What makes a photographer famous? Decades spent in the profession, acquired or invaluable experience? No, it is only his photographs that make a photographer famous. The list of famous photographers in the world consists of people with a strong personality, attention to detail, and the highest professionalism. After all, it is not enough just to be in the right place at the right time; you also need to be able to correctly display what is happening. Be good photographer not easy, not to mention professional level. We want to introduce you to the greatest classics of photography and examples of their work.

Ansel Adams

“What a photographer is able to see and say about what he saw is incomparably more important than the quality of technical equipment..."(Ansel Adams)

Ansel Adams (Ansel Easton Adams, February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American photographer best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West. Ansel Adams, on the one hand, was gifted with a subtle artistic sense, and on the other, he had an impeccable command of photography techniques. His photographs have an almost epic power. They combine the features of symbolism and magical realism, giving the impression of the “first days of Creation.” During his life, he created more than 40,000 photographs and participated in more than 500 exhibitions around the world.

Yusuf Karsh

“If, by looking at my portraits, you learn something more significant about the people depicted in them, if they help you sort out your feelings about someone whose work has left an imprint on your brain - if you look at a photograph and say: “Yes, this is him” and at the same time you learn something new about the person - that means this is a really successful portrait" ( Yusuf Karsh)

Yusuf Karsh(Yousuf Karsh, December 23, 1908 - July 13, 2002) - Canadian photographer of Armenian origin, one of the masters portrait photography. During his life, he made portraits of 12 US presidents, 4 Popes, all British prime ministers, Soviet leaders - Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, as well as Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Bernard Shaw and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Robert Capa

“A photograph is a document, looking at which someone with eyes and a heart begins to feel that not all is well in the world” ( Robert Capa)

Robert Capa (Robert Capa, real name Endre Erno Friedman, October 22, 1913, Budapest - May 25, 1954, Tonkin, Indochina) is a photojournalist of Jewish origin, born in Hungary. Robert Capa had no intention of becoming a photographer; life circumstances pushed him towards this. And only courage, adventurism and bright visual talent made him one of the most famous war reporters of the twentieth century.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

«... With the help of photography you can capture infinity in one moment of time... "(Henri-Cartier Bresson)

Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 2, 1908 – August 3, 2004) was one of the main photographers of the 20th century. The father of photojournalism. One of the founders of the photo agency Magnum Photos. Born in France. He was interested in painting. He paid great attention to the role of time and the “decisive moment” in photography.

Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange (Dorothea Margarette Nutzhorn, May 26, 1895 - October 11, 1965) - American photographer and photojournalist / Her photographs, bright, striking to the heart with their frankness, nakedness of pain and hopelessness, are silent evidence of what hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans, deprived of shelter and basic means of subsistence, had to endure and every hope.

For many years, this photo was literally the epitome of the Great Depression. Dorothea Lange took the photo while visiting a vegetable picker camp in California in February 1936, wanting to show the world the resilience of a proud nation in difficult times.

Brassaï

“There is always a chance - and each of us hopes for it. Only a bad photographer realizes one chance in a hundred, while a good one takes advantage of everything.”

“Every creative person has two dates of birth. The second date - when he understands what his true calling is - is much more important than the first."

“The purpose of art is to raise people to a level to which they could not reach in any other way.”

"There are many photographs full of life, but incomprehensible and quickly forgotten. They lack strength - and this is the most important thing"(Brassai)

Brassai (Gyula Halas, 9 September 1899 – 8 July 1984) was a Hungarian and French photographer, painter and sculptor. In Brassaï's photographs we see the mysterious Paris in the light street lamps, squares and houses, foggy embankments, bridges and almost fabulous wrought iron grilles. One of his favorite techniques was reflected in a series of photographs taken in the light of the headlights of cars that were rare at that time.

Brian Duffy

“Every photograph created after 1972, I have seen before. Nothing new. After a while I realized that photography was dead...” Brian Duffy

Brian Duffy (15 June 1933 – 31 May 2010) was an English photographer. At one time, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Sammy Davis Jr., Michael Caine, Sidney Poitier, David Bowie, Joanna Lumley and William Burroughs stood in front of his camera.

Jerry Welsman

“I believe that man’s ability to convey things beyond the visible is enormous. This phenomenon can be observed in all genres of fine art, as we are constantly searching for new ways to explain the world, which sometimes opens up to us in moments of understanding that go beyond the boundaries of our usual experience.”(Jerry Welsman)

Jerry Welsman (1934) is an American photographic art theorist, teacher, one of the most interesting photographers of the second half of the twentieth century, a master of mysterious collages and visual interpretations. The surreal collages of the talented photographer conquered the world when Photoshop was not even in the project. However, even now the author of unusual works remains faithful to his own technique and believes that miracles can happen in a darkened darkroom.

Annie Liebovitz

“When I say I want to photograph someone, it means I want to get to know him. I photograph everyone I know" ( Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz)

Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz (Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz; genus. October 2, 1949, Waterbury, Connecticut) is a famous American photographer. Specializes in celebrity portraits. Today she is the most sought after among female photographers. Her work graces magazine covers Vogue, Vanity Fair, New Yorker and Rolling Stone, John Lennon and Bette Midler, Whoopi Goldberg and Demi Moore, Sting and Divine posed nude for her. Annie Leibovitz managed to break the stereotypes of beauty in fashion, introducing elderly faces, wrinkles, everyday cellulite and imperfect shapes into the photo arena.

Jerry Gionis

“Take just five minutes a day to try to do the impossible and you will soon feel the difference” ( Jerry Gionis).

Jerry Gionis - top wedding photographer from Australia – a true master of his genre! It is not for nothing that he is considered one of the most successful masters of this trend in the world.

Colbert Gregory

Gregory Colbert (1960, Canada) - a pause in our fast-paced world. Stopping while running. Absolute silence and concentration. The beauty is in silence and stillness. The feeling of delight from the feeling of belonging to a huge living being - planet Earth - these are the emotions that his works evoke. Over the course of 13 years, he made 33 (thirty-three) expeditions to the most remote and exotic corners of our vast and at the same time such a tiny planet: India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Dominica, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tonga, Namibia, Antarctica. He set himself one task - to reflect in his works the amazing relationship between man and nature, the animal world.

In fact, the list of the greatest photographers is quite long, and these are just a few of them.

The sea is incomprehensible, mysterious and clean. It leaves no one indifferent... Breathtaking photographs by Josh Adamski

Josh Adamski - famous British photographer, master modern photography. He gained his fame thanks to the art of conceptual photography. Talented photographer Josh Adamski creates true masterpieces of photography, not only improving his work with digital processing, but also putting his soul into it, displaying the idea and meaning. Josh Adamski is of the opinion that there are no specific rules for taking good photography, but that there are good photographers who take nice photos. And he considers his main motto to be Ansel Adams’ statement: “You don’t take a photograph, you make it,” which translated means: “You shouldn’t take a photograph, you should make a photograph.”

They say that the sea is endless. From a geographical point of view this is, of course, not true. However, if you look at it even for a moment, all doubts immediately disappear. The endless horizon is so vast, so distant.

I love walks by the sea. I never get tired of them, because they are always different. The sea itself is never the same. It is changeable in nature. Today it is calm and quiet and as if there is nothing more gentle than its light waves. Water reflects warm sun rays and blinds eyes not accustomed to bright light. Warm sand It warms my feet nicely and gives my skin a golden tan. And tomorrow the sea will stir strong wind and the majestic waves are already beating against the shore with the strength of a huge beast. The blue sky will turn gray and stormy. And that calm happiness of the quiet sea is no longer there. However, this also has its own charm. This is the beauty of rawness and strength. Even the color of sea water often changes - sometimes it is almost blue, sometimes dark blue, sometimes greenish. It’s impossible to even list all its shades.

How much beauty lies within depths of the sea. Small fish swim in schools among green and yellowish algae. And the sandy bottom is covered with shells, as if precious stones. I love collecting shells. I like to imagine that I am finding lost treasures from sunken ships. How many such jewels are still hidden in the depths of the sea?

There is nothing better than spending a day at sea. You can have fun and swim with your family and friends. And sometimes you just want to take a walk alone, feel the peace while listening to the sound of the waves.

The sea is incomprehensible, mysterious and clean. It leaves no one indifferent.

Today we will analyze photographs that were taken by recognized masters of photography. 10 great photographers. 10 famous photographs.

Philippe Halsman and his "Dali Atomicus", 1948

A brilliant artist must have a brilliant portrait. Perhaps Halsman was motivated by this. Perhaps he was inspired by that time by Dali’s unfinished work Leda Atomica, which can be seen in the photo, perhaps he wanted to transfer surrealism into photography... In any case, he needed a studio, additional sources of artificial light, several assistants who splashed water from buckets, calming down cats between takes and holding chairs in the air, 6 hours of work, 28 takes and, of course, Salvador Dali himself.

"Dali Atomicus", Philippe Halsman, 1948

Advice: Don't be afraid to do a large number of takes - one of them will definitely turn out to be successful.

Irving Penn and his "Girl in Bed", 1949

Despite the apparent simplicity of this photograph at first glance, it is mesmerizing. Isn't it? Yes, perhaps, the entire work of this brilliant photographer can be described in his own words: “If I look at any object for some time, the spectacle fascinates me. This is the photographer’s curse.” And he knew how to convey this fascination with the subject of photography like no one else. Natural light from the window, the model, the contemplative position of the author - and, in in this case, the masterpiece is ready.

"Girl in Bed", Irving Penn, 1949

Advice:: To photograph someone or something beautifully, you need to fall in love with the subject.

Richard Avedon and his "Judy", 1948

Almost all of Richard Avedon's photographs show bright but fleeting moments that we usually don't pay much attention to. But sometimes it’s moments like these that can open a person’s soul.

"Judy", Richard Avedon, 1963

Advice: If you want to become a good photographer, try yourself in different genres - this will help you find your niche in photography.

Ansel Adams and his Tetons and Snake River, 1942

When talking about great photographers and their works, we cannot ignore the creator of the zone exposure system and the famous author of books on photography, Ansel Adams. Let's take a look at one of his works: The Tetons and the Snake River.

In addition to the interesting composition, you can see how skillfully Adams uses his system for choosing the ideal exposure for a photo. If you look closely, you can see each of the 10 zones ranging from pitch black to white.

The Tetons and the Snake River, Ansel Easton Adams, 1942

Advice: Even when working with a digital camera, do not ignore traditional recommendations. You can't always rely on automatic exposure.

Henry Cartier-Bresson

Naturally, this post simply could not be complete without Henry Cartier-Bresson. The legendary photo reporter, creator of the Magnum Photos agency, said: “I don’t like organizing and managing events. It's horrible. We can't fake real life. I adore the truth and shoot only the truth.” We can think about Bresson's photography endlessly, but it is even more useful to read his books "The Decisive moment" and "Imaginary reality" in English edition.

Advice: If you wait for the right moment, don’t miss it!

Alfred Eisenstadt and his "Victory Day in Times Square"

Alfred Eisenstadt became famous thanks to the photo of a sailor kissing his girlfriend. One photo taken at a turning point made him a real star. And it doesn’t matter that the photo is blurry. The photographer did a wonderful job of capturing the atmosphere.

"V-J Day in Times Square", Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945

Advice: Always carry your camera with you.

Ernst Haas

Ernst Haas is a pioneer of digital photography. His famous quotes:

Photography is an expression of your ideas and feelings. If the high has no place in your soul, you will never notice them in the outside world.
Beauty speaks for itself. When the process reaches its peak, I take a photo.
I don't take pictures of new interesting objects. I try to find something new in familiar things.
When the photograph appeared, I was born new language. Now we can talk about reality in the language of reality.
The type of camera you have doesn't matter. Any camera can capture what you see. But you must see.
It's just you and your camera. All rules and restrictions are in your head.
Tell me what you see and I will tell you who you are.

Ernst Haas. Kyushu Island, Japan, 1981

Advice: beauty is everywhere. Find and feel it.

Yusuf Karsh and his portrait of Winston Churchill

Yusuf Karsh is a renowned Canadian photographer known for his portraits of prominent political figures. The story behind this photo is unusual. After a speech in the lower house of parliament, the British prime minister entered the meeting room and saw the photo equipment. He allowed just one photo to be taken and lit a cigar. It is not known exactly why the photographer approached Churchill and took the cigar out of his mouth, but that is exactly what Karsh did. He returned to his camera and took a photo.

The photo shows all the skills of Yusuf Karsh. He was able to create the impression of depth and space with the help of light, perfect pose and gesture. The result is a dramatic, captivating portrait that vividly reveals the inner strength of the British prime minister.

Portrait of Winston Churchill, Yusuf Karsh, 1941

Advice: don't be afraid to provoke your models to show themselves. You can see what is hidden from everyone.

Guyon Mili

Guyon became a popular photographer thanks to his unique mixture of “algebra and harmony” in his photographs and the effect of a frozen moment. Perhaps light paintings gained popularity precisely because of Mili. Guyon practiced different areas, constantly experimenting. However, one thing remained the same. His ability to capture the grace and drama of the moment.

"Pablo Picasso masters light painting." Guyon Mili, 1949

Advice: Don't forget that photography is more than just an attractive drawing. Experiment with focus, exposure and shutter speed.

William Smith

We decided to mention this press photographer at the end of the article for a reason. His words should become the slogan of anyone who wants to become a good photographer: “Photography has no end. Just as I reach the highest point of mastery, an even higher peak appears in the distance. And I'm on the road again."

William Smith "Doctor Ceriani with a wounded child", 1948

Advice: never stop achieving your goals. Shoot not with your camera, but with your soul.

Always analyze the works of famous world photographers in as much detail as possible. Absorb their experiences and notice what expressions they use. One day you will notice how this knowledge is absorbed into your own photographs and becomes the quality of your work.

The image can speak all languages. And their language is understood not only by photographers, but also by photography lovers, simply grateful viewers. Photography has witnessed the evolution of cameras, from the traditional pinhole camera to the modern digital camera. All of them were used to produce excellent images. When you think about some of the most famous photographers from the past and present, you realize that photography is an art, not just freezing a moment.

When William Henry Fox Talbot invented the negative/positive photographic process, he probably had no idea how popular his invention would become. Today, photographs, and therefore the specialization of photographers, are divided into different categories, which range from fashion, wildlife, interiors, portraits, travel, food to... The list goes on and on. Let's take a look at some of the most famous photographers in the most popular photography categories. We will also look at examples of their work.

Fashion

Irving Penn
This American photographer is known for his chic and elegant images, especially those from the post-World War II period. Since 1938, he has collaborated with Vogue magazine and actively uses the technique of white and gray backgrounds. It is his use of this technique that makes him the greatest photographer of his time. Penn's photography was always one step ahead of its time. A series of nude photos caused a lot of noise.

Terence Donovan
This British photographer was famous for his photographs depicting the fashion world in the 60s. His tireless thirst for adventure was reflected in his creativity and to obtain beautiful images the models performed some pretty daring stunts. With around 3,000 advertising images, the man was a fixture in the homes of London's richest and was a popular photographer for celebrities.

Richard Avedon
It was he who moved away from the traditional understanding of models. Born in New York and created his studio in 1946. Richard Avedon demonstrated models in natural light, and many of his works were published on the pages of Vogue and Life magazines. As a photographer, he received many awards in his time and the images he created were recognized all over the world.

Nature and wildlife

Ansel Adams
Born in San Francisco. He made a huge contribution to the development of black and white photography. He was interested in issues related to nature. Ansel Adams is the author of several epic photographic murals. Received three Guggenheim Fellowships.

Frans Lanting
France was born in Rotterdam. His work could be seen on the pages of such magazines as National Geographic, Life, and Outdoor Photographer. France has traveled extensively and his photographs clearly express his love for the flora and fauna of tropical forests.

Galen Rowell
For many years, Galen conveyed the relationship between man and the desert. His photographs, like nothing else, conveyed the fascinating and magnetic beauty of these sultry places. Prize winner 1984. He collaborated with many famous publications of that time. Rowell's work was distinguished by its depth and coverage of everything new in the subject matter displayed.

Photojournalism

Henri Cartier-Bresson ( Henri Cartier—Bresson)
French photographer who influenced the development of photojournalism for many years. Received international recognition for his coverage of Gandhi's funeral in India in 1948. Traveled widely around the world and firmly believed that the art of photojournalism lies in capturing the “right” moment. Some call him the father of photo reporting.

Eddie Adams
Pulitzer Prize winner and winner of more than 500 prizes. His photographs depicting the Vietnam War from the inside shocked the whole world. Adams also took portraits of celebrities, politicians and military leaders of the time. He believed that a photographer should be able to manipulate a scene to reflect the truth.

Felice Beato
Famous "war photographer". His penchant for travel has allowed him to capture many moods of people and moments in different corners land. Visited India, Japan, China. It was Felice who captured the Indian uprising of 1857 and the events of the second Opium War. His powerful and timeless works continue to inspire photojournalists today.

Portrait photography

Ueno Hikoma
Born in Nagasaki. Portrait works and landscape photographs brought fame. He started with his own commercial studio, where he gained enormous experience in portrait photography. Author of portraits of many famous and famous people of that time. In 1891 he made a portrait of the Russian heir to the throne.

Philippe Halsman
Although Halsman suffered several setbacks in his personal life early on, this did not stop him from becoming a superb portrait painter of his time. His photographs were somewhat harsh and dark and differed significantly from portraits of the time. Portraits were published in many magazines of the time, including Vogue. After meeting the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, he decides to make a surreal portrait of Dali, a skull and seven nude figures. It took three hours to complete the planned work. It was he who developed the philosophy of displaying a person in motion, in a jump. I believed that this was the only way to show a “real” person from the inside. At the peak of his career, he took portraits of celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Judy Garland and Pablo Picasso.

Hiro Kikai ( Hiroh Kikai)
Monochrome portraits of residents of the Asakusa district (Tokyo) brought fame to this Japanese photographer. In his early years he witnessed many conflicts and carried out all free time, photographing visitors to Asakusa. A perfectionist by nature, he could spend several days searching for the right person - the subject of photography.

Aerial photography

Talbert Abrams
The first photographs in this category were taken while serving in the Corps Marine Corps USA during World War II. Photographic images of the squadron during the period of insurgency in Haiti helped decide to continue the art.

William Garnett ( William Garnett)
Born in Chicago in 1916, he began his career as a photographer and graphic designer in 1938. Assisted the US Army in producing training films for US troops. By 1949, he had already purchased his own plane and switched to aerial photography.

Photography underwater

Dustin Humphrey
Surfer and photography enthusiast with own photo studio to Bali. His passion for surfing helped him take simply masterpiece photographs, for which he received the Sony World Photography Award in 2009. It’s amazing how he managed to gather so many people and film it all without a single edit!

Nowadays, there is only one way to get rich, become famous and go down in history as a photographer - by doing anything but photography. A hundred years ago you could easily become a great photographer, since there were two key prerequisites:

A. photography was a complex, troublesome and little-known craft;

b. Technologies gradually emerged and were introduced that made it possible to reproduce photographs in newspapers and (a little later) in color magazines.

That is, the glorious moment came when, having pressed the shutter button, you already understood that this frame would be seen by millions. But these millions did not yet know that they could do the same thing, since there were no digital point-and-shoot cameras, full automation and photo dumps on the Internet. Well, and talent, of course. You have no competition!

The golden era of photography, perhaps, should be recognized as the middle of the last century. However, many of the artists listed on our list belong to other distant and modern eras.

Helmut Newton, Germany, 1920–2004

A little more than a great and famous fashion photographer with a very, very independent understanding of what eroticism is. He was fiercely in demand by almost all glossy magazines, Vogue, Elle and Playboy in the first place. Died at 84 after crashing his car into concrete wall at full speed.

Richard Avedon, USA, 1923–2004

The god of black and white portraits, also interesting because delving into his galleries, you will find anyone. The photographs of this brilliant New York Jew have absolutely everything. They say that Richard took his first photograph at the age of nine, when the little boy accidentally caught Sergei Rachmaninoff in his lens.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, France, 1908–2004

An outstanding photorealist, one of the patriarchs of photo reporting, and at the same time an invisible man: he had a delicately developed gift for being able to remain noticeable to those he photographed. At first he studied to be an artist, where he developed a craving for light surrealism, which was then tangibly imprinted in his photographs.

Sebastian Salgado, Brazil, 1944

The creator of almost fantastic images, actually taken from the real world. Salgado was a photojournalist who was especially drawn to anomalies, misfortunes, poverty and environmental disasters - but even such his subjects are mesmerizing in their beauty. In 2014, director Wim Wenders made a film about him called “The Salt of the Earth” (special prize at the Cannes Film Festival).

William Eugene Smith, USA, 1918–1978

A photojournalist, perhaps famous for everything a photojournalist can become famous for - from canonical war photographs to expressive and touching portraits of great and ordinary people. Below is an example of footage from a session with Charlie Chaplin for Life magazine.

Guy Bourdin, France, 1928–1991

One of the most copied and imitated photographers in the world. Erotic, surreal. Now - a quarter of a century after his death - it is increasingly relevant and modern.

Weegee (Arthur Fellig), USA, 1899–1968

An emigrant from Eastern Europe, now a great classic of street and crime photography. The man managed to arrive at any incident in New York - be it a fire, murder or a banal massacre - faster than other paparazzi and, often, the police. However, besides all kinds of emergencies, his photographs show almost all aspects of life in the poorest neighborhoods of the metropolis. The noir film Naked City (1945) was based on his photo, Stanley Kubrick studied on his photos, and Weegee himself is mentioned at the beginning of the comic film Watchmen (2009).

Alexander Rodchenko, USSR, 1891–1956

A pioneer of Soviet design and advertising, Rodchenko is, at the same time, a pioneer of constructivism. Expelled from the Union of Artists for departing from the ideals and style of socialist realism, but, fortunately, it did not come to the camps - he died a natural death at the dawn of Khrushchev’s “thaw”.

Irving Penn, USA, 1917–2009

Master of portrait and fashion genre. He is famous for his abundance of his signature tricks - for example, photographing people in the corner of a room or against all sorts of gray, ascetic backgrounds. Famous catchphrase: “Cake photography can be art too.”

Anton Corbijn, Netherlands, 1955

The world's most prominent rock photographer, whose rise began with iconic photographs and video clips for Depeche Mode and U2. His style is easily recognizable - strong defocus and atmospheric noise. Corbijn also directed several films: Control (biography of the Joy Division frontman), The American (with George Clooney) and The Most dangerous man"(based on the novel by Le Carré). If you search for famous photos of Nirvana, Metallica or Tom Waits on Google, there is almost a 100% chance that Corbijn's will come up first.

Steven Meisel, USA, 1954

One of the most successful fashion photographers in the world, who became especially popular in 1992 after the release of Madonna’s photo book “Sex”. Considered the discoverer of many catwalk superstars such as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista or Amber Valletta.

Diane Arbus, USA, 1923–1971

Her real name is Diana Nemerova, and she found her niche in photography by working with the most unsightly people - freaks, dwarfs, transvestites, the weak-minded... best case scenario- with nudists. Released in 2006 biographical film"Fur", where the role of Diana was played by Nicole Kidman.

David LaChapelle, USA, 1963

A master of pop photography (“pop” in the good sense of the word), LaChapelle, in particular, shot videos for Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera, so you will understand his style not only from photographs.

Marc Riboud, France, (1923-2016)

The author of at least a dozen “epoch prints”: you’ve probably seen a million times a hippie girl bringing a daisy to the barrel of a rifle. Riboud has traveled all over the world and is most revered for his portfolio of filming in China and Vietnam, although you can also find his real-life scenes Soviet Union. Died at the age of 93.

Elliott Erwitt, France, 1928

A Frenchman with Russian roots, famous for his ironic and absurd view of our troubled world, which is very moving in his still photographs. Not long ago, he also began exhibiting in galleries under the name André S. Solidor, which in abbreviation reads “ass.”

Patrick Demarchelier, France/USA, 1943

Still a living classic of fashion photography, he has enriched this genre with a particularly complex sophistication. And at the same time, he reduced the prohibitive degree of glamorous overdress, which was the norm before him.

Annie Leibovitz, USA, 1949

A master of fairy-tale plots with a very powerful charge of wit, understandable even to simpletons who are far from hyper-glamour. Which is not surprising, since lesbian Annie started out as a staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine.