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| Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry. This photo was selected by his photo editor, while his other, much more famous one, was rejected as potentially too disturbing. It was left to the magazine's editor to pull the cover shot out of the rejects pile and put it on the magazine. The result was the most famous National Geographic cover of all time. |
National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry was in the UK in October to promote his new book, Untold. The book is about his work and how he works, and tells the stories behind some of his most famous photographs.
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| Afghan Girl, June 1985 |
Photographers had budgets, there was no internet - no digital - and people had more time, space and places to explore. Or so goes the theory.
McCurry turned the question on its head and said well yes, but back then we had no way of knowing if the photo had worked, we couldn't shoot in low light, we had to mail undeveloped film cannisters home from the office ... and it was almost impossible to get your work seen.
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| Untold by photographer Steve McCurry |
In the pre-digital era he would carry two or three cameras and lots of lenses. Now he has one camera and one lens. "A 20mm to something," he said. "If it doesn't fit in the frame I don't take the photo," he said to lots of laugh.
He saved the best to last though. Asked some technical question about his gear he said he wasn't quite sure, then added. "You know, I actually always shoot on automatic. The camera is much smarter than I am, and it gets it right. I'm not that interested in the technology, I just like to take the photo."
That admission got him the biggest round applause of the night!
More on his blog.
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