Bill Shapiro, judge of our 2025 Black & White Award (now open for entries), is one of the most influential voices in photography, responsible for publishing some of the most iconic images of our time.
Perhaps no other publication is as synonymous with iconic photography as LIFE magazine. For decades, its pages helped shape visual culture, bringing some of the most powerful and enduring images of the 20th century—from war and politics to pop culture and everyday life—into the public consciousness.
The magazine’s final editor-in-chief during its print era and the driving force behind the launch of LIFE.com, Bill Shapiro has spent much of his career shaping how we engage with images—work he continues today through his involvement with a range of publications, platforms, and organizations. We spoke with him about his time working at LIFE, what makes a photograph truly iconic and his advice for emerging photographers.
When did your interest in photography first begin? Was there a specific moment, image, or experience that sparked your passion?
B. Shapiro: I caught the bug at about 14 when I took a photography class in junior high school. I began taking an old Canon to Grateful Dead concerts, shooting pictures with Tri-X, printing them the following day, and then selling them at the next show for, like, $10. Good money for a kid.
People would gather around and look at the pictures, and I liked that feeling. Then, at one show, a huge, tattooed biker came up to me, looked through the photos, and said, “I’ll take ‘em all.” I was thrilled…until I realized that he meant that literally. He grabbed the box of prints out of my hands and walked away. I was skinny—still had braces on my teeth—and there was nothing I could do. I felt deeply humiliated. But then I had another thought: I’d made something worth stealing. That was my first lesson in the lure and power of photographs.
As the editor of LIFE and founding editor of LIFE.com, you helped shape the modern legacy of one of the most iconic platforms for visual storytelling. What are some of the most memorable stories or moments you worked on during your time there?
B. Shapiro: I don’t think I shaped the legacy of LIFE magazine at all. I loved making that magazine, but its legacy certainly didn’t need my help. Launching LIFE.com, on the other hand, really did feel like bringing an iconic yet dusty brand into the modern age. And being able to access all the old LIFE magazine story files? Beyond thrilling. LIFE would send a photographer on assignment for weeks, and he’d come back with hundreds of images, but only a handful would appear in the magazine. So we trawled the files and found amazing pictures that had been forgotten about.
B. Shapiro: The moment I’ll never forget was when we discovered photographs taken hours after Martin Luther King had been murdered, incredible images made by a young LIFE photographer named Henry Groskinsky. These pictures had never been seen before because LIFE’s editor at the time thought they’d spark violence in the streets. We ran them and they made news worldwide.
In your opinion, what makes a photograph truly iconic, and how can emerging photographers strive to create work with lasting impact?
B. Shapiro: That’s an interesting question because sometimes photographs aren’t immediately recognized as iconic. I just interviewed the great Neil Leifer for the New York Times about his photograph of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston, widely considered to be not only iconic but perhaps the greatest sports photo ever. That picture did not make the cover of Sports Illustrated or even the opening spread. It ran on the final page of the story, then sat in a photo editor’s file for years. Over time, however, it took on more meaning.
B. Shapiro: So I’m not sure that these things can be planned; a number of elements must line up exactly right, including the ebb and flow of history, and, as Leifer told me, a whole lot of luck. If I’m an emerging photographer, I’d focus on making pictures that are consistently strong so that I’d be absolutely ready if the moment arises.
That said, I think an iconic picture, aside from being well composed, has to capture the spirit of times—has to become a symbol for something—and so a photographer looking to make a lasting impact, would need to put him or herself in a place where a moment like that is could happen. Alfred Eisenstadt’s sailor kissing the nurse. Brandi Chastain ripping off her jersey at the World Cup. Eddie Adams’ picture of the shooting of a suspected Viet Cong. Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother”.
B. Shapiro: What these have in common is a clear point of focus for the viewer and heightened emotional intensity. Of course, there are plenty of non-news pictures considered iconic, like Annie Leibovitz’s portrait of Yoko Ono and a naked John Lennon, but I’say that photographers should focus on making good pictures of things they’re passionate about, and if they’re lucky, things just might align that make one of those pictures an image for the ages.
You’re serving as the judge of our 2025 Black & White Award. What, in your view, makes black and white photography so enduring, and what qualities will you be looking for in the winning images?
B. Shapiro: I need to connect with an image, and for me, that means the picture makes me feel something—joy, horror, regret, shock, surprise, desire, wonder, whatever. The picture and that feeling, have got to stay with me. I also like seeing things I haven’t seen before, and seeing something I have seen before, but in a way I’ve never seen it.
B. Shapiro: On top of that, smart and compelling composition, using the full frame, using multiple planes. Those aren’t strict criterion—there are no rules to falling in love—but those are the kind of pictures to which I gravitate. I hate to generalize about photos because it’s just too easy to find exceptions, but black-and-white images somehow feel less transitory to me; they make me feel more connected to the sweep of history. That said, I’m no purist. I absolutely love color photography.
What advice would you give to photographers hoping to stand out in today’s oversaturated visual landscape?
B. Shapiro: I’m not a photographer, so I’m going to answer this from the perspective of someone who looks at a ton of pictures and decides who I want to work with. That was true at LIFE, and it’s true now when I decide whether or not I want to work with a photographer on their photo book. I’d suggest two things: Develop your visual voice and become very consistent in what you do. Study the masters and understand what makes their pictures successful.
B. Shapiro: But don’t replicate them; instead, channel them. When I say visual voice, I’m not talking about the lens you use or your after-effects, but the very way of looking at the world: What are you trying to communicate? A great photo is about its subject, but also about its photographer. The best photo editors I know want the story, but also want to know how you see the story. Also, at a certain point, it makes sense to pick an area of focus so that you come to be known for your speciality. Try to be the person that photo editors think of when they think of yachting photos, or taco photos, or whatever. By specializing, you’ll become consistent, and photo editors love consistency. Why? Because they want someone they can trust to absolutely nail the shoot.
All images © their respective owners