Steve Schapiro began his career working for famous fashion photographers in the Big Apple, then moved on to documenting migrant workers, the civil rights movement, and cultural and political icons. He’s worked for the New York Times, LIFE, and People, just to name a few. His photos have graced magazine covers and movie posters.

His new book is Schapiro’s Heroes, and it’s filled with his up-close-and-personal photos of Muhammad Ali, Barbara Streisand, Andy Warhol, James Baldwin, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King and more. Schapiro recently came in to talk about the historical events and people he’s covered, and about what makes a great photograph.