Caught and framed

Picture perfect

Photojournalist Steve McCurry, best known for his photograph, ‘Afghan Girl’, never fails to invoke awe in the viewer through his astounding images. Sanjay Austa engages the ace photographer in a tête-à-tête.

His photograph of Sharbat Gula, the ‘Afghan Girl’, is probably the most recognisable photograph in history. But when celebrated photographer Steve McCurry is pushed to pick a favourite, he picks the picture of the dust storm moment he captured in rural Rajasthan in 1983.

In fact, his photographic journey across the world started with India, when, as a young freelancer in 1978, he made his first trans-atlantic trip here from the US, armed with a suitcase full of Kodachrome.

The story of how he intended it to be a six-week excursion and how it turned into a two-year sojourn is well known. From then on, McCurry has been a New Yorker in absentia, travelling almost eight months of the year. In a photography career spanning almost four decades, he has made more than 85 trips to India, but his fascination with the subcontinent remains undiminished.

In India recently for the Kumbh Mela and a talk, he cannot stop gushing about the life and energy he finds here.

McCurry made his reputation on his haunting close-ups, but he is equally adept at depicting the drama and energy of a street scene. He has demonstrated his skill in both photographing India. His solemn photograph of the boy smeared in Holi colours, or the poignant portrait of a mother with a child, begging at a traffic signal, exemplify the close-ups.

While the photo of the boy, captured in mid air, as he runs around a bend in a Jodhpur bylane with red hand-prints on the blue walls working as leading lines, or the two men balanced precariously on rocks in the foreground of a gushing waterfall in Goa — of his photographs for his book on monsoon — demonstrate his expertise in street photography.

Spontaneous creativity

McCurry says he never thinks whether it is going to be a portrait or a street scene, “It’s better to be curious and let things unfold and not try to be frantic and look for great pictures. It may be better just to relax and let it flow, as opposed to looking around. It almost seems too much like work,” he says.

But, is it easier to photograph in the chaos and crumble of developing nations like India and Pakistan than in the sanitised neighbourhoods of New York or London — places which the maverick Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden called the real “war zones” because in other places “people don’t care what you are photographing. Here (New York side walk), people do care. It’s like a war zone,”
McCurry, however, has an unabashed fascination for Asia.

Africa comes a distant second. His images from these developing countries has invoked awe in the viewer, showered a kind of benediction on the subjects, and contributed immensely to our knowledge of some of the lesser known cultures from these parts.

“I think you should just photograph what interests you. I don’t think we should feel compelled or required to do this or that. There are millions of places in the world. And they don’t interest me,” he says. He points out at the vanishing cultures around the world and the need to document them before they disappear.

“Let’s take the nomads in India. It’s a way of life that has evolved over thousands of years. It’s a whole way of life and it’s disappearing right before our eyes. It will be another generation or two and end of story. I think it’s important to have some memory of that and look back and think,” he says.

The last film

One of the things that did disappear right before our eyes was the grand old Kodachrome film — the preferred film of all top photographers. It took a final bow to the onslaught of the digital era and shut shop in 2011. And to chronicle its last glory for posterity and nostalgia was McCurry who requested Kodak to give him the last roll off its production line in Rochester, New York.

Armed with this last roll and its 36 frames, he shot around the world. In India, besides his street portraits of ascetics, Rajasthani women, passersby, he shot Amitabh Bachchan, Shekhar Kapur, Nandita Das and Aamir Khan in Mumbai. But it was Aishwarya Rai he really wanted to photograph.

“I would have traded all those guys for her — Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Nandita Das, all. Just give me her. Unfortunately, she was in Sri Lanka and I was on a very tight schedule,” he says.

One of the other areas he left his unique mark on was an unchartered territory for him — the Pirelli calendar. The calendar which traditionally had fashion models in the buff and employed top fashion photographers of the world, turned a new leaf on its 40th anniversary by roping in photojournalist McCurry. He not only broke the hallowed tradition by shooting full-clothed women — one of them pregnant — but chose women who were contributing to social service in some way.

The calendar (2013) was very well received indeed, and is touted as one of the best Pirelli calendars of all times.

As McCurry explains, “I think you want pictures that are effortless and without a lot of fanfare around the technique. I think that’s where you want to strive. If a picture has insight into the human nature and condition, I think it’s going to be honest.”

After the interview, there is the daunting task of photographing the famous photographer. But McCurry is as comfortable in front of the camera as he is behind it. He positions his body three quarters to the camera. Brings one leg in front of the other. Shifts his weight to his back leg. Buries one hand in his pocket while the other probes his ear, his chin and his button. And you know you have got your shot.