Noted American photographer of African heritage, renowned for his exceptional work in capturing poignant and powerful images for Life magazine, spanning a period of nearly two decades, from the late 1940s to the late 1960s.
Later in his career, he transitioned to directing films, with his second endeavour, the groundbreaking blaxploitation movie Shaft, released in 1971, achieving significant commercial success at the box office.
Furthermore, his first film endeavour, The Learning Tree, which was initially released in 1969, was later selected, in 1989, among the initial 25 films to be preserved in the National Film Registry by the U.S. Library of Congress, ensuring its significance and cultural importance for generations to come.
