Research 5 - Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry

I was aware of a photograph of a young girl with piercing eyes who I now know is Sharbat Gula from Afganistan.   I was not aware that this photograph had been taken by Steve McCurry.   This photo led me to look more into his work.   His work is strikingly colourful infact his own website says when you hear his name you think colour and I agree; he does predominantly portrait but he has done other subjects such as elephants, trains.  I feel his style is to capture people in their natural environment, seemingly unposed.  He has published many books of his work, has exhibited all over the world, he holds workshops which members of the public can attend (if you have a spare few thousand pounds..).  He has also worked for National Geographic for over 20 years and is known as photojournalist.  The photograph of Sharbat Gula was first published in National Geographic magazine.  He is a member of the Magnum group of photographers

His work with National Geographic has taken him to many countries, many of them third world and war zones including India, Afganistan, Japan, Burma, Pakistan and Phillipines and given the countries he travels to his subjects can have a sadness about them as the quality of life in these countries is hard (thinking here of war and violence, political regimes that are brutual, lack of food and water and human rights).   His subjects' clothing can be cultural, and what you see is what you get.