Neil Leifer

Neil Leifer’s career as a photographer has spanned over fifty years, starting in his teens. He has been exceedingly successful during this time, working for Time and Life magazines. He has won many awards and published several books, mainly on sports photography.

Leifer is well known for his iconic image of Sonny Liston lying crumpled at Muhammad Ali’s feet, although this image did claim instant recognition. An image taken from beside Leifer by photographer John Rooney was published and won the 1965 World Press Photo Prize, even though its quality appears inferior. It was only as Ali’s fame grew that leifer’s photograph emerged in the public eye and was given the acclaim it so deserved.

Leifer believes that luck was on his side that evening, albeit a slow burning luck. Top photographer of the time, Herb Scharfman had taken the seat next to the judges for ease of movement, leaving his view at this climactic moment of the back Ali’s shorts. Leifer, however was seated round the other side with perfect position to capture the moment perfectly, framing Scharfman nicely between Ali’s legs.  

Shooting in colour, Leifer’s lighting setup meant that he only had one shot before waiting for his flash unit to recharge so perfect timing was vital. The image captured in reality shows Ali shouting at his opponent to get up and fight, yet it has the appearance of a proud, victorious roar.

“Luck in sports photography is everything but what separates the really top sports photographer from the ordinary is that when they get lucky, they don’t miss.”

On this occasion, Leifer certainly didn’t miss; it is not only Ali’s most recognised photograph, but one of the most noted images in sporting history.

Leifer has more recently turned to documentary film work, although he still feels that photography has a bigger place in shaping legacies. 
“One of the things about the photographs of Ali – and I say this as a photographer who became a filmmaker – is that I always felt and I continue to feel that the still photo has far more impact than any video. Nobody ever talks about the video of Muhammad Ali waving his fist and yelling at Sonny Liston…  People remember the still pictures, and, in Ali’s case, there are so many great ones.”