On its August issue covers, Vogue features the amazing gymnast Simone Biles, photographed by Annie Leibovitz. While people are thrilled to see her on the cover, the photos themselves have caused quite an outrage. People have called out Leibovitz over “poor lighting” and “washed out” skin tones, adding that Vogue should have hired a black photographer who better understands dark skin tones.
Simone Biles shared her story with Vogue in a truly fantastic interview. She spoke up about her life, training, personal struggles, and abuse. The interview is followed by a series of photos, two of which have been selected for the paper and the digital edition of the magazine.
The photos have caused quite a backlash on both Instagram and Twitter. People are calling out on Annie Leibovitz for “not knowing how to light black skin tones.” In addition, they also point out that Simone looks “sad or annoyed” in the third photo, and that the photographer “could have done so much more.” Additionally, the community is calling out on Vogue for not hiring a black photographer for the task, but also for not hiring more black talents in general.
I adore Simone Biles and am thrilled she’s on this cover… but I hate these photos. I hate the toning, I hate how predictable they are, I hate the social crop here (wtf?) and I super hate that Vogue couldn’t be bothered to hire a Black photographer. https://t.co/az0gLugdzS
— Morrigan McCarthy (@MorriganMcC) July 9, 2020
Simone Biles deserved better than Annie Leibovitz bad lighting. pic.twitter.com/I7SvmCmKJP
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) July 10, 2020
https://twitter.com/allisonhopstad/status/1281616493851971585
Facts. Vogue, August 2020 by Annie Leibovitz
Dana Scruggs ? work on the right Michaela Coel Essence, April 2019 https://t.co/9l3RsRsPsD pic.twitter.com/XI4zp2iJuC
— Joshua Kissi (@JoshuaKissi) July 9, 2020
Simone Biles deserved better than Annie Leibovitz bad lighting. pic.twitter.com/I7SvmCmKJP
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) July 10, 2020
If we can see these shots are horrible why couldn’t Annie Leibovitz? Lighting & styling are all wrong
— WendySpirit (@WendyDay5013) July 10, 2020
On the other hand, there are some people defending Annie Leibovitz, claiming that this style of photos was intentional. The interview covers some pretty difficult topics, so the gloomy, flat tones were likely the whole point.
These comments are shocking; they entirely miss the creative direction and storytelling here. The story alongside these is about a dark, challenging time with Nasser/US Gymnastics and racism. As a photographer I think they’re very strong, as is she: https://t.co/GFZHtSajsy
— James Robinson ✺ ✊?? (@jamesrobinson50) July 11, 2020
Lots of people trashing Leibowitz's photoshere, but I love the two that are shown on HuffPo. They have a very painterly quality to them. That said, though A.L. has been a Vogue portrait photographer for quite a while and is a legend, perhaps it is past time to also contract
— pacific-sky (@pacificsky5) July 12, 2020
Seeing that most people hate these photos, I’m afraid to even say this, but I will: I actually like them. My impression is that the choice of tones, colors, and lack of contrast were intentional, considering the story that follows these portraits. They also remind me of paintings, and I think they fit well with the topics discussed. This doesn’t mean that Vogue shouldn’t hire more black talents, don’t get me wrong. But I simply like this style of photos in this context, that’s all.
What do you think? Do you like the photos and think they fit the context, or you’d totally choose someone else to shoot them in a different style?
[via Huff Post; image credits: Agência Brasil Fotografias / Wikimedia Commons]
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!