On October 2, Annie Leibovitz — one of the most celebrated women photographers in the world — turned 76.
To honor the occasion, we selected ten of her most striking portraits, images that have shaped the very language of contemporary portrait photography.

For more than five decades, Annie Leibovitz has been redefining what it means to capture a person. From the raw intimacy of John Lennon and Yoko Ono just hours before Lennon’s death, to the staged grandeur of Queen Elizabeth II, her portraits merge journalism and theater, vulnerability and power.

Leibovitz’s photographs are not just images — they are cultural milestones. Each one crystallizes a moment, transforming it into collective memory. Whether she is capturing the wild energy of Mick Jagger on tour, the intellectual aura of Susan Sontag, or the cinematic beauty of Scarlett Johansson, her camera has always been both mirror and storyteller.

What makes her work endure is this duality: she shows us the person as they are, yet also as they will be remembered.

At 76, Annie Leibovitz remains a towering figure in photography, proving that portraiture is not only about faces, but about the way we choose to remember time itself.

Whoopi Goldberg in a Milk Bath (Vanity Fair, 1984)

Inspired by one of Goldberg’s stand-up routines about race and identity, Leibovitz envisioned her submerged in milk. The session, filled with unexpected accidents and humor, resulted in a surreal, playful, and culturally sharp image that became instantly legendary.

Demi Moore Pregnant and Nude (Vanity Fair, 1991)

Perhaps Leibovitz’s most provocative photograph: Moore, completely nude and pregnant, posed for the cover of Vanity Fair. The image broke taboos, challenged conservative views, and sold 1.2 million copies—transforming how society viewed pregnancy.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono (Rolling Stone, 1980)

A haunting image. Hours before his assassination, Lennon lay naked, curled around a fully clothed Yoko Ono. Tender yet tragic, this photograph became his last portrait and one of the most powerful covers in Rolling Stone history.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Blythe Danner (Women, 1999)

Part of Leibovitz’s landmark photo book Women, created in collaboration with Susan Sontag, this portrait of Paltrow and her mother challenged gender stereotypes while celebrating intergenerational femininity.

Leonardo DiCaprio with a Swan (Vanity Fair, 1998)

Fresh off Titanic, DiCaprio became a symbol of his era. Leibovitz captured the young star in Los Angeles, cradling a swan with melancholic elegance—a portrait that cemented his image as Hollywood’s golden boy.

David Lynch and Isabella Rossellini (Vanity Fair, 1987)

With Lynch’s face half-hidden and Rossellini’s smile both luminous and unsettling, this portrait echoed the dark, ambiguous tone of Blue Velvet, the film that defined their partnership.

Queen Elizabeth II (Vanity Fair, 2007)

In a rare privilege, Leibovitz became the first American photographer to shoot the Queen. With only 25 minutes at Buckingham Palace, she created portraits that balanced majesty with humanity—showing the monarch both regal and vulnerable.

Kate Moss (Vogue US, 1999)

During Paris Fashion Week, Leibovitz staged a shoot pairing Moss with Sean Combs, merging haute couture and hip-hop. Moss, in Dior couture, embodied both fragility and strength—a symbol of the cultural collisions of the late ’90s.

Meryl Streep (Rolling Stone, 1981)

Uncomfortable with traditional portraiture, Streep covered her face in white mime paint at Leibovitz’s suggestion. The result: an image of transformation, perfectly capturing Streep’s essence as an actress who disappears into her roles.

Natalie Portman (Vanity Fair, 1999)

At only 17, Portman appeared in Vanity Fair to mark her role in Star Wars: Episode I. Leibovitz photographed her not as a child star, but as a young woman caught between adolescence and global fame.

Why These Images Still Matter

Leibovitz’s portraits are more than photographs—they are cultural landmarks. Each one holds a mirror to its era, challenging conventions while crystallizing a moment in time. From dismantling taboos around femininity to capturing the fragility of fame, she redefined what it means to photograph icons.

At 76, Annie Leibovitz remains a visionary whose images continue to resonate. They are at once glamorous and raw, intimate and epic. In a world saturated with celebrity photography, her work still asks the essential question: what does it mean to be seen?