Annie Leibovitz has just been inducted into the French Academy of Fine Arts, and during her landmark achievement shared her thoughts on the use of artificial intelligence in photography.
Annie Leibovitz was officially installed as a Foreign Associate Member of the French Academy of Fine Arts by fellow renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado. L’Académie des Beaux-arts is one of five academies making up the Institut de France, and encourages artistic creation in all its expressions and ensures the defence of French cultural heritage.
Leibovitz is one of the most highly regarded portrait photographers alive today. She has captured the images of some of the most notable personalities of the last six decades. There are few celebrities in Western culture that Leibovitz has not photographed, with some of her most notable being John Lennon, Queen Elizabeth, and Barack Obama.
She described the induction to the prestigious art institution as "quite an honor… but it's a bigger honor for photography".
Salgado, Patti Smith and Anna Wintour were in attendance, and the latter presented Leibovitz with a ceremonial sword, created from copper guilded branches from her home in New York.
During her visit to Paris for the ceremony, Leibovitz was interviewed by AFP (Agence France-Presse) and was asked about the growing use of AI in photography. While some people consider AI features and generators as a threat, Leibovitz sees it as the beginning of new creative opportunities.
"That doesn't worry me at all", she said of AI. "With each technological progress, there are hesitations and concerns. You just have to take the plunge and learn how to use it."
On artificiality, she noted, "Photography itself is not really real… I like to use Photoshop. I use all the tools available. Even deciding how to frame a shot implies 'editing and control' on some level."
Although I agree with Leibovitz's view on AI as a creative tool, I also understand the concerns of lesser-known photographers, retouchers, illustrators, and editors who may lose work due to AI advancements, which may not have been considered by those with a household name.
Whether you agree with her thoughts about AI or not, an induction to L’Académie des Beaux-arts is a huge achievement. Many congratulations to Annie Leibovitz!
Annie Leibovitz is one of the best photographers ever. For more information on the best equipment to capture portraits, see our guides to the best camera for portraits, the best lens for portraits, and the best studio lighting kits.
