[1] His work spanned the American Southwest, but centered primarily on images of scenic and historical significance within the state of New Mexico.
He documented the working life of cowboys on Bell Ranch, the lives of Native Americans, and landmarks.
Harvey Harold Caplin was born on July 21, 1915, in Rochester, New York[2] to Yetta and David Chaplin.
[1] A United States commemorative postage stamp depicts Caplin's photograph of Shiprock to memorialize the 50th year of New Mexico's statehood.
He photographed Puebloan people — like Maria Martinez, a notable potter from San Ildefonso Pueblo — and Navajo and Zuni Native Americans.
He was hired by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to preserve information about their ways of life, such as their ceremonial practices.