Julia Fiorillo - Steve McCurry

Steven McCurry Research paper

            Steve McCurry, pronoun photographer, is best known for his evocative color photography. McCurry captures the pure struggle and happiness of humans. His photos focus on areas of international and civil conflict: wars in Afghanistan, Beirut, Cambodia, etc. Within these photographs, he doesn’t focus on the war itself but the human consequences of war and how it strikes the humans features. All of his work has been featured in every major magazine in the world, National Geographic being one of the top. McCurry’s highest point in his career was the unidentified Afghan refugee girl that many fans label as the most identifiable photograph in the world today.

            Although McCurry is one of the most iconic names in photography, in recent news he has come under fire over his use of Photoshop, after a botched print was shown and found to be a serious issue. After this photo hit the web, people began to dig into the Web to see other images McCurry seriously altered. One photojournalist, Candice Cusic, had a major issue with McCurry’s alterations; she stated: “hey privilege an abstract idea of aesthetic perfection over the realities of the places he represents in his work…I hate [the idea of] any photographer trying to be perfect, I think it's lying." Cusic thinks McCurry’s “too-perfect” photos set a bad example for viewers and other photographers; she adds that it is hard to always tell the truth in photos and Photoshop ruins the quality of the picture. Another photojournalist, Craig Duff, talks about his opinion in regard to McCurry’s work: “there’s no such thing as an objective photograph — wherever you put your body to capture an image you’re making decisions about all these different things. We’re trying to mitigate the effect of all those decisions to make sure we’re being as honest as possible.” The other issue posed with McCurry’s image manipulations is that they are exploitative and represent a false vision of different cultures. 

            I am not really experienced with the art of photojournalism, but I believe photojournalists is someone who tries to show some political issue or news through photographs. This being said, the audience who views these photos should look at them with true credibility. McCurry’s manipulation of his photographs takes away the overall value and truth behind the photo, especially when it is from other parts of the world people have never seen. Although McCurry’s changes to his photographs are small, it makes it more flawless, which becomes an inaccurate representation to the outside world. Obviously, these photos are stunning, but as a photojournalist they are required to accurately depict what they are viewing; this helps people to judge the scene with a raw view. McCurry later responded to these critics: “Today I would define my work as visual storytelling, because the pictures have been shot in many places, for many reasons, and in many situations. Much of my recent work has been shot for my own enjoyment in places I wanted to visit to satisfy my curiosity about the people and the culture. My photography is my art, and it’s gratifying when people enjoy and appreciate it. I have been fortunate to be able to share my work with people around the world.”

            All in all, I really appreciate the beauty in McCurry’s photos. He really takes advantage of the media today and use of editing to show his passions through his photographs. I do believe it is acceptable for McCurry to alter is photos. He is an artist and has every right to display something the way he sees it / wants it to be seen.

Works Cited

“Botched Steve McCurry Print Leads to Photoshop Scandal.” PetaPixel, 7 May 2016, petapixel.com/2016/05/06/botched-steve-mccurry-print-leads-photoshop-scandal/.

“Botched Steve McCurry Print Leads to Photoshop Scandal.” PetaPixel, 7 May 2016, petapixel.com/2016/05/06/botched-steve-mccurry-print-leads-photoshop-scandal/.

Letzter, Rafi. “The 'Afghan Girl' Photographer Faked Some of His Photos. Does It Matter?” Business Insider, Business Insider, 21 May 2016, www.businessinsider.com/steve-mccurry-photo-editing-scandal-2016-5/?r=AU.