Steve McCurry
personal background
Steve McCurry is an American photographer working in photojournalism and editorial work. He was born on April 20th, 1950, and continues his photographic career today. McCurry attended Penn State University where he got a degree in theatre arts. His interest in photography was sparked by his work in the Daily Collegian, the school’s newspaper. After college and his brief working experience, McCurry left for India to pursue freelance, where he found his career taking off after he crossed the Pakistan border before the Soviet invasion. McCurry introduced the first photographs of the conflicts in Afghanistan, painting it with human emotion. His work and tenacious valor led him to winning several awards, such as Magazine Photographers of the Year, awarded by the National Press Photographers Association, the Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal, the Robert Capa Gold Medal, and more.
style
Steve McCurry uses portrait photography as well as documentary photography to convey his messages. He incorporates evocative color into his photographs to highlight themes of human struggle and joy. The highlighted colors aid in drawing the viewer’s eye in as well as allowing for a deeper connection. His depiction of human emotion and struggle is a theme incorporated in his work. His photographs are all of a certain high quality as well, meaning that they focus on the subject with a higher resolution. His work and techniques seem to be modern as well.
philosophy
Steve McCurry focuses on documenting the human consequences of war, intending to show the damages to the surrounding landscape as well as the human face. He has photos documenting wars such as the Iran/Iraq War, Lebanon Civil War, Cambodian Civil War, Afghan Civil War, and several more. He not only documents war, but his works of wartime efforts always include humane elements that evoke emotion. He intends on looking at the “unguarded moments,” where a person’s soul is exposed and their experiences are written all over their face to convey the human experience. His work reflects disappearing cultures, war conflicts as well as traditional values depicted through human elements.
influences
After viewing Steve McCurry’s work, I have been integrating some of his noticable techniques into my photographs. I have taken advantage of different colors being contrasted to one another, just as I have viewed in his work. I have also drawn on McCurry’s connection and representation of nature. His work, gathered from 6 continents, shows a variety of differentiation between the lands he has walked on. He represents the importance of nature with the impending war and highlights the beauty that is needed in the world. I enjoy documenting how important nature is to me, and this connection has strengthened his influence on my work. I also find myself putting more emotion into my work, as he does through faces. My photographs consistently improve through content as well as conveying more emotion, and not simply taking a photo to get a good grade. After viewing the stunning work he has created, I find myself using several of his styles.
sources
Havana, Cuba
http://stevemccurry.com/galleries/art-imperfection |
Kabul, Afghanistan
http://stevemccurry.com/galleries/silent-language-hands |
Kathmandu, Nepal
http://stevemccurry.com/galleries/art-imperfection |
compare and contrast
In these images, I intentionally did not choose photos of people's faces, as McCurry often captures in his photos. I knew that I could not create the same amount of emotion that his photos convey, so I chose photos that resonated with my style of photography. Our photos are obviously different, but I went along the same lines of mimicking his work. McCurry's images reflect human appreciation and have a deeper sense of meaning, because he is documenting the real struggles that these people face, whereas I am attempting to create that same sense of feeling.
personal artist statement
All of these photos are modernized and show an increase in civilization. In the first image, although I did not use a bible, the book reflected the small dependence on the inner mind and self reflection. The mind will always be an important part of you, and strengthening and broadening the mind is important in the progress of life, so I wanted the image to show how there are always small ties and important gestures like reading and reflecting that strengthen the mind. In the second image, I waned to show the importance of natural and healthy elements to the body. I used two bright clementines cupped in the hand to show the importance of nature's gifts and how we should be appreciating them and not taking advantage of them. In the third image, I wanted to juxtapose the brightness of the flower to the dim and simple backdrop of the bush. The flower is reflecting individualism in the normative structure. I wanted to encourage separating yourself from what people want you to be into making your own choices through this photograph.
resources
http://stevemccurry.com/galleries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McCurry
https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/steve-mccurry/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/contributors/m/photographer-steve-mccurry/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McCurry
https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/steve-mccurry/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/contributors/m/photographer-steve-mccurry/