Photographer of the Week - Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry was born 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His first camera was a Kodak Instamatic. DigitalPhotoPro.com notes,
"Steve’s first camera was a Kodak Instamatic, which he used to document his first extensive trip to Europe the summer after he graduated from high school in 1969."
After high school, McCurry attended Penn State University where he studied cinematography. While going to university, he landed a job with the newspaper. Not long after, he began his work abroad as a freelance photographer in India.
He said, “If I were to choose to photograph in just one country, I would choose India because of its “beautiful chaos.””
McCurry's work is commented on by Artnet.com, "He attempts to show, through the stark realism of his photographs, the experiences of those caught in the middle of warfare, as well as the damage done to the war-torn landscapes."
McCurry's work did just this. In 1985 during the Russo-Afghan War, his famous portrait "Afghan Girl" (Sharbat Gula) made her first appearance in the world. She became the face of war and is thought to be the modern day Mona Lisa. Technically and emotionally this portrait is perfect. Raw emotion that tells a story can be seen on Sharbat Gula's face as her piercing green eyes gaze directly into the lens of the camera. without a doubt the "Afghan Girl" is one of Steve McCurry's many claims to fame.
Steve McCurry speaks on being under fire in Afghanistan. These words stick with me, "Being a good photographer doesn't necessarily mean you travel to distant places, but I needed to get out of my comfort zone and explore".
Many of the street photography legends such as Lynsey Addario, Dorothea Lange, and Steve McCurry have this in common: a passion for photography. Lucky for us, McCurry's passion for photography took him overseas where he was able to reveal to us the stark reality of the not so distant past.
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