Steve McCurry

posted by Ashley Finkney


Biographical Information: Steve McCurry was born in Philadelphia and attended the College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University. He graduated cum laude. He worked for a newspaper for two years after school and quit to pursue freelance in India.

Historical Placement: Steve first became well known and distinguished when he decided to dress is native clothing and cross the Pakistan border into rebel- controlled Afghanistan. His images from this journey became well known around the world and were of the first to show what was really going on there. After this he won numerous awards and became known by many.

Techniques and Conceptual Ideas: Steve is known for his vivid color photography focusing on war. He has covered conflicts such as the Iran Iraq war and the Gulf war. He mainly works with people and faces and how the wars have effected the human face. He also works with the landscapes a little. He wants the viewer of his work to know what it may feel like to be that person he photographed. He doesn’t look for the posed looks, he looks for a real moment when the person has not put their guard up.

My Interest: I have always been really interested in Steve’s work since I first saw his famous photograph of the unidentified Afghan refugee girl. The photo was so striking with the color he used and the subject matter. I also admire what he does, going into conflicted areas of the world and capturing what is going on and showing them to the world. I have always wanted to work for National Geographic and travel the world and document it, so naturally I really enjoy Steve’s work. He captures such amazing moments and the people he photographs look like they can tell a million stories.

Personal Analysis: One of my favorite photographs Steve has taken is the one in India, Covered of the Unguarded Moment. The color in this photo is so intense, there is not one dull part of the photo. Your eye wants to travel in every part. The red handprints on the wall are so strong in color against the blue wall with the child running away. It also has a very intense subject matter that matches the intensity of the coloring. The boy is running away so quickly from the camera while there are red handprints on the left side of the photograph that almost looks like they are made of blood. If you look at Steve’s other work, the coloring is very similar. There are very intense colors capturing a mood. In one there’s a fire made by a group of people in front of the Taj Mahal, while the fire is very warm in color and very orange looking, the Taj Mahal is very blue and cold looking. The contrast in this photo is so beautiful.