Jerry Schatzberg is practically an institution. The photographer and filmmaker has done plenty of groundbreaking work over the years. As a filmmaker, he is associated with films like Scarecrow and Street Smart. However, his film career began only in the 1970s. Prior to that, he was busy making his way through Hollywood armed with his camera and lens.
Best known as the photographer who clicked the iconic cover photograph of Bob Dylan’s popular album, Blonde on Blonde, Schatzberg has gone down in photography history. His new book, Women Then: Photographs 1954-1969, is testament to just how significant his work was, and continues to be.
During the 1950s and 60s, Schatzberg went around capturing iconic moments from the fashion and celebrity scenes. And he was not just another shutterbug. Schatzberg was part of the high-profile action. What set him apart from the rest was his unique style of photography. Not for him the highly posed shoots that were all the rage at the time. He was not one of the herd. He left the highly stylised shoots to the others and turned his journalistic eye on the celebrity world. As a result, his photographs have a documentary-like quality about them.
His new book Women Then, is something of a tribute to the beautiful women that he captured over the years. Among the gorgeous women who show up in the book are Faye Dunaway (Schatzberg’s one-time fiancé), Catherine Deneuve and Sharon Tate. Incidentally, you will also find the odd picture of the Rolling Stones in drag.
