Is this a career-saving photo?

I just don't get it. Annie Leibovitz is, last I heard, $24M in debt, and, yet, this is the kind of work she's putting out there to attract new business?

Don't get me wrong, I am a big Leibovitz fan, but this November Vogue cover is the shits.

That's why I was surprised to find out today that it is her work.

I mean, it does have the typical Leibovitz grandiose portraiture style, but... on Crack or something.

It's over-produced, over-styled, over-Photoshopped, and just plain over-the-top. The result is artificial and almost cartoonish.

Not the kind of Oscar campaignery Mr. Weinstein is after, I'm sure. These four ladies are only the Supporting Actress category of the star-studded Nine cast, after all. This is a big movie, with big Oscar hopes.

I almost wonder if this cover photo is a direct reflection of the reported 25% budget cut immediately enforced on Vogue by Conde Nast, on the advice of their consultants, McKinsey.

Further to this hypothesis, maybe Leibovitz had to reduce her $250K fee and downgrade her Photoshoppers.

Or, maybe it just is the shits.

Copyright: Annie Leibovitz for Vogue