Photographer Annie Leibovitz is once again facing backlash after she captured a dimly lit portrait of United States Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Dozens of social media users are lashing out at Leibovitz, saying the latest photo proves yet again that she doesn’t know how to use proper lighting when shooting Black people.
Annie, I know you’re famous, but you’ve proven time and time and TIME again that you don’t know and don’t care to learn how to photograph Black people. How to appropriately use lighting. You CAN say no. You CAN recommend talented Black photographers who will do better than you. https://t.co/I1XSBr5UjI
— Amanda (@EruditeElf) August 17, 2022
Jackson’s portrait was published in Vogue magazine. But people are demanding all publications to stop Leibovitz from capturing images of Black people.
Stop letting Annie Leibovitz photograph Black women challenge https://t.co/YgQWhkoQ42
— celia (@_celia_bedelia_) August 17, 2022
You really don’t be caring about dark skinned black women 😭😭😭 https://t.co/ark6uPJ1Lh
— Busobelanga. (@Zion_SD) August 17, 2022
Our skin is so beautiful why do you insist on making us look so dull in your photos? https://t.co/FRbNxGnCL7
— Mahlatse’a Bakone (@Shlatz) August 17, 2022
This was 3 mins in photoshop. Added a bit of contrast and went in and tweaked her lighting a bit to make her stand out. Wasn't hard. https://t.co/fNeYFV0V21 pic.twitter.com/9oyrCnnOel
— Zack Zwiezen (@ZwiezenZ) August 17, 2022
A similar controversy came up in 2020 when Leibovitz captured a photo of Simone Biles.
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
Critics are now resurfacing the same issues that came up in Biles’ photo and other portraits that have also been criticized for poor lighting.
Someone please take the goddamn camera away from Annie Leibovitz… Either learn how to properly shoot dark-skinned ppl or hire a black photographer to do what you cannot… This is absolutely ridiculous.. y’all did the same thing to Simone Biles we ain’t forget @voguemagazine https://t.co/hVROTZvXsM
— ✨av✨ (@astrovenusian) August 17, 2022
Annie Leibovitz will pay for her crimes. pic.twitter.com/5P803ipunh
— thique honey 🍯 (@iamlexstylz) August 17, 2022
Jackson’s portrait, published in Vogue’s September issue, comes one month after she was sworn in as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
“It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States,” Jackson said after her confirmation, according to the Independent. “But we’ve made it.”
