Shooting stars Book

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 fa