‘that was it,’ Groskinsky said, referring to the widely circulated Associated Press photo.

He and Silva talked on the phone two days ago, trying to piece together the events of that tragic day.

“Neither one of us could remember anything after we left the room, where we stayed, what we did,” Groskinsky said.

The next day, they went back to the magazine’s New York offices.

“I turned in my film and went on to the next assignment,” Groskinsky said. “It was very disappointing they didn’t publish them, but in those days, we had no say.”

Source: Just-released photos show aftermath of MLK assassination

For more Martin Luther King Jr. pictures, see the Life Magazine archive on Google which contains 200 photos (including rare color photos from the 1963 March on Washington).

Photo source: United States Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

The video is below.

Here is Life Magazine Martin Luther King photos video report, with a profile and interview with the photographer, Henry Groskinsky.

Video Link

Life Magazine Martin Luther King Photos: New MLK Assassination Photos (Video)

pics, pictures

Michelle Obama Official Portrait (Photo)

Shallow Nation — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:38:50 +0000

The White House has unveiled the First Lady Michelle Obama portrait. See the photo and video here. The First Lady is attired in a black sleeveless dress adorned with pearls in the photograph taken by Joyce N. Boghosian in the Blue Room of the White House in February 2009.

The dress is by New York designer Michael Kors. Kors has become well-known for his role as a judge in the popular reality TV series Project Runaway. This is the first time that the First Lady has worn one of his designs. Reportedly, her stylist, Chicago retailer Ikram Goldman, approached the designer and requested some pieces though not specifiying when or where they would be worn.

The dress Mrs. Obama wears in the portrait is a black version of a red gown in bonded crepe jersey that was shown in Mr. Kors’s spring 2009 runway show. The runway version retails for $3,195, but a spokesman for Mr. Kors would not discuss the price of the black dress made for Mrs. Obama.

Source: Mrs. Obama in Kors

The First Lady has become noted for her choice of sleeveless dresses which flatter her well-toned arms. She opted to go sleeveless at the recent President Obama Speech to Congress, mistakenly called as the ‘State of the Union’ address, as Obama has only been in office for a few weeks. For a slide show see: Michelle Obama’s Arms Inspire At Presidential Address (PHOTOS).

The photograph appears on the official Web page for First Lady Michelle Obama on the White House Web site.

Michelle Obama Portrait video

Video Link

Michelle Obama Official Portrait (Photo) pics pictures

Vanity Fair Hollywood Portfolio March 2009: Annie Leibovitz Photos

Shallow Nation — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:54:35 +0000

Vanity Fair Magazine March 2009 15th annual Hollywood Issue features a photo shoot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz (picture above). The “Something Just Clicked” Hollywood portfolio tributes the actor-director synergy that is behind ten of the most acclaimed movies of 2008 and 2009, including Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, Angels & Demons, The Dark Knight, Revolutionary Road and Gran Torino.

Among those 10 synergistic relationships is that enduring, all-American team of Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, who first joined forces 25 years ago for Splash, a far cry from their upcoming fourth collaboration, this spring’s Da Vinci Code sequel, Angels & Demons. ]

Back home in Manhattan, Leibovitz captured Aussies Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman. The pair first teamed up for 2001’s Moulin Rouge! and this year made the outback epic Australia together. In a playful twist on the concept, Leibovitz flew to Carmel, California, to photograph iconic actor-director Clint Eastwood solo. [Source: Krista Smith/Vanity Fair: Behind the Scenes]

In a special tribute to the late Heath Ledger and his collaboration with The Dark Knight director, Christopher Nolan, Leibovitz created a composite photograph. (Ledger was photographed in 2005; Nolan in December 2008.)

All 10 Annie Leibovitz pictures and accompanying photo essay can be seen at VanityFair.com: “Something Just Clicked” (including Meryl Streep And John Patrick Shanley, The Undoubted, Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn, Milk, and Woody Allen and Penelope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino, Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road, Danny Boyle and Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire, Darren Aronofsky and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler).

Here is a video profile of photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Video Link

Vanity Fair Hollywood Portfolio March 2009: Annie Leibovitz Photos pics, pictures, images

Grace Jones V Magazine Spring 2009 Cover, Photos

Shallow Nation — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:37:10 +0000

Grace Jones is on the cover of V Magazine Spring 2009 V 57 and featured in a photo shoot by Jean-Paul Goude in an exciting reunion of the two legends and artistic collaborators. See the photos and video of a recent live performance.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the famed French graphic designer, photographer and art director did numerous photo shoots with the performer which served to help cement her status as a pop culture icon. Several of these photographs can bee seen on the V Magazine online gallery By the Grace of Goude which accompanies the interview.

Jean-Paul Goude, Blue-black in Black on Brown, NYC, 1981

Goude, who is also is also the father of Grace Jones’ 28-year-old son Paulo, conducted the interview with the singer who recently released her first studio album in nearly 20 years, Hurricane. She is also on the Hurricane Tour in Europe in support of the album. Here is an excerpt.

JEAN-PAUL GOUDE Would you agree that you have always had a problem with authority?
GRACE JONES Yes, definitely. I was born into a very religious family where everything was about setting the right example for the community and having to obey orders blindly. I felt that everyone was growing up in the world, except me. This is probably one of the reasons why I had such a rebellious attitude towards any form of authority. I also systematically associated authority with masculinity.With one exception: my great grandmother, who I actually saw chase and beat up my great uncle, the bishop of Jamaica. She was 98 at the time and 6 feet tall. Sure the bishop was her son, but still…[...]

JPG How do you see the future?
GJ I just want to be okay, you know, happy. I don’t know what the future holds but if I should end up living to be 100, I’d rather be by myself than live in a rotten situation. Besides, living alone can be fun. One can enjoy simple things, like looking at the sunrise or the sunset, taking pictures, writing, even gardening… If I was stuck in a bed, I’d want a view. I’d want to see lights change, rain, snow, the seasons.

Source: V Magazine: By the Grace of Goude

Photo credit: Jean-Paul Goude/V Magazine Image source: popbytes: Grace Jones Does V Magazine

The singer was recently profiled and interviewed by the Times of London. Here is an excerpt in which she discussed President Barack Obama’s Inauguration.

Wouldn’t she have liked to be there? “No, I’m fine to watch it from here. I panic around too many people in a crowd actually.” she says, in a voice that flits between Cockney, New York and the patois of her native Jamaica, and switches easily into the fluent French aquired from a spell in Paris. “As for the great sense of hope — darling, anything would be hope once Bush was gone, as far as I’m concerned. I actually left America when he got in. The change already feels better, even from here.” She says that she didn’t spot Beyoncé, even though she knows her a little and thinks she has a fantastic voice, but she loved Aretha Franklin’s singing — and her bow hat: “I just hope she had real diamonds in that thing. A little bling!”

Source: Grace Jones is back, and on her best behaviour: Grace under pressure

Here is video of Grace Jones in performance at Apollo Theatre in Manchester, England on January 24, 2009 as part of the Hurricane Tour in Europe.

YouTube Video Link

Grace Jones V Magazine Spring 2009 Cover, Photos pictures pics

Barack Obama Official Presidential Portrait

Shallow Nation — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:02:15 +0000

Here is Barack Obama’s official Presidential portrait by the newly appointed official White House photographer Pete Souza; the first ever taken with a digital camera. See the photo and a video interview with the photographer here.

Souza is a freelance photographer and assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University. Previously he was an official White House photographer for President Ronald Reagan, the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune’s Washington bureau, and a freelance photographer for National Geographic Magazine.

Souza’s latest book, the New York Times bestseller, The Rise of Barack Obama was published in July 2008 and includes exclusive photographs of Obama dating back to 2005. Souza extensively documented Obama’s first year in the Senate and accompanied him on trips to seven countries including Russia, Kenya and South Africa, and also photographed him during the Presidential campaign.

Souza is also the author of two books documenting President Reagan’s years in the Oval Office, Unguarded Moments: Behind-the-Scenes Photographs of President Reagan (1992) and Images of Greatness: An Intimate Look at the Presidency of Ronald Reagan by Triumph Books (2004.)

In a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune, Souza discussed his new appointment as White House photographer.

“[Barack Obama has] been a great subject for me because presence of the camera in intimate situations doesn’t bother him,” said Souza. “He’s oblivious to it. That’s all a photojournalists wants: to capture real moments.” [...]

“There’s a lot of waiting for things to happen,” he said. “There are a lot of routine, tedious meetings to cover. Yet anytime a meeting involves a president of the United States, by nature, it is historic. You’ve got to try to make good pictures for the sake of history.” [...]

“In order for that to happen, you’ve got to have a president and an administration that allows access for the photographer when real things are going on,” he said. “I’m there for history. I’m not there for photo-ops. I’m there to document what is going on behind the scenes.”

Source: Chicago Tribune: Former Tribune photog gets White House post

Souza’s digital portrait of the 44th President of the United States is indeed a first.

Since the image is digital, the EXIF data can also be seen. According to the information, the portrait was taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II on January 13, 2009 at 5:38pm. The lens used was 105mm stopped to F/10 at a 1/125 exposure, with an ISO setting of 100. Source: Fudzilla: Obama’s presidential portrait first to use digital camera

Photo source: Change.gov Book cover image source: WHNPA

Here is a video interview with Pete Souza discussing his experiences photographing Obama.

YouTube Link

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Barack Obama Official Presidential Portrait