An Intimate, Exclusive Interview With Legendary Photojournalist Steve Schapiro
Lens Magazine|December 2019
"Don't try to emulate those who have come before you. It is crucial to have a sense of photographic history, but the photographers who have come before you have done their work. You are a new generation. It's your turn now." - Steve Schapiro
By Dafna Navarro
An Intimate, Exclusive Interview With Legendary Photojournalist Steve Schapiro

Legendary photographer and photojournalist, Steve Schapiro, captured some of the most important historical events of the '60s and '70s and is still an active photographer today.

Schapiro, a real activist, covered many stories related to the civil rights movement, including the March on Washington for jobs and freedom, the push for voter registration, and the Selma to Montgomery march. When LIFE Magazine called him to hurry to Memphis after Martin Luther King has been shot, Schapiro produced some of the most iconic images of that tragic event.

Schapiro credits Henri Cartier-Bresson as a significant influence on his work, as well as his former teacher W. Eugene Smith. He has captured the images of many politicians and celebrities, notably, Dr. Martin Luther King, Robert F. Kennedy, Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, and Barbra Streisand. Moreover, in his film photography career, he took photographs on the set of The Godfather, Midnight Cowboy, Taxi Driver, and Chinatown.

Schapiro has photographed cover stories for the world's most prominent magazines, including Life, Look, Time, Newsweek, SI, Rolling Stone, People, and Paris Match.

He published over ten successful photography books and exhibited his work in some of the most prestigious galleries and museums around the globe.

His work appears in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, amongst others.

It is truly a great pleasure to publish an exclusive interview with one of the most influential photographers of all time.

This story is from the December 2019 edition of Lens Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2019 edition of Lens Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM LENS MAGAZINEView All
IN THE SHIPYARDS OF DHAKA
Lens Magazine

IN THE SHIPYARDS OF DHAKA

A very large shipyard in Dhaka is located on the Buriganga River's banks, directly across Dhaka's old city.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
Aga Szydlik INDIA
Lens Magazine

Aga Szydlik INDIA

A JOURNEY INTO THE LAND OF DIVERSITY, CULTURE, AND COLORS

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
SEBASTIAN PIÓREK EXPLORING Enjoyable LANDSCAPE
Lens Magazine

SEBASTIAN PIÓREK EXPLORING Enjoyable LANDSCAPE

I retrieved the idea of nature closely linked to the field of human feelings.

time-read
1 min  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
The Extreme Macro Photography of Bees
Lens Magazine

The Extreme Macro Photography of Bees

AN INTERVIEW SAM WITH, DROEGE

time-read
4 mins  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
JEAN KAROTKIN GYMNOPEDIES
Lens Magazine

JEAN KAROTKIN GYMNOPEDIES

Gymnopédies, Karotkin's ongoing series of botanical portraits, takes its name from a trio of piano compositions by 19th-century French composer Erik Satie.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
BUTTERFLIES IN LOVE WITH FLOWERS
Lens Magazine

BUTTERFLIES IN LOVE WITH FLOWERS

I sometimes think Chinese art is not fully appreciated in the West. I was exposed to it growing up in Australia, although my fascination was more with calligraphy.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
Lissa Hahn:
Lens Magazine

Lissa Hahn:

Hahn: HOW TO EVOKE A PAVLOVIAN RESPONSE IN HUMANS

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ELENA PARASKEVA
Lens Magazine

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ELENA PARASKEVA

Elena Paraskeva is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning Conceptual Photographer and Art Director and, most recently, an official ADOBE instructor.

time-read
8 mins  |
February 2023 - The Colorful Issue
From a Living Hell to Heaven on Earth: the Inhumanity and Humanity of Humans
Lens Magazine

From a Living Hell to Heaven on Earth: the Inhumanity and Humanity of Humans

In a remote area of western Wisconsin, dogs and cats who otherwise would have ended up on death row are given a reprieve. They can now live out their lives in peace and comfort and with companionship at Home for Life (HFL), which was not afforded them outside the sanctuary's gates.

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2022 Humanity
The Art of DISAPPEARING
Lens Magazine

The Art of DISAPPEARING

In the classical proposal, indigenous people are usually the topic of discussion, but rarely do they have a hand in shaping it.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2022 Humanity