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There’s a new theory circulating on X: Annie Leibovitz deliberately takes unflattering photographs of black women. After her recent Vogue shoot with actress Zendaya, various accounts have jumped to suggest that the photographer uses either editing or lighting to make ethnic-minority subjects look bad, in a way that she doesn’t for white public figures.
This BTS video of Zendaya being photographed by Annie Leibovitz just goes to show it’s not bad lighting, it’s a choice she makes editing in post to make black women look terrible pic.twitter.com/KGm2qywtbg
— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) April 10, 2024
Examples provided by social media users include Leibovitz’s shots of actresses Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong’o, and gymnast Simone Biles.
But her supporters are biting back. Leibovitz is known for her muted style and bleak lighting, regardless of the subject of her photos. Others are pointing to the debate as culture wars nonsense, saying critics need to venture outside, touch some grass even. Zendaya can’t mind too much: she had no issue sharing the photos on her Instagram account.
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