Meet Annie Leibovitz ahead of her talk at the Southbank Centre

'You don't have to sort of enhance reality. There is nothing stranger than truth'

Over the past half century, Annie Leibovitz has taken portraits of the world's most famous and influential figures. From Leonardo DiCaprio's Vanity Fair cover in 1998 to the official royal portrait of Her Majesty The Queen in 2007, Leibovitz's portraits have infiltrated the global cultural landscape. Her 1991 Vanity Fair cover portrait of a nude and pregnant Demi Moore, then scandalous and scorned as pornographic, was a few years later held responsible for the rise of body-hugging maternity fashions. It triggered a reappraisal of the female body, in all its transitional forms.

Leibovitz's portraits are instantly recognisable. They capture the subject in an intimate, yet vulnerable state. She puts her subject at ease; her photographs tell their stories. As Leibovitz said in an interview in 2002; 'There are moments in my work when I know that subject is at the pinnacle in their life, and I feel responsible to take a photograph of them that will last.'

Inspired by the great late Robert Frank, Leibovitz first experimented with film while studying at San Francisco Institute of Art. Starting out as a staff photographer at Rolling Stone, where she would hold the post until 1983, Leibovitz went on to serve as the concert-tour photographer for the Rolling Stones' Tour of the Americas '75, and on to serve as a long-standing contributor to Vanity Fair and Vogue.

In this one-off talk at the Royal Festival Hall, Leibovitz will discuss the most defining works from her newly published book Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005 – 2016 (Phaidon). While the ticket is a little pricey, you will also receive a signed limited edition of Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005-2016. This exclusive preview will shed an illuminating light on her creative process and practice. It's sure to be a hit for the fashion and photography lovers among you, so flag the date in your diaries – it'll sell out soon.

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And for real Leibovitz fans, there is even better news. There is a chance ahead of this once-in-a-life-time talk to meet the photographer herself in person. From 12pm on Saturday 21 October, Leibovitz will meet fans and sign copies of her new book Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005 - 2016 at Waterstones flagship bookshop in Piccadilly. Tickets to attend the signing, which also include a copy of her book, cost £69.95 and can be bought from the Waterstones Piccadilly website. See you there!