Famous Photographers With Their Even More Famous Photographs

There’s a good chance you’ve seen most of the photos featured in Tim Mantoani’s new book, Behind Photographs. But I doubt you’ve seen the faces of the photographers behind those shots, who are finally given the notoriety they all deserve.

The San Diego-based photographer has created over 150 of these portraits over the past five years, using one of only a few remaining large format 20×24-inch Polaroid cameras. At $US200 a shot, the project was made more complicated when Polaroid went under, making the film even harder to come by. But the results are stunning, giving the world a glimpse of the talented photographers responsible for some of the most iconic photos over the past few decades.

Pictured here are photographers Jeff Widener, responsible for the Tiananmen Square Tank Man photo in 1989 and Neil Leifer, with his shot of Ali posing over Sonny Liston in 1965. The image to the left includes Steve McCurry and his photo of a young Pakistani woman in 1984, and Mark Seliger with his shot of Kurt Cobain.

Behind Photographs is available in two versions: a $US60 signed regular edition, and a $US100 signed exclusive edition that includes a protective slip case. [Behind Photographs via Wired]

Photos: Tim Mantoani.