Annie Leibovitz: Photographer's family photo in Wales
- Published
This photo of the Beyers family in Pembrokeshire, taken by Annie Leibovitz, features in Ikea's latest campaign
John Lennon, the Obamas, Ed Sheeran, the Queen... over a 50-year career, celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz has captured many of the world's most famous faces.
So imagine her turning up at your house to take your family portrait.
That's precisely what happened to Francois Beyers.
"She works with some of the biggest stars in this world and yet she came to our little humble home here in west Wales to take our photo, and it felt incredible," he said.
Celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz visited Francois and his family at their home in Pembrokeshire
Francois lives with his partner Joanne and their two children Jack, aged five, and Lowri, three, in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, where they run a regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm, Câr y Môr.
At the start of last year, Francois received an email from a PR firm saying they wanted to send Leibovitz to photograph his family for a campaign for Ikea.
Initially he was dubious.
Annie Leibovitz pictured with a photo she took of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the couple's Manhattan apartment in 1980
"I was like 'why would Annie Leibovitz want to come out to west Wales and take a photo of us when she's done royalty and presidents and rock stars?"
Leibovitz is arguably the most celebrated celebrity photographer working today.
Born in Connecticut in 1949, she began working as a photographer at Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s and within three years became the magazine's chief photographer.
In 1983 she moved on to Vanity Fair.
In 1991 this Annie Leibovitz image of actress Demi Moore was on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine
One of her best known images was, at the time, also her most controversial - a naked and heavily pregnant Demi Moore, which was on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine in 1991.
Leibovitz later told the publication: "It was a popular picture and it broke ground, but I don't think it's a good photograph per se... it's a magazine cover. If it were a great portrait, she wouldn't be covering her breasts. She wouldn't necessarily be looking at the camera."
After the initial approach by Ikea, about six months of correspondence followed where Francois was asked to share everything about how his family live as well as photos of their home.
But Francois, a huge fan of Leibovitz's work, said he only really believed it was happening when she finally arrived at their home.
"A black Mercedes van pulled up, the doors opened and the distinguishable American accent of Annie Leibovitz came out and greeted me, and there she was in real life," he said.
"I was just gobsmacked."
Annie Leibovitz photographed Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama in 2009
The next morning they met at 06:00 on the nearby beach to begin work.
"She was incredible," said Francois.
"It was like we'd known her for ages, the kids literally started calling her Auntie Annie, because this is just how she was playing with them....
"She was enigmatic, charismatic and just so friendly."
Later they went back to their home where more photos were taken.
The photo selected for the campaign was actually taken in the family's boot room.
Before she left, she gave Francois a copy of her book, Annie Leibovitz at Work, which she had signed for the children.
"She gave me the book and said 'this is not for you, this is for your kids and if they ever grow up to like photography then give them this'."
A portrait of Queen Elizabeth by Annie Leibovitz
In the book she had written: "To Jack and Lowri, what a beautiful place you live in, love Annie."
After a very exciting morning, Leibovitz left and Francois was even able to get the children to school on time.
The image is now part of Ikea's campaign which features 25 real-life households photographed by Leibovitz across seven countries.
So how does Francois feel about the finished photograph?
"It's got Annie's iconic image and signature shot to it, it's incredible," he said.
But the whole experience has presented one drawback.
"There's only one problem," Francois joked.
"We can never take another family photo - nobody's ever going to live up to taking a family photo of us now, this is it."
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