Steve Schapiro Biography
Steve Schapiro (1934 - 2022) was a photographer and photojournalist who captured some of the most important historical events of the 1960s and 1970s and is also known for his film stills. Born in New York, Schapiro studied with William Eugene Smith, who profoundly influenced the artist's work, along with the famous street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. In 1961 he began working as a freelance photojournalist, with his images appearing in publications such as LIFE, Vanity Fair, Newsweek, and Time. Among his seminal images are those of Martin Luther King's march on Selma in 1963, on the road during Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign and at the Factory with Andy Warhol. Known for his compassionate and activist approach to his subjects, his works have played an important role in bringing issues such as the civil rights movement, immigration, and drug addiction to national attention. Starting in the 1970s, Schapiro began collaborating with film companies and worked on hundreds of films, including Midnight Cowboy, Parenthood, The Godfather and Taxi Driver. His works are held in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the National Portrait Gallery in London, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and the Musée des Beaux-art de Montréal, among others.
