Steve McCurry
A Pennsylvania born
photographer, Steve McCurry gained work for a newspaper after leaving
university. After several years of freelance work, he set off with his camera
to India. Over the years, McCurry travelled to India many times, photographing
local people.
In 1984, McCurry took a
photograph of a young girl in a refugee camp; this image was later to be named,
‘Afghan Girl’. Although he says that when taking the photograph, he didn’t
think it would come out any different to the others taken, he had actually
noticed the girl from across the room when he first entered. Seeing that she
appeared shy, he had left her until the end to take the shot. I feel that
although McCurry didn’t consciously know that this would be a great image, he
maybe felt it subconsciously. He had already sensed that she was very shy and
afraid without speaking to her, I feel that it is this instinct that has made
McCurry a great photographer.
“What is important to my
work is the individual picture. I photograph stories on assignment and of
course, they have to be put together coherently. But what matters most is that
each picture stands on its own, with its own place and feeling.” McCurry
____
Afghan Girl undoubtedly
stands out on its own; it is not only a beautiful image but the tattered
headscarf, the tousled hair and the fear in the girl’s eyes go a long way to
show the turmoil that she and others liker her have been through. Of the many
cover photographs National Geographic have used, this has without a doubt,
stood the test of time. American Photo magazine compliments the image on its
combination of grittiness and glamour.
The
image was shot with a Nikon FM2 camera with Nikon 105Ai-S F2.5 lens using
Kodachrome 64 colour slide film. The pre-print retouching was done by Graphic
Art Service, based in Marietta, Georgia. The
image is very well balanced, the circular motion of the headscarf moves the eye
from left to right, then sweeps back up towards the haunting green eyes. This
green is reflected in both the girl’s dress and the background, contrasting
with the warm reds which make up the rest of the image. The image is almost too
perfect to be a documentary style shot, taken in a war torn country, in fact it
has been alternatively named, ‘The First World’s Third World Mona Lisa’.
Steve McCurry clearly has
an acute eye for colour, which is maybe why he was attracted to a country
displaying such warm, vibrant hues. His book, entitled ‘India’ featuring
moments captured during more than eighty visits to the country shows local
people in various rural and urban settings.
McCurry grew so fond of the
country and its people that he set up ImagineAsia, a non-profit organisation,
working alongside community leaders to help provide education for children and
young adults in Afghanistan.
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was born into the world of fashion; both parents
being in the clothing industry, he loved photographing the clothes in his
father’s store. Inspired by the sight of a photographer seen as a child, his
interests eventually lead to him working as fashion photographer for magazines
such as Harper’s and Vogue.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, he used real life settings such as
Parisien cafes and cabarets as backdrops to his fashion portraits; he even
managed to shoot famous model, Dovima in a circus between two elephants. Far
from the usual fashion photography of the time, he demanded that models convey
emotion and movement. Avedon constantly pushed the boundaries of fashion
photography, creating controversial images featuring violence, nudity and
death.
Known also for his portraits, Avedon showed great skill in
capturing humanity and vulnerability in the least likely of figures. Moving
from celebrity to political portraiture, Avedon became first ever staff
photographer working for The New Yorker:
“I've photographed just about everyone in the world but what I
hope to do is photograph people of accomplishment, not celebrity, and help
define the difference once again.”
His last project, ‘Democracy’ remains unfinished and features
portraits of of leaders such as Karl Rove and John Kerry as well as ordinary
people engaged in political and social activism.
Avedon’s was the inspiration to the classic 1957 film, Funny Face;
Fred Astaire’s character was based on his life. Avedon himself believes that
although much is written about him, his life is best told through his
photographs:
“Sometimes I think all my pictures are just pictures of me. My
concern is… the human predicament; only what I consider the human predicament
may simply be my own.”
I think that this is true
for many of us.
It is up to us as photographers to know how to reveal this.
Phillipe Halsman
Halsman’s urge to become a
photographer came part way through an engineering degree; his parents and tutor
were not impressed. From his Paris home, where he had moved after visiting his
sister in the city, he studied the various moods and feelings that could be
evoked using his old camera and single floodlight. It is this time of experimentation
that moulded Halsman as a photographer.
Having found a studio,
Halsman’s images became quite well known as passers by stopped to discuss his
latest work. He broke into the celebrity market by approaching authors of some
of his favourite books.
The desire to create
instantaneous photographs inspired Halsman to design the twin lens reflex
camera, with which he now viewed his subjects through the lens. This new form
of interaction between photographer and subject led to images showing the full
impact of their personality.
Moving to New York, Halsman
again struggled to recreate the client base he had built in France. An image
shot of an up and coming model became his breakthrough.
“One day
in a model agency I was struck by the profile of a young girl For me it
symbolized everything that I liked in America: the youth, the beauty, and the
strength of this new country.”
Photographing
the girl on the backdrop of an American Flag, the image was eventually spotted
in her portfolio by Elizabeth Arden and was used to advertise her Victory Red
lipstick. This image brought more work for Halsman and he proudly states that
he made 101 cover photos for Life magazine.
A
friendship with Salvador Dali, struck up in the 1940s brought out Halsman’s
surreal side and many fascinating images followed. I feel that this is the
point at which Halsman truly had fun with his photography and revealed real
character in his subjects. I wholeheartedly agree with Halsman’s sentiment that
when shooting a portrait, it is more important what is said to the sitter than
what is done with camera and lights.
“A true
portrait should, today and a hundred years from today, be the testimony of how
this person looked and what kind of human being he was.”
It is up to us as photographers to know how to reveal this.
