Steve Mccurry Biography
Steve McCurry is a photographer born on April 23, 1950 in Philadelphia, United States.
He is a member of the famous Magnum Photos agency and has ranged across various photographic genres, such as street photography, war photography and portraiture.
He attended photography and film courses at Penn State University. He discovered his interest in photography when he began taking photos for Penn State's newspaper, The Daily Collegian. After two years working at Today's Post in King of Prussia, Steve McCurry moved to India as a freelance photographer. The turning point in his career came when, dressed in traditional clothing, he crossed the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan shortly before the Russian invasion. Upon his return, he brought with him rolls of film sewn into his clothes, containing the negatives of some of the first images to show the conflict to the world. His most famous photo, “Afghan Girl,” was taken in a refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan, and was named "the most recognized photo" in National Geographic history. His reporting on this topic earned him the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad, an award given to photographers who have distinguished themselves through exceptional courage and feats. McCurry continued to photograph international conflicts, such as the Iran-Iraq War, Beirut, Cambodia, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War. The photographer has often contributed to National Geographic magazine and has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1986. He has received several awards, such as the Magazine Photographer of the Year from the National Press Photographers' Association, first prize in the World Press Photo Contest and the Olivier Rebbot Memorial Award. In 2013, Steve McCurry created the Pirelli calendar, photographing 11 women involved in supporting foundations, non-governmental organizations and humanitarian projects.
