Annie Leibovitz’s portraits of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson have received mixed reactions online – with some critics accusing the legendary photographer of not knowing how to take photos of black women.
Leibovitz, 72 ans, mardi tweeted she snapped two snaps of the new member of the Liberal High Court bloc posing at the Lincoln Memorial for a photo op for Vogue magazine.
Many reactions to the photos of the first black woman on the Supreme Court were positive, but a vocal faction of respondents claimed Leibovitz was not using proper lighting.
“You can barely see her. Please learn how to properly lighten darker skin tones,” one user wrote.
“I beg you to enlighten black women better that her complexion is not gray,” said another.
Others said it wasn’t the first time the former Rolling Stone reporter dropped the ball while portraying people of color.
A “furious” detractor wrote that it looked like Leibovitz used “the same lighting setup she used on Simone Biles” in 2020 – a photo shoot that some critics called “demeaning”.
Some Twitter users took issue with the composition of a photo showing Jackson standing in Lincoln’s likeness at sunset.
“I understand the intended message, but I think it sends a *Lincoln freed the slaves and look what they accomplished* message. A little too white, especially with this lighting,” someone wrote.
Others said Vouge should have hired a black photographer for the shoot and also asked the magazine why he didn’t do a photo shoot with conservative judge Amy Coney Barret in 2020.
The majority of the more than 2,200 people who commented on the tweet on Friday praised its artist and subject matter.
“Mrs. Leibovitz is perhaps one of the most historic portraits of your career. Incredible work. You have captured the strength, intelligence and beauty of Judge Jackson. Just wow,” one person wrote.