All Of It – Photographer Steve Schapiro Witnessed American History

Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Maura Smith (filmmaker, director of Steve Being Everywhere, and Steve Schapiro’s wife)
Date: November 14, 2025
Duration of main segment: ~00:45–19:36

Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It pays tribute to acclaimed photographer Steve Schapiro, who chronicled pivotal people and moments in American culture and history. Host Alison Stewart speaks with Maura Smith, director of the new documentary Steve Being Everywhere (and Schapiro’s wife), to reflect on his personality, influence, creative philosophy, and the impact of his work—from intimate portraits of legends like Muhammad Ali and Bowie to powerful documentation of the Civil Rights Movement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Steve Schapiro’s Distinctive Approach and Personality

• A Character and “Everyday Guy”
  • Maura describes Steve as “a bit of a character” who always had a witty one-liner and even as he worked with icons, "he never lost, just kind of being an everyday guy." (02:13–02:59)
  • “He was so excited at every moment, I mean, even the sad moments. But it was just like, yes, I have my camera and I can do this.” — Alison Stewart (03:03)
• Never Lost His Excitement
  • Even late in life, Schapiro’s passion for photography and telling stories never faded. Maura recalls him energetically photographing a women’s protest in Switzerland, “You can just see his energy.” (03:12)

The Origins of the Documentary

• Driven By Urgency
  • After Steve’s cancer diagnosis in June 2021, Maura acted quickly to document his stories. “I just want to make sure we have Steve’s stories because he loved telling his photo stories.” (03:34–04:37)

On Interviewing Her Husband

• A Natural Process
  • Maura, as both spouse and director, let the interviews flow organically:
    “All I did was move him. I just moved him to a different seat.” (04:49–04:56)

Unshared Stories and Emotional Impact

• Migrant Worker Photos & Civil Rights Aftermath
  • Maura treasures Steve’s work on migrant workers (“I blew up one...to 40 by 60 because...I want this picture big in our home.”) and especially the haunting series following MLK’s assassination:
    “As soon as we get to that part, I get chills, I get emotionally involved again.” (05:33–06:47)
• The Power of Unnoticed Influences
  • “You have so many influences in life and you don’t get how they’re influencing you...those things build. And I think that’s what happened with Steve.” (06:47–06:54)

Meeting and Early Life

• A Blind Date and NYC Upbringing
  • Maura and Steve met via a chance setup after Steve and an actress friend “drank too much champagne.” (07:12–08:10)
  • Steve was an only child from Brooklyn, dressed in Brooks Brothers and surrounded by devoted parents, attending Stuyvesant High. (08:13–08:41)
• Deep Love for Museums
  • “Steve is a museum guy. Any time...no matter where we were, one of the first places we’d go would be a museum.” (08:48–09:23)

Discovery of Photography and Key Influences

• Early Fascination
  • Schapiro started with pictures of clouds at summer camp, later inspired by Cartier-Bresson’s “Decisive Moment.” (09:34–10:13)
  • Notable quote:
    “I used to go out on the street trying to emulate Henri Cartier-Bresson, and usually my timing was off by a few seconds. And what I came back with was incomprehensible. But I have overcome that a little bit.”
    — Steve Schapiro, in documentary clip (10:13–10:54)
• Peak Emotion in Photos
  • Maura highlights a favorite of James Baldwin and Lena Horne laughing (“complete abandonment”) and another of a composed, kind boy helping a woman into a police van during a St. Augustine protest:
    “I think that...I am probably going to cry...but anyway, it’s a very important picture for me.” (11:09–12:45)

Working with Icons & Philosophy of Portraiture

• Truth Over Stylization
  • “He took a good picture of you. He did not try and take a picture of what he had decided was going to be you.”
    “I don’t need to have my opinion of Allison on that picture. I’ll just do Allison.” — Maura Smith (13:11–13:36)
• Agency and Assignment
  • Sometimes Schapiro proposed stories (like James Baldwin to Life Magazine), but often he was assigned.
  • “He used to just kind of sit in [Life's] waiting room... If I’m sitting here, they’ll grab me. Good advice for young people—be available.” (14:17–14:30)

Transition to Movie Posters

• Changing Industry, New Opportunities
  • As magazines folded, Schapiro moved to LA and found work on films like “Funny Girl” and “The Godfather.” He worked as a “special photographer” capturing key moments, not standard production stills.
    (14:40–15:28)

Civil Rights & RFK

• Lasting Impact of Robert Kennedy
  • Steve was deeply moved by working with RFK, whom he regarded as the most ethical and intelligent politician of his time:
    “Probably the best moment in his life...Steve was a massive fan of Robert Kennedy.” (15:36–16:04)

Unsung Subjects

• Ordinary Life
  • Maura recalls a favorite photo of a little boy dancing in the foreground at the Apollo Theater, wanting to know what became of him: “I love that kid.” (16:13–16:46)

Late Life, Faith, and the Unexpected

• A New Focus on Faith
  • In his final months, Steve often engaged friends in discussions of faith, something new to his life:
    “I didn’t see it coming. I just want you to know that. I had no idea.” (16:57–18:25)

Reflections on Photography Today

• On Smartphones
  • “He would encourage people to do it...You can take pictures all the time.” (18:25–18:48)
• Advice for Young Photographers
  • Schapiro’s encouragement resonates:
    “Go out there, take pictures that mean something. Change the world again.” (18:55–19:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“He did not try and take a picture of what he had decided was going to be you… I’ll just do Allison.”
— Maura Smith (13:11–13:36)

“You have so many influences in life and you don’t get how they’re influencing you…those things build.”
— Maura Smith (06:47–06:54)

“Go out there, take pictures that mean something. Change the world again.”
— Steve Schapiro, via Maura Smith (18:55–19:04)

“He met everybody, photographed many of the most important people…and he never lost just kind of being an everyday guy.”
— Maura Smith (02:31–02:59)

“As soon as we get to that part [MLK’s death], I get chills, I get emotionally involved again...”
— Maura Smith (06:53–06:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:45–01:59 — Introduction to Steve Schapiro’s career and his documentary
• 02:00–02:59 — Maura describes Steve’s character; how he stayed “an everyday guy”
• 03:03–03:12 — Schapiro’s relentless excitement for his photography
• 03:34–04:37 — The urgency to record Steve’s stories after his cancer diagnosis
• 05:17–06:54 — Most memorable, deeply meaningful photos and their emotional resonance
• 08:10–09:25 — Early influences: childhood in New York, love of museums, and “people watching”
• 10:13–10:54 — Documentary clip: Steve on learning from Cartier-Bresson and “the decisive moment”
• 11:09–12:45 — Discussing iconic and powerful photos (Baldwin & Horne, St. Augustine protest)
• 13:11–13:45 — Steve’s approach: capturing people as they are
• 14:30–15:28 — Entry into film industry as magazines faltered
• 15:36–16:04 — The transformative impact of Robert F. Kennedy
• 16:46–17:25 — Photographing ordinary people; favorite unknown subject
• 16:57–18:25 — Steve’s evolving spiritual life in his last months
• 18:30–19:04 — Schapiro’s take on smartphone photography and advice for young photographers

Final Thoughts

This episode paints a vibrant, intimate portrait of Steve Schapiro: a photographer who moved among icons but always retained humility and curiosity, whose legacy is both immortalized in the faces of the famous and the anonymous. Through Maura Smith’s candid remembrances, listeners gain new appreciation for the man “who bore witness”—not just to history, but to the everyday beauty and complexity around him.

“Go out there, take pictures that mean something. Change the world again.” (18:55–19:04)