Steve Schapiro: Taxi Driver / The Godfather

Steve Schapiro... Travis Mug Shot (1975). From the exhibition Steve Schapiro: Taxi Driver / The Godfather at Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago, IL. "...In 1971, Francis Ford Coppola started work on The Godfather, one of the most acclaimed films ever made. Steve Schapiro, then a 37 year old established photojournalist whose clients included Life, Look, Time, Newsweek and film studios, was hired by Paramount as the special photographer for the film. This title gave Schapiro unprecedented access to one of the most stellar casts ever assembled, photographing whichever film scenes he chose, capturing the memorable moments often cited when referencing this film, including the whisper and Marlon Brando with the cat.
Four years later, at the request of Robert DeNiro, Schapiro landed the job as the special photographer on the set of Taxi Driver, one of Martin Scorsese’s most seminal films, which is currently celebrating its 35 year anniversary release with a book published by Taschen. Through Schapiro’s lens, we see DeNiro as Travis Bickle, practicing his firing stance in front of a mirror and Jodie Foster as Iris, standing in the hotel doorway, waiting."