Born into a family of furriers, Jerry Schatzberg went into the family business only to discover his great dislike of it. Instead, he pursued a career in photography, learning the art while assisting noted fashion photographer Bill Helburn in the mid 1950s. After two years, Schatzberg opened his own studio and began shooting for Vogue and other magazines including McCalls, Esquire, Glamour, Town and Country and Life. He began directing commercials in the mid 1960s, but found he wanted total artistic control. After an attempt at directing TV series, he ventured into narrative film with a story based on the fashion world, Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970), starring Faye Dunaway.
Following his feature directorial debut, Schatzberg directed The Panic in Needle Park (1971) starring Kitty Winn and Al Pacino in his first leading role; Scarecrow (1973) starring Al Pacino and Gene Hackman; The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979) starring Alan Alda and Meryl Streep; Honeysuckle Rose (1980) starring Willie Nelson and Amy Irving; and Reunion (1989) starring Jason Robards and Samuel West, among others while maintaining a successful career in fashion and portrait photography.
For his directorial efforts, Schatzberg won the Palme d’Or for Scarecrow and received Palme d’Or nominations for The Panic in Needle Park, Sweet Revenge (1976) and Reunion.
Schatzberg has been a member of the Guild since 1965.