Photographer Anthony Linck outside the Time Life building. (Photo by William C. Shrout/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Photographer Anthony Linck outside the Time Life building. (Photo by William C. Shrout/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

In order to get a unique perspective on his subjects, Anthony Linck (1919-2004) would do anything, including piloting small planes to get a distinctive shot. One night in 1972, Linck circled his craft for four hours around Kennedy Space Center, calculating he wouldn’t run out of gas before the delayed Apollo 17 finally lifted off. It all worked out though, and through his plane’s customized window he captured an image of the last men to go to the moon. Shortly after World War II, he also flew in the face of danger when he documented young war victims in Warsaw, children who had been maimed by landmines. After he gave a one-legged kid on a homemade crutch some candy as thanks for letting him take his picture, Soviet police arrested Linck. They tried to make him confess to being a spy, but an American official rescued him.

Adapted from The Great LIFE Photographers

Running of the bulls for fiesta of San Ferman. (Photo by Anthony Linck/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Running of the bulls for fiesta of San Ferman. (Photo by Anthony Linck/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Woman hanging wash in a Dublin slum. (Photo by Anthony Linck/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Woman hanging wash in a Dublin slum. (Photo by Anthony Linck/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

More Like This

LIFE photographer Philippe Halsman poised w. camera in serious portrait. (Photo by Yale Joel/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Philippe Halsman

The watermelon stripe baby Tapir stretching out beside the older family member at the Brookfield zoo.(Photo by Francis Miller/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Francis Miller

Tarsiers,an animal native to Indonesia and Philippines, eating a lizard alive. (Photo by Sam Shere/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Sam Shere

American sailors on shore leave sit in a pedicab while their buddy takes their picture, Shanghai, China, December 1945. (Photo by George Lacks/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

George Lacks

Closeup of beautifully weathered hands of Navajo woman modeling turquoise bracelet & ring made by Native Americans. (Photo by Michael Mauney/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Michael Mauney

Light pattern produced by a time exposure of the light tipped rotor blades of a grounded helicopter. (Photo by Andreas Feininger/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Andreas Feininger