Considering the unsteady state of women’s rights these days, I felt like it was time to feature a female photographer. And what photographer (of any gender) is more deserving of adulation than the incomparable Annie Leibovitz?

Though she spent her early years studying painting in San Francisco and had only taken a few night classes in photography, something definitely clicked when Leibovitz took a part-time photographer job in 1970 with Rolling Stone. Within three years, the young artist rose to the magazine’s coveted chief photographer spot. Leibovitz stayed with Rolling Stone until 1983, by which time she had shot more than 140 covers. She then headed over to explore the fashion world and spent the next few years shooting some of the most recognizable editorials and covers ever published in Vanity Fair and Vogue.

Throughout her nearly 60-year career, Leibovitz has produced some of the most iconic photos of our time, including her wildly famous photo of Yoko Ono and John Lennon, taken just five hours before he was killed in 1980. Though Leibovitz has spent plenty of time working on advertising campaigns and fashion editorials, it’s her portraiture that has made the most indelible mark on American photography, and she continues to be one of the most talented and famous artists working today.

Leibovitz’s books include Annie Leibovitz: Photographs (1983), Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970–1990 (1991), Olympic Portraits (1996), Women (1999), American Music (2003), A Photographer’s Life: 1990–2005(2006), Annie Leibovitz at Work (2008), Pilgrimage (2011), Annie Leibovitz, an over-sized limited-edition (2014), and Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005-2016 (2017).

The always-fascinating Leibovitz doesn’t really have much of a web presence, though she does occasionally post on Twitter and Facebook. But infinitely more satisfying than social media is her 15-session portraiture course, available online via MasterClass!

All images property of the magnificent Annie Leibovitz.