In recent days, there has been a spate of celebrity deaths – with each story about the celebrity’s life accompanied by a photograph I took in the past. From Andy Griffiths, producer Richard Zanuck, Sylvester Stallone’s son Sage to Oscar winning actress Celeste Holm, their lives were summed up in a single photograph.

Most often the death is unexpected, so preparations made well in advance of the persons demise come in to play. Aside from a good headshot from a premiere or other event, acquisition of stills from the person’s movie career are a must. It then becomes a mission of online research to locate an appropriate photograph, which could be from the publicist, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, various Halls of Fame or sometimes reaching out to the celebrity’s fan club for that elusive photograph, to get the photo as quickly as possible to go with the story.

Since I began shooting entertainment for Reuters in 1992 in Hollywood, I was able to cover the tail end of the Golden Age of Hollywood stars, including Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Cyd Charisse. I felt it an honor to have captured the spirit and essence of these stars and at times have my photograph used with their obituary story. Of the thousands of images shot during a long career, to capture the quintessential smile, glance or scowl – and have it be the image to sum up a life – that’s the job of the humble obituary photograph.

As she got up and prepared to head into the tribute honoring her at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences Tribute in Beverly Hills, I thanked her for her patience. She turned to me and said “This is fun”.

I have covered red carpet events for Reuters in Los Angeles for the past 19 years – the routine premiere, the various award shows from Oscars to Grammys – but it still boils down to getting there early, hoping the publicist has marked a spot for you on the arrival line, and waiting.

Thursday night at the Academy, there were only about ten of us shooting. As luck would have it, I was placed next to last in line, right at the end of the arrivals line. It could have been good or bad. If the guest was in a hurry they would fly past. But it seemed luck was on my side as Miss Loren posed for the first group of photographers, I asked her publicist, Stan Rosenfield, if he would have her pose at the Oscar statue in front of my position, she posed for the others, then moved to right in front of me. She then proceeded to give the gift of a great pose, sitting at the base of the statue. As events go, one of the few remaining screen legends making a rare appearance in the U.S., this was one to be remembered.

Aside from that magnificent pose on the statue, she was surrounded by her sons and their wives, host Billy Crystal and other guests.

Grazie Sophia!