Photojournalist Profile

Patrick Agit

History of Photojournalism

Final Project 1 – Photojournalist Profile

Career Path: Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 23^rd, 1950, Steve McCurry's interest in photojournalism, and what would later become his career, started when he was a student at Pennsylvania State University and took pictures for the Penn State newspaper, The Daily Collegian. McCurry graduated from Penn State with a degree in theater arts in 1974. His job as a photojournalist started at the Today's Post, a newspaper agency based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. After two years at Today's Post however, Steve McCurry decided to leave the job and travel to India in order to try his hand at freelance photojournalism. From there his career in photojournalism took off when, disguised as a local, Steve crossed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border into Afghanistan just before the then Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. With the rolls of film that he captured sewn into his clothing, Steve McCurry's work would eventually be published by The New York Times, TIME, and Paris Match. Furthermore, he would eventually be awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad. 

Motivation: As previously stated, one of Steve McCurry's biggest motivations for becoming a photojournalist was his work with the The Daily Collegian at Pennsylvania State University. As a whole however, McCurry's motivation comes from relating to his subjects as more than just subjects in his viewfinder. Steve loves nothing more than to get to know his subjects, to interact with them on an emotional level: “People I find generally respond in a very positive way, if you take the time to really look them in the eye, respect them and perhaps joke around with them and treat them like a real person.” Steve McCurry believes very much in building a sense of trust with the people he photographs, because they are trusting that he will tell their story as it is, and will not manipulate or use them in any manner when telling their story. McCurry has always been associated with talking about how in order to get the best picture possible, a photojournalist must wait, they must let the natural order of things flow before they capture an image so that it removes any bias on the part of the photojournalist or on the part of the subjects. Another important motivational factor for McCurry when it comes to photojournalism is war, and how it impacts the environment, but more importantly people. Steve McCurry has always believed and said that the impact of war is etched on the face's of the people who are most effected by the tragedy of war. 

 

Technology: When Steve McCurry first started taking pictures, which was during his time spent at Pennsylvania State University in the 1970's, he was using what is known as color slide film, which is basically the opposite of color negative film, which only produces black and white rolls of film. “Instead of creating a negative to be printed to a positive, the slide film is a positive of the image. As such, the slide film produces extremely rich and vibrant colors that come closer to the actual colors and tones present during exposure.” It is because of the rich and vibrant colors possessed by color slide film Steve McCurry used it as his medium as a photojournalist, McCurry has always been known for the use of bright and extravagant colors in his photographs. The required use of rolls of film is the very reason Steve McCurry had to sew the rolls of film to his clothing when he left Afghanistan. However, it was around 2005 when Steve McCurry made the switch to digital photography due to the ease of use, and how it made capturing and processing pictures right in the field rather than having to return to his hotel or wherever he was calling home at the time of an assignment. However, as recently as 2010, Steve McCurry worked on a portrait project which used one of the last remaining rolls of Kodachrome transparency film.

Ethics: In 2016, it became known that a photograph that Steve McCurry took in Cuba was altered and edited using Photoshop and other various mediums for changing a picture. The discovery the prompted the investigation by many into all of his photographs taken over the years in order to find a potential repeat of such an incident. The results were not to be in McCurry's favor. It was found that several other images had also been changed after the shot was taken and before they were published. When contacted, Steve McCurry claimed innocence and ignorance of the whole situation. He claimed that it was not his doing: “...a change that I would have never authorized,' '...the lab technician who made the mistake does not work with me anymore.” The incident certainly did not help Steve McCurry's reputation as a world-class photojournalist, but it also did not damage his reputation as heavily as some might have expected. This is probably due to the altering and editing of the images, at least according to Steve McCurry, not being by McCurry's hand. As unfortunate as it is for events like this to be revealed, it does help to set a standard for other photojournalists and editors alike that it is unethical and unacceptable to alter a picture in any way, shape, or form. And as such, it will hopefully encourage current and future photojournalists to stay true to their work and not attempt to change the images that they have captured. 

 

Bias: Steve McCurry certainly has had a bias when it came to his photojournalism work. The majority of McCurry's work came from India and the Middle East in general. Specifically, Steve captured images of people, the looks on their faces, their culture, as well as whether or not war played a role in their lives and the stories that their faces told as a result. “You know a Steve McCurry picture when you see one. His portrait of an Afghan girl with vivid green eyes, printed on the cover of National Geographic in June 1985, is one of the iconic images of the 20th century. McCurry’s work is stark and direct, with strong colors, a clear emotional appeal and crisp composition.” McCurry certainly has an almost natural eye for taking excellent photographs that tell tell the story of the subject or subjects in the image. And those two traits are the most important aspects that a photojournalist needs to have, they are reliant on each other and work in tandem as they are the way a photojournalist plies his or her trade.

Photographic Style:

Photo by: Steve McCurry

Subject's Expression: The subject's expression tells a story of almost hopelessness, which reflects the poverty and war that was striking the area at the time of the photograph. The subject is certainly posing for the camera, this would not be considered a natural position for a person. The subject's expression helps to gain attention to the region which has been afflicted by war, which the bright green eyes are an attention gatherer

Contrast: The green background really helps to compliment the bright green eyes of the subject. Also, the tattered red garb helps to expose the green undershirt that the subject is wearing, which also compliments her eyes. Despite the background being blurry, it contrasts perfectly with the subject's eyes.

Keep it Simple: The photograph is very simple, there is nothing to detract from the subject. The intention of the photographer was for the subject to be the one and only attention grabber in this picture. What makes the image free of clutter is the fact that the subject takes up almost the entirety of the image and that the background is blurry as well as being nothing but a green background

Photo by: Steve McCurry

Use of Lines: The photographer made use of lots of lines in this picture. The pedestal that the subject is sitting on helps bring the attention to him since it is not leading out of the frame. The stairs next to the subject do not detract too much from the image since they are leading out of the frame. This makes it so that the child on the stairs doesn't steal from the photograph but adds another layer to it.

In or Out of Focus: The subject is perfectly in focus. The photographer made it obvious who the subject in this image was by way of making the subject in-focus. The child going up the stairs is out of focus and is therefore not a distraction but a second piece to the image.

Quality of Light: The lighting in the image helps bring out the vibrant blue coloring found on the steps and walls. It helps to reveal all of the details discernible in the image. Furthermore, the lighting is better on the subject, helping to bring attention to him.

Photo by: Steve McCurry

Depth of Field: The area closest to the subject is perfectly in-focus, which brings all attention to her. The right side of the image is out of focus and therefore does not detract from the subject at all. The depth of field helps to direct attention starting with the subject and moving it eventually to the right of the picture.

Texture: The subject's hair and skin is soft. However, there is an obvious contrast between the subject and rough rock wall that she is leaning up against. The differences in texture help to give the subject what is essentially a sense of innocence or fragility when compared to the rock wall behind her.

Obvious Main Subject: The main subject does not take the entire photograph up, but does take a lot of it up. Despite the presence of the subject, she does not crowd the edges or feel like she is taking up too much space. Also, as it is just a rock wall behind her, the woman is easily distinguishable as the main subject of the image.

Photo by: Steve McCurry

Rule of Thirds: The main subject for this image would be considered to be more on the right side, or third, of the frame. The other people who occupy the frame are on the left third of the photograph. Despite the photographer placing the subject off-center, he is obviously the main subject due to his bright orange shirt versus the dull whites and grays of the other people in the image.

Use of Lines: The photographer makes use of several lines in this photograph. The first, and most obvious, being the train tracks that the group of people on the left are walking on. The other lines being the rock line, and the line where the grass meets the water. The rock line and water line help point towards the man in orange as the main subject.

Feelings that the Image Creates: The image creates a sense that the man in orange is different somehow. But the difference that he represents is more than just the fact his shirt is a different color from the other people in the frame. It also the fact that unlike the others, he is not walking on the train tracks but on the grass. Also, he is not looking in the same direction that the other people are looking in, he is looking off to the right whereas the others are looking down.

Impact: Steve McCurry's images have had a profound impact on society. His work has helped shed light on the culture and society that can be found in India and the Middle East. Which, often times that part of the world is largely ignored by most in the western hemisphere. But not only that, he puts a deeper meaning into his work with the use of people as the focal point. “His work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture alike – yet always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the Afghan Girl such a powerful image.” McCurry's work always manages to tell a story that is hidden behind the deeper meaning of his work for those who look for it. Many photojournalists can trace the motivation for their desire to get into photojournalism back to the work done by Steve McCurry. “McCurry has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four first prize awards from the World Press Photo contest, to name a few.” Certainly, Steve McCurry's various accomplishments help his work to speak for itself, and how his impact has helped society in a positive manner.

My Major at AIC: As previously stated, Steve McCurry's work has had a profound positive impact on society. My major being Sociology, it is in direct correlation with what Steve McCurry does specifically as a photojournalist. In Sociology, we look at the way people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures interact with society and people of other various upbringings. Looking at McCurry's work from the Middle East as an American helps to give me a better understanding of how the people from that region of the world live and how their beliefs are fueled.

 

Viewpoints: Up until the revealing of the edited photographs published by Steve McCurry's camp, the general opinion on his work was that of a positive note. People have always looked forward to the word produced by McCurry as a photojournalist. However, with the recent revelation of his altered work, the viewpoints on his work have soured a decent amount. In any case, he is still revered for his talented eye and story-telling ability. “Steve McCurry — a name that rings a bell in mind of photographers across the globe. His images have captured the imagination of millions of people including mine. His beautifully composed images of exotic nations across the globe easily excited my teenage mind many years ago. I used to imagine his life as an adventurous photojournalist, an Indiana Jones in his own right, travelling to an unknown place every day and coming back with fantastic photographs.”