STEVE MCCURRY

Photographer InformationName: Steve McCurry Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Date of Birth: February 24, 1950 Medium Used: Hasselblad digital camera Favorite Subject Matter: Conflict/war zones

Steve McCurry is a war photographer. McCurry believes that photos of war and conflict are important subject matters that the world should see. He also enjoys the danger of the deadly areas he shoots in along with the variety of culture. To him, human drama and emotion are the most important things a camera can capture. Steve attended Penn Sate University. He originally began as student majoring in cinematography and filmmaking but later changed and got a theater arts degree. He got involved in the college newspaper early on, which grew his love for photography.

Technique

Steve McCurry is famous for not using photo editing and filters. Since many of his photographic works deal with people in deadly areas, he tries to captures his subjects in their natural environment. He plans his day around the position of the sun for various amounts of light exposer. McCurry prefers to work with low-light and low contrast. His signature technique in many of his human portraits is the use of a catchlight to accentuate the subject’s eyes.

Steve’s most famous and well known piece is “Afghan Girl”, which was taken back in 1984. The photo was shot in Peshawar, Pakistan. On June 1985, “Afghan Girl” was used as the cover for volume 167, number 6 of Time Magazine. This photo, along with others, have had a universal affect, bringing conflict all around the world to light.

Photographic Work (cont.)

Title: Girl With Green Shawl Year Taken: 2002 Location: Peshawar, Pakistan

Title: “Afghan Girl” Year Taken: 1984 Location: Peshawar, Pakistan

Photographic Work

Photographic Work (cont.)

Title: “Dust Storm” Year Taken: 1983 Location: Rajasthan, India

Photographic Work (cont.)

Title: Smoking Coal Miner Year Taken: 2002 Location: Khomri, Afghanistan

Personal Reflection

Steven McCurry is a world renowned photographer that has made a name for himself through hard work and electrifying art. Steve McCurry’s passion for art really drew me in. I have high respect for him and his photography process. I picked him for this project because he’s a very driven person who yields a powerful artistic eye. The subject matter he focuses on is very emotional and personal. His work is very authentic. It allows for the viewer to get glimpses of other cultures and lifestyles. One of the reasons I love his work so much is because it puts everything into perspective. Begin someone who comes from a house where I'm fed well and live in a nice neighborhood, these photos allow me to truly appreciate what I have. His signature technique with the catchlight on his subject’s eyes is the other reason I adore his art. As an artist, he understands the power a person’s eyes can have. He understands that eyes alone can tell a story. In my opinion, this is a key point in photographic art that is rarely utilized the way Steve McCurry uses it.

Internet References

• http://www.odedwagen.com/2013/01/masters-of-photography-interview-with-steve-mccurry/

• http://www.australianphotography.com/news/profile-steve-mccurry

• http://stevemccurry.com

• http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/photographer-steve-mccurry/

Photo Recreation(Original) (Recreation)

Title: Afghan Girl Photographer: Steve McCurry

Photo Recreation (cont.)

Title: Girl With Green Shawl Photographer: Steve McCurry

(Original) (Recreation)