Portrait Photographers

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.

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.