From Tzivi’s July ’12 Spotlight:
World-famous photo journalist Steve Schapiro once lived in Manhattan’s infamous Dakota Building, but he now makes his home on Lake Shore Drive. When I heard he would be speaking at the Instituto Cervantes on June 5, I called to arrange a chat.
In addition to his popular books on The Godfather and Taxi Driver, Schapiro is also responsible for some of the most iconic photos ever taken of Barbra Streisand. I asked him specifically about the Lazy Afternoon cover. “Barbra designed most of the images. She had a very good sense of design and imagery and it wasn’t the photographer who supplied that, it was Barbra… Barbra’s career is really based on the fact that she always knew what was best for her and then she really stood by that and really fought for that and so some people have felt that she was difficult. But I don’t think she was difficult. I think she really had a sense of what was right for herself.”
Schapiro told me he has a new book coming out in September: Steve Schapiro, Then and Now. “It’s a collection of pictures which have never been published. Pictures that play against each other. The best example is a picture of Jane Fonda on one side and sumo wrestlers on the other.” So the key theme is juxtapositions? “Yeah, I would say that.”
Let’s hope for more local appearances soon, meanwhile samples are posted at http://SteveSchapiro.com.
Click here to pre-order Steve Shapiro: Then and Now on Amazon