Photographer Profiles

Tonight HBO is airing a documentary you won’t want to miss: “Underfire” is the untold story of Private Tony Vaccaro who was a 21-year-old photographer and infantryman during World War II. Now 93, Vaccaro is finally receiving the long-overdue recognition he deserves.

Vaccaro’s compelling images of the war are unique, because they come from the perspective of his dual roll as both an infantryman and photographer on the front lines. He captured over 8,000 photographs while fighting the enemy and striving to stay alive.

“Underfire,” written, produced and directed by Max Lewkowicz, runs on HBO tonight at 8pm Eastern, and is also available for streaming now (and later) on the HBO website.

The film recounts interviews with Vaccaro as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers and provides an intimate look into combat photography as Vaccaro retraces his journey across Europe. 

After the war Vaccaro eventually became a successful fashion and magazine photographer, but he never took another image of armed conflict. You can watch a brief preview of the film below.