About this episode
Annie Leibovitz discusses her influential career and notable photographs with John Wilson.
American photographer Annie Leibovitz talks to John Wilson about her career and cultural influences. For over 50 years she has captured rock stars, actors and politicians in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine, Vanity Fair and in museums & galleries around the world. She is renowned for elaborately designed shoots, sometimes involving multiple celebrity sitters, and creating images that have a cinematic or painterly quality. Her best known photographs include John Lennon just hours before he was murdered, a naked and heavily pregnant Demi Moore – and Queen Elizabeth the second in the state rooms of Buckingham Palace. Producer: Edwina Pitman Archive used: The Rolling Stones at the LA Forum, 1975, BBC Radio 1 Report on the shooting of John Lennon: NBC News, 8 December 1980 Report on the Vigil for John Lennon in Central Park New York: WABC-TV, Channel 7 Eyewitness News, 14 December 1980 Annie Leibovitz photographs Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace: 2 clips from Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work: The State Visit; co-produced by BBC & RDF Media, 26 November 2007, BBC1
People in this episode
Host: John Wilson
Guest: Annie Leibovitz
Topics covered
- photography
- celebrity culture
- artistic influences
- career retrospective
- iconic images
Keywords
- Annie Leibovitz
- photography
- celebrities
- Rolling Stone
- Vanity Fair
- iconic photos
- cultural influences
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, BBC, RDF Media
Places: Buckingham Palace
More episodes of This Cultural Life
- Liam Young · June 11, 2026 · 43 min
- Kristin Scott Thomas · June 4, 2026 · 43 min
- George Saunders · May 28, 2026 · 43 min
- Felicity Lott · May 21, 2026 · 42 min
- Michael Frayn · May 14, 2026 · 43 min
- Lubaina Himid · May 7, 2026 · 43 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the This Cultural Life podcast page.