Fresh out of school, Pedro Guerrero (1917–2012) landed the role of Frank Lloyd Wright's photographer and played a pivotal role in presenting the architect's work to the public. During the 1950s and 1960s, he grew into a highly sought after photographer and also shot the work of famed modern architects like Marcel Breuer, Philip Johnson, and Eero Saarinen, among others. A new documentary in the PBS series American Masters sheds light on the man behind the lens.

How did his background in the arts help to communicate architectural concepts?

[Dixie Legler Guerrero—the photographer's second wife and archivist of the Pedro E. Guerrero Archives] I think Pedro understood the concepts of composition and balance instinctively. He always had an artistic temperament. He was always drawing or creating, even before he took up photography. So those concepts naturally helped him when he took up photography.

What about his personality made him a good collaborator for architects and artists?

Pedro was a charmer. He was warm, witty and humble. He never wanted to show the artists he photographed in an unflattering way. He respected them and their work. They were all his friends. And because of that, they welcomed him into their homes and studios, knowing that they could trust him.