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

State trooper holding burnt cap of a guard taken hostage during riot at Attica State prison. (Photo by John Shearer/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

John Shearer

Students Steve Poster and Jessalyn Gray (fore C) talking at side of taxi while crowd of White Supremacists taunt them. (Photo by Joe Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Joe Scherschel

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

Prisoners at San Quentin weightlifting in prison yard during recreation period. (Photo by Charles Steinheimer/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Charles Steinheimer

Elvis and Priscilla leave the house he and his family occupied in Bad Nauheim, Germany. (Photo by James Whitmore/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

James Whitmore

Wide-angle photo of the floor at the Democratic convention with John F. Kennedy supporters.(Photo by Ralph Crane/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Ralph Crane