If
you search the internet for lists of the most well-
known photographers working today, American
photographer and photojournalist Steve McCurry, who has
been responsible for capturing some of the most captivating
images of the past 50 years, is almost always among those
distinguished names.
However, for a more personal and comprehensive view
of how this photographer came to be included on those top-
tier lists, you should take a close look at his most recently
published book, Steve McCurry: A Life in Pictures (Laurence
King), which is the most comprehensive volume on the
photographer’s images and life published to date.
Forty years of McCurry’s incredible imagery are inter-
twined with unfiltered comments from his sister, Bon-
nie, allowing us to gain a more personal view of the
photographer behind the lens. Plus, personal notes, tele-
grams and memorabilia from his travels are included in
this revealing opus.
You also learn much about his early life: For instance,
Bonnie and Steve’s father was an avid photographer, docu-
menting his family with an Argus C3 and a Kodak Brownie.
Steve’s first camera was a Kodak Instamatic, which he used
to document his first extensive trip to Europe the summer
after he graduated from high school in 1969.
It’s intriguing to find out that McCurry majored in film
and cinematography at Penn State since he continues to be
an avid fan of the moving picture. “Citizen Kane,” “Sunset
Boulevard,” “The Godfather,” “Goodfellas,” “The Shaw-
shank Redemption” and two films by Stanley Kubrick—
“Paths of Glory” and “Barry Lyndon”—are among the
films he cites as inspiration. In fact, “Barry Lyndon” stands
out for its scenes shot by candlelight using ultra-fast lenses
developed by NASA. And while a third-year class in fine-
art photography redirected his interests toward shooting
the frozen moment, his training in filmmaking at Penn
State gave him a firm understanding of how to tell a story
through images.Steve McCurry’s most recent book reveals more
about the photographer behind the great images
By Mark Edward Harris | Photography by Steve McCurryA Master
In Full
Photojournalist
Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984 digitalphotopro.com July/August 2019 | 15