STEVE MCCURRY
Steve McCurry was born in Pennsylvania in 1950. Famous for his aesthetically precise and recognizable photos that cross language, cultural, and geographical barriers, he has been one of the most significant masters of modern photography for 30 years. Since the late 1970s, McCurry has traveled around the world, capturing the most notable political and social events. He has photographed migrants and refugees in many countries, including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Russia, India, and Pakistan. Thanks to his unrivaled sense of color and his ability to make a connection with his subjects, McCurry’s shots captivate people around the world. McCurry is the recipient of the most prestigious awards, including Magazine Photographer of the Year awarded by the National Press Photographers Association (1984) and the Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal (2005). He won two first-place prizes in the World Press Photo contest (1985, 1992). He also won the Leica Hall of Fame Award (2011), Hasselblad Master (2009), and the Robert Capa Gold Medal for best photographic reporting from abroad (1980).
HOLI MAN. INDIA, 1996
Steve McCurry first went to India in 1978. He planned to spend six or seven weeks there, but he stayed for two years. ‘Many great photographers have worked in India, and I had to start from their legacy,’ he says. The trip was the beginning of his career as a reporter specializing in Asian countries. This photograph was taken in 1996 during the Holi festival of colors, which is in celebration of spring. Steve McCurry©
BALLET SCHOOL, 1990
Steve McCurry witnessed many historical events. One of them was the breakup of Yugoslavia, where he had come to immortalize this period in his images. This photograph was taken in a ballet school in Zagreb in 1990. We rarely see children in McCurry’s images, but when he sees a moment that can tell a full story, he immediately takes the shot to add a new photo to his beautiful collection. Steve McCurry©
HOLI MAN LAUGHING. INDIA, 1996
Steve McCurry first went to India in 1978. He planned to spend six or seven weeks there, but he stayed for two years. ‘Many great photographers have worked in India, and I had to start from their legacy,’ he says. The trip was the beginning of his career as a reporter specializing in Asian countries. This photograph was taken in 1996 during the Holi festival of colors, which is in celebration of spring. Steve McCurry©
FISHERMEN AT WELIGAMA. SRILANKA, 1995
Steve McCurry finds inspiration in Asia—the part of the world that he calls his home. This photograph was taken in Weligama, a town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka that the photographer has been visiting for 40 years. While in a boat nearby, McCurry noticed four men who were fishing in their traditional method. After seeing this photo, hundreds of tourists went to Weligama to see the process for themselves and take similar beautiful shots. It is notable that every fisherman’s pole belongs to a specific family and is a valuable asset inherited by the children. Steve McCurry©
BACKSTAGE BALLERINA DURING A PERFORMANCE OF SWAN LAKE. 1990
This photograph was taken in Zagreb in 1990 at the Croatian National Theatre during a ‘Swan Lake’ performance. A dancer is getting ready for her entrance, waiting in the wings. The photographer likes contrast shooting and believes that the thick shadows add the effect of mystery. Steve McCurry©
BOY IN MID-FLIGHT. INDIA, 2007
At the foot of the vast Mehrangarh Fort, in Jodhpur, India, one can find the Blue City, a small tightly knit maze of houses located towards the north of the city. McCurry photographed a young boy dashing through the narrow alleyways with red handprints on the walls. Handprints are an ancient form of folk art, which he has found and photographed in many places around the world. Steve McCurry©
REMAINS OF GRAFFITI ON WALL. BRAZIL, 2012
Steve McCurry took this photograph in 2012 during his trip to Rio de Janeiro, where he did a photo shoot for the famous Pirelli Calendar. He sees himself first and foremost as a street photographer and finds masterpieces on the walls of abandoned buildings. Mona Lisa created with colored spray paints gazes at us from the wall with her famous smile, surrounded by other graffiti. In this way, McCurry managed to convey the atmosphere of Brazilian streets. Steve McCurry©