Famous Photographers Pose with Their Most Iconic Images

Steve McCurry

When we gaze upon an iconic (or even just a really good) photograph, it’s difficult to think about the work or the passion behind it – we are seeing a documented scene or a crafted image and–unless you are a photographer–most people don’t wonder about the individual who was behind the camera. Sure, the majority of the populace will automatically recognize the photo of the Afghan Girl that was on the cover of National Geographic, but if you said the name “Steve McCurry” would the everyday person have any idea who you were talking about?

Photographer Tim Mantoani is setting out to change this with an ambitious project: He is photographing well known photographers with their most iconic, famous, or favorite photographs. He has collected 150 of these riveting portraits in a recent book – Behind Photographs: Archiving Photographic Legends.
Not only is he contacting and documenting these famous photographers, but he is also challenging his own photographical prowess by shooting on the legendary 20×24 Polaroid camera. These cameras are practically extinct (2 in existence), and the film goes for about $200 dollars a pop – per FRAME.

Click through the gallery tabs above to see a selection of this work.