The Annie Leibovitz's book A Photographer's Life 1990–2005, is also and exhibition that is showing at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art.

It draws together for the first time the well-known assignments and rarely-seen personal work of one of the world’s celebrity portrait photographers. With approximately 200 photographs, the exhibition shows iconic images of famous public figures together with personal photographs of her family and close friends.

In some ways the book seems like it confirms closure following the death of her father and Sontag in 2004. I much prefer the private portraits and snapshots, which show a lot of power that I hadn’t expected from a studio photographer who meticulously sets up her setting, lighting and props.

We can see the latter with Nicole Kidman, 2003, Leibovitz’s over-the-top, golden-hued portrait of the actress standing tall in a beaded fishtail gown while the bright lights of a theater glare behind her.

In this studio portrait Leibovitz pushed movie star glamour beyond extravagance: Leibovitz and Kidman created an archetypal image of the actress majestic in her solitude and oozing sexual power. Behind this kind of studio work lies Richard Avedon, who provided the tools and style.