Photographer Steve Schapiro has died at his Chicago home. He was 87.

Schapiro left the world heartbroken after the renowned photojournalist succumbed. His wife, Maura Smith, first confirmed the news to The New York Times (via People). Their spokesperson, Heidi Schaeffer, also told ABC News that the photographer died on Saturday.

Both the wife and representative confirmed that Steve Schapiro's cause of death was pancreatic cancer, but they did not further detail when exactly he learned about the diagnosis.

People who were close to him started pouring heartfelt messages while remembering his works in several civil rights movements and the entertainment industry.

Director of archive photography for Getty Images, Bob Ahern, told CNN: "We have lost a giant of 20th-century photography, and Schapiro's contributions are immeasurable. His talent defied genres, and he brought a compassionate and informed eye to events that decades later are still shaping our lives and our news today."

"He was important to the movement. His images moved minds during a crucial time," filmmaker Ava DuVernay shared on Twitter.

Remembering Steve Schapiro

Steve Schapiro's legacy began when the New York City native studied under the mentorship of World War II photographer W. Eugene Smith.

Before rising to fame, he started his career as a freelance photographer in the 1960s. At that time, he began covering historical events, including Washington's 1963 March and Robert F. Kennedy's presidential run in 1968.

In the 1970s, Schapiro became filmmakers and actors' favorites that they included him to be part of the sets of "Taxi Driver," "Chinatown," "The Godfather," and "The Man Who Fell to Earth," among others.

He also photographed famed activists and leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rep. John Lewis, and James Baldwin, to name a few. He also became the photographer who shot the first-ever issue of PEOPLE in 1974, making Daisy Buchanan become a massive fan of him.

After his works in the civil rights movement, he started focusing on celebrity portraits.

In his interview with his friend and gallery owner David Fahey for The Times in 2017 (via Yahoo! Entertainment), Schapiro left a promising statement about working in his field.

"I enjoy waiting for that moment when I sense something about someone," he said.

Schapiro is survived by his wife Maura, their children, and four grandchildren.