Ubomi buka Dr. Peter Magubane bokuba ngumfoti baqala ngo 1955 emveni kokuba ezibandakanye ne ncwadi yeendaba iDrum Magazine njengomqhubi nomhambisi posi. Kungekudala waye wafumana umsebenzi njengo mncedisi ka Jurgen Schadeberg kwindlu ekusetyenzelwa kuyo yemifanekiso. Owona msebenzi wakhe mkhulu yayi kuku shicilela inkomfa yango 1955 ye African National Congress.
Wasebenzisa ikhamera yakhe ukuthatha imifanekiso nomzabalazo wabantu abamnyama eMzantsi Afrika ngexesha lwengcinezelo. Le mifanekiso yafikelela kono ndaba bezwe lonke kubonakalisa ukuswela bulungisa obabusenzeka eMzantsi Afrika ngelo xesha. Eli ke libali lendoda enkulu ekhathazwa kukuba eminye yemifanekiso yayo ayizange ifikelele konondaba bamazwe onke ngenxa yokuba amapolisa amnyanzelisa okokuba aveze ifilimu ye khamera yakhe elangeni ukuze kutshalale imifanekiso, baphinda bamophula nempumlo.
uPeter waye shicilela nge khamera yakhe uqhanqalazo oluchasene nomthetho we pasi, ukuvuka ko Mkhonto Wesizwe, ukubanjwa kuka Nelson Mandela, ityala iRivonia Trial, isibheno se ANC , uqhanqalazo lwase Sharpville, ukuqala kwe Black Consciousness Movement ka Steve Biko, uqhanqalazo lwabafundi eSoweto. Kuqhanqalazo lwase Soweto waxelela abafundi okokuba “uMzabalazo ongashicilelwanga, ayisinguwo umzabalazo”. Ngenxa yendima yakhe kuqhanqalazo lwase Soweto, indlu yakhe yatshatyalaliswa ngomlilo ze wavalelwa nabanye onondaba abamnyama ithuba elingange ntsuku ezi likhulu, amashumi amabini anesithathu (123). Isicelo sakhe ngonyaka ka 1957 sokuzibandakanya ne “ All White Photographic Society of South Africa” saye asavunywa. Abafoti be Drum baze baqala umbutho I” Non- racial Progressive Photographic Society”. Ngonyaka ka 1961. uDr Magubane wayengu mfoti wokuqala omnyama eMzantsi Afrika wokubonisa umsebenzi wakhe esidlangalaleni.
Abaphathi bakhe kwiphepha ndaba iRand Daily Mail baye bamenzela elakhe igumbi lokusebenza ngama foto. Imithetho yase Mzantsi Afrika ngelo xesha yayingamvumeli asebenzele kwigumbi elinye nabanye abasebenzi abamhlophe. Waye ngumntu omnyama wokuqala ukuqashwa njengomfoti kulomzi weendaba. Wasebenza ukususela ngonyaka ka 1967 ukuyokuma ngonyaka ka 1980. Oko kwakuquka isibheno seminyaka emihlanu ukuyokuma kunyaka ka 1975. Ngelixesha wabekelwa bucala intsuku ezilithoba elinesibhozo (98) ze wavalelwa entolongweni inyanga ezisithandathu.
uDr. Magubane wahlukunyezwa, wabethwa,wadutyulwa ngemipu eyenziweyo, wabanjwa ixesha elide encinwa. Wadutyulwa amatyeli alishumi elinesixhenxe kumngcwabo womfundi eNatalspruit. Wachitha intsuku ezi ngamakhulu amahlanu anesibhozo nesithandathu (586) eluvalelweni labucala ngonyaka ka 1969. Wayifihla ikhamera yakhe emapoliseni. Wayeyifihla kwi bhayibhile, kwidyasi yakhe, kwigobhoza lo bisi okanye kwisonka esipheleyo okanye esingaphelelanga. Wayemana esenza ngathi utya isonka loxa ethatha imifanekiso. Wachitha ixesha eLondon ekuqaleni kweminyaka yo 1960 wasebenzela iTime Magazine phakathi ko 1978 no 1980. Wachitha ixesha eNew York ngonyaka ka 1980. Uye wasebenzela amaphepha ndaba anje nge National Geographic, Life, New York Times, Washington Post, Paris Match, ne Sports illustrated. I United Nations nayo wakhe wasebenza ngayo.
Unxulumano lwakhe no Nelson Mandela no Winnie Mandela, nje ngabasebenzi nabahlobo baqala ngonyaka ka 1950. Wayengu mfoti ka Madiba ngoku sesikweni ukususela ngexesha aphuma eluvalelweni ukuyokuma kwiminyaka yakhe yokuqala ukuba ngu Mongameli. uDr Magubane washicilela ubunzima nengxabano phakathi kwezizwe ngezizwe. Nasekuhlaleni kulandela inkululeko eMzantsi Afrika. Zeke wajika waqala ukushicilela amasiko aseMzantsi emveni kobandlululo.
uDr. Magubane ubona elona wonga iyi South African Order of Meritorious Service Silver Class II, awayinikwa ngu Nelson Mandela. Wayesaziwa kumaxesha amaninzi ngokubeka ikhamera ecaleni ancede abantu banga bulawa xa ebona besengozini. Ngoku ke waye wanikwa imbasa I American National Proffesional Photographers Association Humanistic Award. Wayengo wokuqala omnyama eMzantsi Afrika ukuphumelela iPress Photo of the year ngonyaka ka 1958. Unezidanga zowonga ezili thoba kwaye wanikwa iCornel Cappa Lifetime Achievement Award kwi International Centre of Photography eNew York. Ezinye imbasa ziquka, iRobert Capa Award, iSpecial Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, iMartin Luther King Luthuli Award, iLifetime Achievement Award esuka kwi Mother Jones Foundation ne Laica Cameras, ukuwongwa yi Tom Hopkinson School of Journalism and Cultural Studies kwi Yunivesithi yase Wales. Imbasa zokuqala zezalapha ekhayeni ziquka ukubalasela kubu ntatheli, waze wayinikwa ngu Walter Cronkite ixhaswa yi Stellenbosch Farmer’s Winery.
uDr. Magubane ubonakalise esidlangalaleni amatyeli amabini imisebenzi yakhe elikhulu (100) ayibona njengeyona misebenzi yakhe ebonakalisa ubuqhawe buka Nelson Mandela: kwi ndibano ye United Nations ePoland, apho lomboniso womsebenzi wakhe wathi wavulwa ngowayesakuba ngu Mongameli wase Poland uLech Walesa. Umboniso womsebenzi wakhe wesibini ulungiselelwe ukubonakaliswa ukususela ngomhla we 1 July ukuyokuma ku 30 September 2018 kwi Nelson Mandela Gateway eya eRobben Island. uDr Magubane waye wayinikezela le mifanekiso kwi Nelson Mandela Foundation njenge sipho.