Sports photography legend Neil Leifer talks about life’s work at retrospective show (VIDEO)

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posted Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 6:39 PM EST

 
 

If you happen to be in Baltimore this Saturday and have the least bit of interest in sports photography, you should really stop by the Sports Legends Museum, where a new retrospective of the work of Neil Leifer is opening. If Leifer's name doesn't ring a bell, his work certainly will, particularly his instantly recognizable sports photos for Life, Time, Newsweek and most often and most notably, for Sports Illustrated.

The show, called "Behind the Lens with Neil Leifer," features 54 of Leifer's images, including his iconic shot of a defiant Muhammed Ali with his boxing glove across his chest, standing over a crumpled Sonny Liston.

 
 

In a short video below about the show, the 70-year-old Leifer discusses his life's work with typical humbleness.

"I had a real passion for photography and I was a rapid sports fan," he says while explaining his success. "Why I was good at it I don't know. I worked very hard. I'm not modest about this at all when I say it. I don't think I'm particularly gifted. I think I had to work twice as hard. But the end result is what pays off."

If you can't get to the show on Saturday, you'll get quite a few more chances to catch it at the museum. It runs there through October 2014.

(Via ISO 1200)