Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is one of the most well-known contemporary photographers in the past few decades. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McCurry studied mainly cinematography and traveled to India. After months of traveling and exploring the country, he then crossed the border into Pakistan, where a small group of refugees from Afghanistan smuggled him into their country's border. McCurry made it in that small window as Western journalists were being closed off. The rest was history on his road to his beautiful photography. McCurry’s photos were the first to showcase the destruction of the Russian invasion and continued to create unforgettable images.
Contemporary photography is a style that can be described as happening in time. To elaborate, it’s driven by the word contemporary, which is present or recent times, meaning that any photo taken right this very minute is considered contemporary. Contemporary prints are not labeled permanent as it would go against the fact that permanent has a never-ending time stamp.
Out of all the street photographers I’ve chosen, why a contemporary one? Well, Steve McCurry has a unique style in which he photographs the world. From the small corners to the world's biggest wonders and is not afraid to photograph. The ability to travel and diversify his understanding of the cultures while maintaining his love for photography is inspiring. McCurry’s portraits of people interacting with one another and the human elements are just teachings that can be implemented into my street photography.
Steve McCurry’s images are captivating by capturing the human elements worldwide. The first element is how he photographs the human eye. McCurry's portraits draw the viewers by eye contact with the camera. Additional features such as what the person is wearing help the photo, but Steve McCurry captures these people with beautiful colored eyes. His technique utilizes a high aperture lens such as an F1- F1.4 to create a bokeh effect by blurring out the background to focus on the vision of the person.
The last human element that Steve McCurry utilizes is the social aspect of humans. This type of image that Steve McCurry is similar to street photography in which he photographs people engaging one another. The rawness and undisturbed part of his photos inspire me as it keeps the subject undisturbed creating a perspective of just viewing through the lens. No matter where McCurry is in the world, he shows us that all humans are always together.
