Long before "Instagram boyfriends" braved gravel, grass stains, and judgemental looks from strangers to capture the perfect shot for their S.O.'s aesthetic feed, old-school cameramen perfected the art of going above and beyond for a legendary photo. Just ask the old-school photographers and videographers who dangled from buildings, strapped cameras to their skydiving gear, and even got socked by an angry kangaroo to capture now-iconic snaps.
From wading through flood waters to snapping through a line of weapons here are 21 vintage cameramen who did the most to get the shot.
1
“A cameraman strapped to the front of a race car for a scene in the 1966 movie ‘Grand Prix.’”
2
“Madison, Wisconsin: This cameraman stood between the points of Wisconsin National Guardsmen bayonets on September 30, 1969.”
3
“Getting the shot: Douglas Kirkland photographing Marilyn Monroe 1961.”
4
A photographer poses atop a skyscraper in New York City, date unknown.
5
“Fortune magazine photographer Margaret Bourke-White preparing to take a picture from high atop a NYC building, 1931.”
6
“Photographer Annie Leibovitz atop the Chrysler Building, New York City, 1991 by John Loengard.”
7
“Stanley Kubrick getting his shot on the scene of A Clockwork Orange, 1970.”
8
“A picture of a photographer taking a Picture of New-York City streets , 1925.”
9
“Photographer suspended from a crane takes pictures of the streets in London, 1929.”
10
“Kangaroo Hits A Photographer For Trying To Photograph Him, England. Photo By Voller Ernst, 1967.”
11
“'Mad Max' cinematographer David Eggby 1977.”
12
“Charles Clyde Ebbets - American photographer credited with taking the iconic photograph Lunch atop a Skyscraper.”
13
“Cameramen recording the lion for the MGM logo.”
14
“Empire State Building Cameraman 1936.”
15
“Skydiving cameramen (ca. 90’s).”
16
“1920s kid practicing target with cameraman.”
17
“Soviet cameraman capturing scenes of fighting during the battle of Budapest, January, 1945.”
18
“Soviet cameraman Alexander Elbert is shooting under cover of a BA-10 armored car, 1943.”
19
“The youngest war photographer ever: Lỗ Mạnh Hùng, a 12-year-old war photographer, Vietnam war, 1968.”
20
“Grand Canyon photographer suspended on a rope, 1908.”
21
“National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry photographed during his coverage of the 1983 Monsoon in Gujarat, India.”
