there is probably no photographer alive with quite as recognizable a photograph as the Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry….maybe just maybe he is rivaled a bit by Dennis Stock’s image of James Dean walking through Times Square…i would have to think about that one, but both images can be seen hanging in the finest art museums as well as faded torn copies hanging just over the bartender’s shoulder all over the world…i wish i had taken pictures of all the places i have seen the Afghan Girl…and the paintings and sketches derived from it…EVERYBODY knows this picture….
originally published by National Geographic Magazine in 1985, Steve’s icon graced the cover …the most famous cover shot of all time….obviously it is the EYES that just kill us….stop us dead in our tracks….and even though i have seen this photograph thousands of times in the last 25 years, i still have to stop and take a look….photographically it is just a simple portrait…..taken straight on in just flat light (in a refugee tent)….there is nothing so remarkable about the picture, until her gaze simply bores a hole into your heart….
i meet many a young entry level photographer for whom Steve McCurry is certainly their favorite photographer….his work is clean, straightforward, features dramatic color , and has a clear journalistic sensibility…Steve says of the Afghan Girl, “not a day has gone by in the last 25 years when someone does not ask me about this picture”….
i asked Steve if his fame for this picture was any kind of artistic burden (in the way “Satisfaction” might be for Mick Jagger)…he said “absolutely not”……enough said….Steve continued ” I love what I am doing and just want to keep doing it”….and for those of us who know Steve , we know that nobody never stops working like Steve never stops working…..all of the photographers i know are pretty much fanatical workaholics, but all of us look lazy compared to Steve…..the guy does not stop….ever!!
i recently photographed Steve in Union Square (below) and he has the same impish chuckle that he has had all of the years i have known him … besides being one of the world’s great photographers, i count Steve as a good friend…long before i moved to New York, Steve allowed me the use of his apartment many times as a crash pad…..and i am sure many of you already know that Steve’s cover shot for the Magnum book on 9/11 of the crumbling Trade Center tower was made from this very rooftop…..
there is no way to imagine where Steve will go next…..but, wherever it is, we can count on something uniquely McCurry…
Steve will be on line from time to time in the next 12 hours to answer your questions….
INDIA 1984
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN 2002
Steve McCurry Union Square , New York City 12/08
Oh Cathy,
I got the “Guru” joke too!
I was just laughing too..
I don’t think Steve feels any less
or trashed… He is not “dead”.. He is “alive”..
I think he can take it..
“straight” photography Vs “Loose”..
Guess what I voted for… That was all..
Love you..
Peace and hugs and laughs…
.. This is what I’m talking about.
I got Steve’s book for my moms birthday too..;-)
I’m a good “customer”..
That’s why I can say whatever I want..
I payed for my opinion..
I’m not here for “free”..
Laughing..
Audrey..
See you in Paris by the end of the month!!
My dream is coming true..
Told ya!!!
Slumdog millionaire??
Hmm.. U lost me on this one..
Fill me in..;-)
“teacher”=”guru”..
Damn I’m learning a lot today..
Thank U for schooling me Cathy..
Peace and hugs
David,
I wanted to respond to your question about how I bring a conclusion to a book project. When does one feel that they are finished? Your question reminds me of an article I read about the painter Jackson Pollock when somebody asked him “How do you know when your painting is finished?” His reponse was “How do you know when you’re finished making love?” (His term was a bit more graphic than that). I think the idea was that it was some intuitive feeling when things came together when a certain balance is achieved.
Regarding approaching a publisher I think its always good to get feedback from people whose judgement you value, people in the world of photography that have an esthetic sense that you respect, and at some point you’ll know in your gut that the time is right to approach a publisher.
I wouldn’t be overwhelmed with the magnitude of the selection process and widdling down thosands or perhaps tens of thousands of images to arrive at a final selection of 100 or 200 images or whatever.
I recall hearing stories about some very well-known photographers who would have a stack of prints and show these to people whose opinion they valued,they had a code or notation on the back of the print and after some time a sense would emerge about which pictures people were responding to.
Panos, my friend, I was just wondering last night where you’d got to. I was hoping you were OK. And now I see you not only came back but arrived with a vengeance. I see it was 1 a.m. your time when you posted these comments and I’m afraid you were high as a kite when you did so.
Panos, Burn is not Road Trips. We’ve moved out of our “living room” into the wide world and the view from here is exhilarating. Please don’t bring your old stuff to Burn. It doesn’t fit.
Patricia
JASON…
i went to Mizzou for grad school…broke, with a pregnant wife, and a broken down Chevy…however, at Mizzou i managed to become College Photog of the Year, did my first book, and then an art grant from the Va. Museum of Fine Arts..so what started out looking pretty bad, ended up pretty good…and i learned a lot at the Missouri Workshop, the mother of all workshops…i also started teaching other photographers at exactly this same time and have patterned my workshops ever since on the tough critique style that is so so Mizzou…
right now i am trying to decide whether to do a couple of weekend workshops in New York or one of my full blown week long shooting workshops in late spring or early summer…i just have to balance my own shooting with helping others shoot….in any case, stay tuned and i will let you know soonest…
cheers, david
Hmmmm..
High as a kite???
Damn right..
And I do miss Roadtrips..
Sorry but words like “guru”
or “teacher” literally ignite me..
Anyway.. Why the old “roadtrip stuff”
wouldn’t fit here???
Anyway..
I’m getting ready to drive to Seattle
by the end of the week..
I will try to meet every cool blogger up
there..
So far I spoke with Charles P,
Tim Ripley, Tom H, Katia R,
maybe meet Hillary also..
Still looking for Sidney’s info..
( I think he in Seattle )…
“sleepless in Seattle”..
Seattle is famous for it’s drug culture..
Yep, I was “rehearsing” last night,
practicing and experimenting in a
recreational way…
Peace & hugs..
…and like I said to Cathy earlier..
I’m a great Steve McC “customer”..
Ask my mom..( she is in love with Steve…
Hmmm I wonder what S.Freud would say…!!!?
Maybe I got a little jealous… last night)
Not kiddin!!!
ps: Steve, the ladies love U..
even my mom and trust me.. she is really picky..
;-)
Thank you, Steve, for coming back to answer David Bowen’s excellent question. Your answer helps put a lot of pieces of the puzzle together in my mind. As one of many here on Burn who are in the middle of a longterm project, this issue of “When am I done?” is a big one for me. And since my subject is my day-to-day life I know I will NEVER be “done” with that…until I die, that is. Your highlighting the two measuring sticks of “intuition” and “balance” strike home with me. I also feel incredibly grateful to have had DAH as my mentor and to have received invaluable feedback from many of the photographers here throughout the entire process. Yes, all is in place…
Patricia
Slumdog is a best movie of the year contender. So far it has won the Golden Globe for best picture.The story is right up your alley…slum kids trying to make it in a tough world. Filmed in Mumbai, India.
Aside from the fact that it’s a good film, I think it would be good for you to get a taste of what goes on in India. Then when you make comments about how anyone can buy a ticket to India and copy McCurry you will have at least some idea of what you are talking about. It’s not Disneyland there…India can be a very tough place. Afghan girls are not lining up to have their photos taken!!! In many ways it’s a lot tougher to shoot there than Venice. In Venice you can drink the water, eat the food and not worry being hospitalized from it or from the constant bites from mosquitoes carrying malaria, dengue and so on…
Peace.
DAVID BOWEN, CATHY, PATRICIA, PANOS…
ok, please please …everybody calm down!! i have never met David B., but i know the rest of you…and i know how all of you are in person….all of you are just terrific people…not a bad person among you including the controversial Panos….there has been a constant blasting between David B. and Panos, yet i dare say that if the two met in person there would probably be no such thing…first of all, when i read Panos, i know first of all that 99% of what he says is tongue in cheek or just being Greek!!! or just wanting to shake things up….
the two photographers who i have quite literally mentored online are Patricia and Panos….both get it done kinds of photographers…the only two who have actually come through as per promised from the at least 15 photographers who started out with assignments several months ago…..i have also done the most editing for these two for simple reasons…they both went out and did what they said they were going to do and i did what i said i was going to do also…i showed up in their respective backyards and looked at pictures and edited pictures and i will continue to do so for both….
i plan to do the same for David Bowen with whom i have also had a long online relationship, but have not had the pleasure of meeting…
Cathy and i have met in person and chatted for the past two years online…i am ready to work with her as well whenever she is ready…
the point is: there are no bad characters in this movie…now Panos catches a lot of you know what..and he does because he dishes it out…but Panos IS quite different from other often anonymous online naysayers…why? because the boy goes out and shoots every damned day…shoots the life around him…always good pictures??…NO….but always real pictures???..YES…Panos would not be good if he was GOOD….the work is raw, he is raw…irreverent?? YES, he has gone over the line a few times, but he sure has hit the nail on the head MOST of the time….in this way Panos is most like Patricia, who also shoots every damned day of the life around her….BOTH are FINISHERS… they do what they say they will do….just like FEDEX…they DELIVER….
somehow i am going to get all of you together in the same room at the same time….photographers are by nature pretty strange individuals….usually highly insecure, needy folks…but, i gotta love ‘em…the world would be a pretty boring place for me without all of you….i love the mix n’ match of all of my very strange friends….i say this as compliment to your individuality…
point of this ramble: relax..take it easy….i am not going to play cupid among you….but, for heavens sake we are all in the most exciting way of going through life imaginable…this should be fun!! it is fun!! can any of you imagine doing anything else??? so, let’s learn something from each other in every way…”can’t we all just get along” a la the famous Rodney King line?? damned right we can…
i did not take offense at Panos’ blasting Steve…Steve would not either…he would be laughing too…when i present anything here it is up for grabs…..yes, the discussion should stay civil, but the discussion should stay real also….as in everything , balance is the key…
ok, big hugs all around….but, always always speak your mind as you all have….but please just do it with a twinkle in your eye….
i would not want it any other way and i so so appreciate you being here…as Clint Eastwood said in Dirty Harry..”make my day”…..in your own way, each of you do “make my day”
peace, david
Thank you, David, for the reply…
I sort of suspected it was something like that – but the end result is that you captured a moment of emotion quite well, that (obviously) resonated with Sam, but also resonated with me, a viewer, many many years later.
It made me realize that snapshots can be(come) photographs as well…
good light, all,
A.
AKAKY: So what do you think that means?
AKAKY IRL: What do I think what means?
AKAKY: That we should get along a la Rodney King.
AKAKY IRL: Maybe he wants us to beat the shit out of each other.
AKAKY: I hardly think so. They’re Democrats, after all.
AKAKY IRL: Yeah, you’re right about that. It would be out of character, wouldn’t it?
AKAKY: You betcha. And did you know that we are going through life in the most exciting way imaginable?
AKAKY IRL: I don’t know about that. I can imagine a lot of things that don’t include shoveling snow out the driveway every two weeks or so.
AKAKY: Me too.
AUDREY…
now, please please my dear French friend, turn in your family essay!! yes, your name IS next to Steve, but now i would wish your photographs next to Steve and on the screen and in print as well…do not be shy…we can work together to get your work edited and out for all to see…
your work deserves to be shown….
cheers, david
AKAKY…
Rodney King said in his courtroom appearance in his trial against LAPD “can’t we just all get along?”
now, isn’t that the same thing that DEMOCRAT Barack Obama is saying??
now, i also imagine REPUBLICANS to be shoveling more snow than the rest of us…they have longer driveways!!
i should tell you that one whole wing of my family (uncles , cousins) are REPUBLICANS…hard core….nice folks too as long as you do not discuss politics…they would even check here on BURN too if Rush Limbaugh was an emerging photographer…maybe he is…if you have any pull at all Akaky, bring him in…that would really cause our now overloaded server to crash!!
peace and goodwill to all men and women, david
DAVID.
You are ready to work with me whenever I am ready? I totally welcome that offer. Thank you.
The way I see it, you’ve already been working with me…certainly your critiques have been very helpful and I have learned a great deal from hanging around these past two years (or more?) but I am guessing you mean something more than that…Helping me with a long term project? Editing an essay? I am happy for whatever help you are willing to give.
The work I’m most interested in continuing (sorry Panos) is my India photography. I submitted a single image to you for this site but have many years worth of shooting to edit and am working on that now as well as planning to return there for new images. Of course always looking for something I am passionate about closer to home but so far (for me) nothing moves me the way India does. What is perhaps slightly different for me than most “tourists” is that I have lived there for months at a time, not traveling but staying in one place which is a second home for me. I have an adopted dog there, know the local lepers and beggars as well as the business owners and sadhus. I can’t wait to go deeper and do better with my photography next time I am there. So please keep me in mind with this project and in the meantime I’d love to show you some of what I’ve got so far.
p.s. I’m reminding you about the messenger bag! Thanks.
CATHY…
i sure hope i always told you that i would work with you….my instinct would be to have you work on something close to home..BUT if India is it for you and you can spend some time there, then so be it..i did like the fishing picture from India you sent…i did think it was missing just another element…you had the light and the composition, but there just needed to be one more thing going on..like maybe the guy on the left looking sideways or back towards the camera or somebody else doing something in the picture….still it is a nice picture…but, i want you to jump forward and do more than “nice”…in any case, we will work on it..ok???
i think Mike and i can get all bags in the mail tomorrow….and i know damned well you will be on my case until it is done!! i am used to women being on my case…i welcome it in some weird way…i would not get anything done without the motivation of the fine women who have graced my life….so it is NOT a disparaging comment…just a funny reality…
peace, david
cheers, david
DAVID,
“the only two who have actually come through as per promised from the at least 15 photographers who started out with assignments several months “…. well, I kind of thought I had also somewhat delivered on my promise :):)…anyway, I hope that I resolve the issues I have had transfering my MM piece to Anton but hope you can eventually have a look at what I have sent you when you get a chance. No rush, I am still shooting until March so everything is fine my friend but did not want you to think I had let you down….
Cheers,
Eric
ERIC,
I’m not speaking for DAH,
of course .. But I think he mentioned
Patricia and me because of our
very recent above controversy..
and I love her..
And she nailed it by calling me a “kite”…
I was really “rehearsing” recreational activities..
last night since I’m going Seattle ..
You know my hero Curt died there…
Laughing…
But Eric I wouldn’t worry if I were U..
You are also a FEDEX guy in my “book”…
and I believe that DAH won’t disagree…
;-)
Peace and hugs
ERIC…
my apology…you are correct..and i never never thought you let me down…..Bob, Rafal, David M. and you are now ready for publication as well…i was referring more to the photographers who i met as totally online relationships….you and i have worked together a lot in workshops so i do know that you can deliver and i have always been a fan of your work…i have Lords of the Ring in draft, so it is just a matter of pacing with other essays…yours will look great!!
we all learn everyday…one of the things i have learned in my editor role is the nature of photographers regarding “finishing”..this is something that i was only vaguely aware of before…creative photographers are usually right side of the brain people…yet, we ask them to be left side users when it comes to getting things “done”…for example, magazine staffs seem “editor heavy” at first glance..but, i can tell you that when you are an editor and are faced with a daily, weekly, or monthly production schedule , you really need editors or producers to get the photographer’s material to the final stage and can finally actually publish their work…a photographer with great pictures on the card or on film is still a long long way from publication!!
photographers who can “deliver” are always in great demand…as i wrote about Mustafah earlier, he delivered….is there some other visual genius out there who could have done better?? maybe..but, an editor is looking for great work actually sitting on his/her desk..now!!
for example, some of the greats at Magnum cannot deliver either…and those photographers do not do assignments…like Koudelka…it is not possible that he could do or would do an assignment…anybody waiting for Joseph to do something “on demand” would be waiting a long time….so, this is not a prerequisite for being a great photographer…it is just a prerequisite for magazine assignments etc…
cheers, david
DAVID.
Yes, life is full of funny realities. Thank goodness. Glad to be part of your funny reality. :))
Here’s to 2009 being the year I “jump forward!”
Just saw this quote (from Emile Zola) that rings true:
“The artist is nothing without the gift.
The gift is nothing without work.”
CATHY…
great quote..so true…
cheers, david
David, I wrote you a private email with my response to your message to David B, Cathy, Panos and myself. You, my friend, are the founding editor of Burn Magazine so you have the right to set any “rules” for conduct here. If you’re comfortable with the nature of Panos’ comments last night, so be it.
The response I posted to those comments was nothing personal against Panos, whom I love as a brother, but rather my wanting better for Burn. I share your vision of Burn becoming a world-class magazine and feel quite protective of it, especially in its early days.
Patricia
Pat…;-))))
I know U love me..
I know U do.. And I know U R
trying to “protect” BURN..
but don’t worry…
it’s me that “catching all the shit”…
not BURN…
and BURN is WORLD CLASS…
with or without me…
peace and hugs…
you..
dear Panos..
keep the fire burning…
hot
and
spicy…..
just how I like it….
XX
be careful
and safe
in seattle…
I’ve lost friends
who were always
chasing the dragon…
He can never be caught…
don’t you know?
**
;-)
I delivered my essay to david, as promised and finished, at the end of October…..and when Burn went live, i sent my ‘director’s cut’ (read: war&peace edition ;)) ) the week burn it was asked, 1st one done (after anton). then, sent a 2nd essay, re-edited, when asked for. a finisher.
so, eric, i dont think david is at all referring to you, but on the nature of this business for people to speak more than they act. I didnt take anything personally what david wrote;)))
otherwise, i’d had been outta here long ago ;)))….
we’re all in this together to build a better mansion :))
hugs
bob
Just a quick follow up as Im sluggish today (late night party at the HOuse of Family black, including Harvey workshop Alum Marc Davidson and partner)….
i just read all the comments from last night…and i dont know, to me, they were very funny….maybe because I know Panos personally, but I didnt find them offensive, just the normal Panos late-night rant :))…i mean, BURN IS GREAT and because of the WORK and the WRITING…and i think a magazine that creates incendiary shit is also good…i mean, none of us are saints….except Herve ;))))))))))
and when David talked about Panos and Patricia being the only finishers, I did not take that about me either, cause I finished, and I think David was simply illustrating/calling attention to the fact that A LOT of photographers promised work from the ‘Assignment’ this summer and most didnt finish, or start, or got stuck…nothing personal in that, but part of the game is to know when to complete, for now, something…people count on people…so, i think David used Panos and Patricia as being 2 examples that worked with David on-line to finish projects (thought finish isnt the right word) for burn….Bones was done long before, and i’ve grown sick of it, really ;)), but i dont care if it gets shown in 1 week or 3 months, whatever…the point is that the magazine is alive because of the work and the commitment to complete stuff…we’re building a spot that, i believe, in 6 months, will kill folk…and i think David was just gently reminding folk that a magazine is only as good as the content and voices provided :)))
so, get the killer shit out there to be seen :)))
hugs
running to bed
b
DAVID,
No need to apologize really…. I was smiling when writing this :):):) and again, there is absolutely no rush at all… With all the trouble Anton and I had on transfering the multimedia piece, I was not sure if you ended up getting anything at all…. I am glad you have the essay even if I am unsure if the MM got to you or not… I have done a last try with Anton and I have transfered a new flash file couple of days ago….If it did work, you may want to check it out as I have added some additional photographs that I have taken last week-end and that I quite like…anyway, this thing is not over…. I am enjoying my little journey here for as long as I can, unsure as to where this will lead me. Just this week-end, I was fortunate to spend an afternoon together with Tim Austin, a former world champion (defended his title 10 times), also medalist in Barcelona about to turn fourty… Really nice person, very humble…talked at length about his life, his broken dreams, the difficulty of dealing with the “Ups” when you are at the top and when you were only ever used to deal with the “downs”…. next week-end, I am actually going to follow Riccardo Williams Jr (silver medalist Sydney) who I have also followed and who is having a big fight on Saturday… I should be able to follow him behind the scenes, preparing this week for the fight and in the locker before THE bout…. You see, I am still busy with this topic. As they say, it ain’t over until it is over…. I certainly do not want to regret afterwards not having made the most of the time I have got left…..
Cheers,
Eric
Patricia,
We all want the best for BURN and should protect this little jewel that is being developed with passion by David. I certainly wish for all us to stay kind and constructive in our comments but I also wish for us to remain spontaneous and have fun… I tell you, I love BURN as it is a lot more about the work now, showing photographs and dicussing essays but I do somtimes miss a bit the “family” feel that we had on Road Trips, the informal tchat just discussing life, what we are up to… I do hope that we can develop this more here on BURN as well over time while still producing and showing great work… The more “formal” look of the magazine should not force us to stay formal in our discussions. A bit of “controlled” craziness is refreshing sometimes without having the family becoming toally disfunctional…. I have to say that there are many voices from the “past” that I no longer read as often and that I miss personally. I was wondering where Panos had been lately (certainly came back and was noticed :)(:):):):) I do miss reading Erica and few others who I hope are not intimidated by the new format… So I vote for a world class irreverent family magazine!!!!!
Take care,
Eric
Eric, I know what you mean about missing some of the “family” craziness we had going on at Road Trips. I think we’re still feeling a bit intimidated by our new home, but that will pass. I trust we’ll loosen up soon enough. And hey, I can be as irreverent as the next gal or guy; I just don’t think expletive-laden rants have a place here. But our brother Panos has many more sides than the one we saw last night. I for one was mightily impressed with how he handled some of the more critical responses to his essay. He showed a great sense of humor, a light touch and real maturity.
By the way, I am SO looking forward to seeing your “Lord of the Rings” essay! It’s one of my favorites…
Patricia
BOB…
i must have mangled my words as bad as W or something!!! funny, i had been watching these absolutely hilarious videos of Bush speeches….did it rub off on me??
of course, you are a finisher…..and Bones was done long ago…it will be one of the next two or three published….
Patricia and Panos were in some kind of special category in my mind because i totally mentored them online…..they both went from zero to their final essay based on their own energies and coaching from right here…..your explanation of what i was trying to say is way better than my own……
many thanks…..
cheers, david
David,
Thank you very much for your words of encouragement, yes, I would like very much having your opinion on my photos, my text and my title. I have 2 dandruff to developed, that I am going to begin today, I send you all this week…
All,
My father is going to be again operated for a prosthesis of hip, but we are in no way worried… I think of working a long time on my parents….
Panos,
je vais enfin vous rencontrer!!!
all the best, audrey
Audrey,
Je ne peux pas attendre de vous rencontrer aussi…
:-)
acknowledged panos. congratulations on lowering the tone. might i suggest you lay off the drugs for a while?
idiot.
you seem to know a lot about me panos.
actually i’m not a big fan of steve mccurry’s work. i know one picture of his (the obvious one), and well, now i guess i know a couple more thanks to this article.
i am however interested in reading about other photographers working practise, their lives, and methodology.
might i suggest that you try to take on some of these lessons yourself?
if you want to see my insights and contributions to photographic dialogue then i have a blog, although i’m not sure its worth my time pointing it out to you.
again, i think you would do well to lay of the smack before writing posts in the future. its embarassing.
steve – many thanks indeed for taking the time to reply.
i hear what you are saying about being finished.. and gathering respected opinions..
making love – does it ever finish? hmm..
okay.. onward .. trying to not feel overwhelmed with neg files.. i think it relates to the length of the project.. smaller projects and weekend commissions i have no trouble with.. i think it´s maby a case of the longer the project, the more it has to be a corker..
tusen takk.
david
Thank you for the insight about MIZZOU! It’s truely amazing what raw talent bred with particular associations will accomplish. What I mean by that is: your skill and talent could have made you the best average photographer out there, but because you probably associated pain in being broke with a child and wife needing your support, and you had the desire to come out ahead and do well for their sake, you tried many different things to help you succeed. And the end result, you became in my opinion, one of the greatest photographers of all time.
Nobody ever became great by sitting around doing nothing with their time.
As for the workshops, I still don’t know your prices, but if I could afford it, I’d vote for a whole week. And I’d pray for a supprise visit by Mr. McCurry and/or Mr. Allard. But that might be pressing my luck… I look forward to hearing from you!
wow just came across this.. genius post Panos!! start a motherfucking blog you sage!! or have you been hacked again!?!?! LOL
looks of contempt and shrugs.
A CALL FOR PEACE.
After seeing the comments Panos made here yesterday, especially those knocking photographers who go off to India to copy Steve McCurry, I opened my copy of South Southeast, the book that first introduced me to Steve.
That book was published in 2000, AFTER my fifth annual trip to India. I discovered Steve thru my visits to India, not vice versa. I also rediscovered my love for photography thru spending time in India, not vice versa.
I am writing this not to argue with Panos but to show how easy it is for all of us to jump to conclusions and make judgements, usually incorrect ones about each other, photography, life. What is more difficult to do is to quietly listen and keep an open mind.
We have come together here from different backgrounds, from different parts of the world, with different interests and ways of expressing ourselves. I know in my heart that the intention for burn is that all of us add our small spark to this flame and make it burn brighter, not to try to extinguish each other!
Let peace prevail on burn.
Best wishes to all.
I remember seeing this famous photo years ago when I was a kid. Back then, I hadn’t any intention of becoming a photographer myself, and (if I recall) I was still set on becoming a professional clown. Even then when I saw this particular photo, I knew that was what photography was about.
Now, as a photo student I am rediscovering what I felt from seeing that photograph many years ago. No matter how perfect the lighting is or the other technicalities… if I don’t see or feel what that photo sparked in me a long time ago… then it isn’t satisfying for me, and thus, a disappointment. I don’t necessarily mean this in a depressing way, but more so in a motivational way.
About a year ago, I was at a library book sale and I found a copy of the National Geographic that had the follow up story to the Afgan girl’s photo. Immediately I snatched it up. I loved that Steve McCurry did a follow-up and found the girl. My heart broke for her and her struggle, however I held McCurry’s work in a greater esteem for going back to find her.
There was a photographer in France who take a photograph of a man jumping across a puddle in 1932. Do any of you guys feel if any other picture is more iconic.The Afghan girl image may be a favourite to the western audience but has become a bit boring . Not the picture of the man jumping!
Now I totally agree with Jason Houge on the workshop stuff.
Only problem is…when you sit in South Africa and you want to learn from the likes of Allard, Harvey and McCurry…it can only remain a dream…
Any chance of running workshops in South Africa, David?