Annie Leibovitz photography exhibition

Patti Smith with her Children, Jackson and Jesse, St. Clair Shores, Michigan 1996 Photograph © Annie Leibovitz

This summer, Sydneysiders will have a chance to see the work of one of my favourite photographers, the legendary Annie Leibovitz.

Leibovitz has been documenting American pop culture for over three decades. A lot of her work was done for popular magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue. She is extremely good in making her subjects feel comfortable and at ease, and has no trouble persuading them to do even the most awkward of things.

Featuring prominent personalities from diverse genres such as music, cinema, art, politics, etc., her photographs are always surprising and original. Perhaps the most recognizable one of them all, is the photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, shot by Leibovitz for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine on the day of Lennon’s death.

The exhibition showcases over 200 photographs selected by the artist, ranging from commercial and documentary, to those which reveal the most intimate moments in the photographer’s life.

The entry to Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life 1990–2005 exhibition will set you back $15 (or $10 with consession). The exhibition is on now and runs until Sunday 27 March 2011. Don’t miss it! For more details check out the MCA website.

Ice skating around Sydney

Winterland @ CarriageWorks

Winter can be charming after all. Take advantage of the cold weather, rug up and head to one of the winter festivals around town after nightfall or on the weekend. Ice skating is this year’s centrepiece at both Winterland festival at CarriageWorks and the Winter Festivals in Sydney and Bondi. Spread across the forecourt of St Mary’s cathedral, Sydney Winter Festival is on until Sunday 4 July, and then it moves to Bondi, where it becomes Bondi Winter Festival from 16 July to 25 July. If ice skating is just not your thing, sit back and watch the fun on ice while sipping on a hot cup of mulled wine. Or hot chocolate. Also coming to town very soon, is the Winterland festival in the inner west. It will run from 5 July to 31 July.