George Kalinsky has been the official photographer for Madison Square Garden for more than twenty-five years. Since 1966, in two buildings and at nearly four thousand events, he has photographed the biggest stars in some of their greatest moments in sports and entertainment.Kalinsky's career as a photographer began while he was vacationing with his family in Florida. He spotted Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell walking into the Fifth Street Gym and decided to follow them inside. But when he walked through the door, he was stopped by Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer. Although he had never taken pictures professionally, Kalinsky asked Dundee if he could take a few shots of Ali and then jokingly said, "I'm the photographer for Madison Square Garden." The words just came out; he still doesn't know why. But Dundee thought he was funny and said, "Why not, Mr. Comedian."Later that night, Kalinsky heard on the car radio that Ali's next fight was being canceled because of Ali's stance against the war in Vietnam. It was the lead story, so he drove to The Miami Herald and asked if they'd be interested in his film. After developing the roll, they decided to run his photos and sent them by wire service across the country, and Kalinsky's professional career had begun.When he got back to New York, Kalinsky approached John Condon, the president of Madison Square Garden Boxing, showed him the photos he'd taken, and explained his background in art and design. Condon liked the emotion and composition he had captured in that one roll. So, on a hunch, he hired him to take pictures for the Garden. It was a decision he would never regret.Shooting Stars is the creme de la creme of George Kalinsky's work for the Garden. Through the years, he has captured the grand spectacle and minute details of some of the greatest events and performances of our time. From his vantage point as the official photographer for Madison Square Garden, he has had the unique opportunity to photograph the most famous sports and entertainment figures in the world. Personalities such as Muhammad Ali, Peggy Fleming, Bill Russell, Judith Jamison, Frank Sinatra, and Luciano Pavarotti will all tell you that George Kalinsky has taken their favorite pictures.Kalinsky's photographs show the beauty in both a hard-fought victory and a crushing defeat - the great moments at center ring, at center court, and behind the scenes. In his images, we see the moment when subject and circumstance come together in a way that moves us deeply: a determined Willis Reed walking out on one good leg to help the Knicks win the NBA Championship; a fading Judy Garland drawing strength from an audience chanting, "Judy...Judy...Judy..."; Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier giving their best in front of a crowd that came to see and be seen; Luciano Pavarotti performing for the first time off the operatic stage; and the memorable performances of greats now gone like Bing Crosby, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and, in his final stage performance, John Lennon.Shooting Stars also presents the artists of motion: Earl Monroe, Michael Jordan, Dr. J, Peggy Fleming, Olga Korbut, and many others who have graced the Garden with their balletic movements. There is hockey and boxing and track and basketball and figure skating. There's the circus, births and weddings, the dog and cat shows, and always the crowd. With an accompanying text by novelist Bart Davis, Shooting Stars captures the history and drama of all the Garden's greatest events. It's a spectacular celebration of the biggest stars of the stage and sports, all from the lens of George Kalinsky. Read Less