biodoc

Maura Smith’s documentary paints photographer Steve Schapiro as equal parts wry observer and technical magician, a gadfly artist armed with a camera and a disarming sense of curiosity. To watch his life unfold is to witness a man who didn’t just chase history; he wandered into it, again and again, at precisely the right moment. Schapiro seems almost mythic in his Zelig-like ability to be present at the turning points of American culture.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but, ironically, what makes Steve Schapiro: Being Everywhere a must-see are the intimate behind-the-scenes stories the award-winning photographer shares about some of his most iconic images. Director Maura Smith beautifully captures Schapiro’s spirit in this documentary, much like he did the subjects of his photographs. She gives him space to be himself, to tell his life story his own way in his own words, and she effectively intersperses his memories with dozens of the photos he’s taken.