Posted on April 4, 2016 by Jay

The Exhibit of Steve McCurry was a very different experience from many of the other exhibits I have every been to. For starters the exhibit itself was not lit very bright at all but the pictures on the walls had light, highlighting them from the background. This is a technique I have never seen before, but it is very effective since many of the photos were very colorful and the that light made each photo pop out even more. Also I found very interesting that the walls of the exhibit was a dark like blue which again I have never seen in any exhibit before. Examining the exhibit, you can see many of the photos there are portrait like photos, but with some type of twist to it. His photos seem to having a much deeper meaning then a well shot photo. I think there were about 15 -20 Photos in the exhibit showing different ways that India could be seen in.

In the Exhibit you see various different parts of India during different times of the day. In some photos Steve McCurry shows the passion in there culture. You see that many of the women and men are in traditional clothing and also parts of India that are important. For example Steve McCurry has about two photos that showcases a festival of colors. This festival consist of colored powder being thrown all about. In one of the photos you see a bunch of people colored in red powder while holding up a man covered in green powder. Just from the man in green expression, you can see he is in a state of pure bliss and he is greatly  enjoying himself. Now if you compare this photo to the other photo Steve McCurry took, the feel of the photo is varied. The other photo is a portrait of a man covered in different powders. In this photo the man has doesn’t have much of an expression to show, but all the colors on him make it seem as if the colors represent something like some type of peace or youthfulness even as a grown adult. What I find very interesting is the fact that prior to this exhibit India has been portrayed as a poor country in need of help. India is seen as less advanced, poor and kind of a place you would not want to live in. I do not think in even one photo Steve McCurry has ever shown that India is a bad place to in and quite frankly I think Steve McCurry has done the exact opposite off that. He shows the beauty of the people in India in their natural environment and does not overlook the small details when it comes to taking that perfect photo.

I think my favorite photo that Steve McCurry took was the one with two men that were on board of a very old railway train passing the Taj Mahal. This photo is very appealing for many reason. For starters the photo itself has a very strong use of shadows on both the people and train. The man on the left of the photo is in shade while the man next to him is in complete sunlight. Even on the train you can see a high contrast of shadow and highlights from looking at the front of the train compared to the side of it. Also in this photo you can see the Taj Mahal in the background. I find it interesting that the rusting train is seen to be much more important than a monument that in some ways defines India. The way I see it is the old train coming back to its old glory since back when rail trains first come about, they were very popular and was a huge achivement during industrial times. This train itself use to be what many would come to see and I find it interesting that both the train and Taj Mahal are next to each other showing what was amazing back then vs what is amazing now.

I think the photo with the Afghan girl became so iconic because of the time period and what this photo both represents and what it portrays. During the time this photo was taken Afghan was not the best of places to be in at the time because of the war going on and the fear of communism. People are paranoid and afraid and fear losing their lives. This photo of  the Afghan girl Sharbat Gula has a very distinct feel to it. Gula has a mixer of expressions in her face. Her face looks very intense and is looking directly at you making it very personally. Her eyes strike you very harshly and she looks as if she has been hurt and had her fair share of hardships, but yet in spite of that she will carry on to survive. She looks frail yet determined and does not seem that she will back down. Her  beautiful green eyes are very distinct and unique and she has a gaze that you will never forget. This girl looks like she has not given up even in her situation and is not afraid to stand up and fight.

 

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Stephen Curry’s India exhibit

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Marcus

The Rubin Museum is home to Steve McCurry’s India. Inside, the exhibit has a spacious feel. In the past, the museum was originally a Barney’s department store. The department store had initially placed a spiral staircase in the center of the building which the museum decided to keep. The Rubin incorporated the spiral staircase by having artwork on walls flow around the staircase. In other words, the viewer would walk around the staircase counter-clockwise allowing a more relaxed, fluid transition from piece to piece. The exhibit room itself also features dark teal colored walls versus white. The reason being is that McCurry’s work is already very vivid and colorful. A white wall would create a jarring effect having many different colorful pieces pop at you. Instead, the dark teal walls neutrealizes all the colors and works of art while still allowing enough contrast for each piece to stand out individually. McCurry’s work was grouped by locations and stories. For example, there was a section that focused on a specific part of india and the monsoons rain. There were also seating benches found throughout the area to sit and observe a photograph. At the ending of the exhibit were four stations where viewers can observe and listen to videos discussing proccesses, techniques and more.

For the exhibit, McCurry revolves around India and he thoroughly dissects it. McCurry presents indians to be, traditional, strong and cultural in his work. In all of his photographs, people of India are seen going about their daily lives; despite not having advancments like the United States, they still manage to get things done. In one image, an elderly man’s shop was washed away in the moonsoons rain but he still returns to rescue his sowing machine. This displays strength, determination, culture and tradition. The elderly man returned to retrieve his sowing machine in bad weather which shows strength and determination. The fact the object he returned for is a sowing machiene shows his culture and tradition. People in photographs are also seen barefooted or dressed religiously. Its evident that Indians love nature and are accustomed to it. The building architectures are very intricate and detailed and many mosques lie around india. Due to water not always being accesible, large step wells can be found in India aswell. Depending on which area, India has plenty to offer. But one thing regaurdless of area is that nature is always present.

A favorite photograph of mine from the exhibit is, Man Walks in the Himalayas (1996). In the image, a man can be seen walking along the Himalayas Mountains located in Ladakh, India. His scale in comparisson to the mountains in the background is very minimal. It harbors the effect that nature has more power over the man. The land also appears in layers, from one material to the next ultimately leading to a snow covered mountain. Because there was only one light source, which was the sun, the cast shadows are very dark and solid. I love the photograph because of the story and mood i get in conjunction to the beautiful scenery. Personally, I’m a big nature person and I go for walks alone. That being said, it was easier for me to relate and connect to the image because I too walk alone in nature. It’s impossible to ignore the enormous landscape in this photograph which is another reason i love this piece. The setting is very significant and meaningful to the photo. It reminds me how much bigger this world is compared to me and brings back a feeling of humblness. Taking a time out to pause and realize how time consuming New York City can be and how people tend to forget what this world has to offer is the reaction I first had. There are people around the world who may not have everything the U.S. does but still have the advantage and realization of the nature around them. Nature has its own aesthetic and McCurry shows this through the nature found in India. Another reason i gravitated toward this image was the use of natural light. The one light source allows for there to be greater contrast with shadows and adds an interesting effect to the land. The third dimension comes alive in this image with the help of strong shadows. In all, this photo was successful because it follows many techniques. For one, the figure is placed in the center to grab the viewer’s attention. Aside from that, there are leading lines next to the figure which helps with eye transition throughout the photo. McCurry also filled the frame using mountains found in the setting. To emphasize that the man is not the powerful one in the image but instead nature is, McCurry elevates himself slightly so it can appear as if we look down on the figure.

One of Steve McCurry’s most popular works is the Afghan girl. In the portrait, a young Afghan girl stares into the camera with pierci green eyes wearing a red scarf draped over her head. I believe this photo became iconic because of how intesnse her pose is. It’s not a pose where one mood can be conveyed but instead multiple moods. Especially that she comes from a third eorld country, the image is sure to spark controversy worldwide due to it relating to current events. The Afghan girl’s eyes also helped in making this photo iconic; her eyes standout so much they become imprinted on the viewer’s memory. This photo is successful because of how McCurry uses techniques in comunicating with the viewer. The subject is in the center and her eyes look into the camera. This already engages the viewer with the subject by  creating the illusion she is looking at the one observing. The red scarf and her green eyes also help in this photo because they are complementary colors helping to make the image standout. Having diffused shadows worked well with her pose and softened her face. I learned from this image that the young Afghan girl was a refugee who relocated to Pakistan. The reason was to escape the Soviet Union while they occupied Afghanistan. Her parents were killed in bombings caused by the Soviet. She and her remaining family walked mountains to escape the crisis. My biggest take away from the exhibit as a whole is realizing there is more to this world than our world. Alot of times, many people are born in one place and die not traveling or experiencing the rest of the world. This exhibit opened my eyes and mind up to the fact that ther are people all over this globe dealing with many different things and McCurry just displayed a few. As i write this, a person in India might be accumulating water from a stepwell, or an afghan girl might be running for help. Regaurdless whats going on, this exhibit opened me up to reality and it is by far one of the greatest realizations i’ve come to know. MAN-WALKING-IN-THE-HIMALAYAS-INDIA-1996-by-STEVE-MCCURRY-Born-1950-BHC0795

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Exhibit Review

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Wilson Sanchez

The Steve McCurry Exhibit in the Rubin Museum was really great. I loved the environment because it seemed simple and high class. The entrance felt warm and calm. It was interesting to see a restaurant section on the first floor. The stairs in the middle of the exhibits was also very interesting, it allowed for easy access to all the exhibits the museum offered. The Steve McCurry exhibit felt dark and calm. With the blue walls, and lights on the photographs, it made the photographs pop out more and gain more emphases to them.

The Steve McCurry Exhibit included a range of different photos that he took in India, around the 1980’s -2000’s. He caught many rare moments of Indians living their lives. His photographs beautifully display the theme of truth and humanity. In his photos, McCurry has a nice mix of subjects like Architecture,Transportation ,animals , and humans. In this exhibition you can find a map showing the location of each photo.

My favorite photograph at the, McCurry Exhibitions, was “Steam Engine of Taj Mahal”. I love the composition, field of depth, and atmospheric perspective. The steam created by the old train adds a interesting element, while also becoming a frame for the background. The two humans on the train bring out a sense of humanity, from a scene that is primarily covered by architecture and design.

Photo Mar 28, 1 22 53 PM

Steve McCurry most famous photo is the, “Afghan Girl”. Its a striking photo of a young beautiful girl. She seems to be scared or in shock, but her green eyes and complementary colors of red and green makes this image a strange mix of serious but beautiful. I learned a lot from this museum, it has inspired me to maybe go to different places around the world and take pictures. It even showed me that a picture printed at a large scale, and placed in the right environment can make a photograph come to life. After seeing the exhibition I realized that a photograph can be as effective and powerful ( when printed at a large scale) as a piece of art is.

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Rubin Museum

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Romando

The Steve McCurry’s India exhibit gave a side car to the viewer for a tag along with McCurry on his journey through different parts of India; in which, he showed different people and different traditions and ways they were celebrated. Upon entering the exhibit, the first thing that will be notice is that the walls are a shade of blue oppose to the standard white and the lights are at a dimmed level while the picture had strong lights hitting them. There are above 20 photos which range from portraits to landscape type of layouts but was still able to maintain enough spacing for a group of people to gather in front of one picture at a time without blocking another photo. The photos which lays on the walls ranges from natural disasters to things seen while transporting to celebrations and cultural norms.

Even though the pictures had such different ranges, they did manage to keep the same emotion roughly though out; furthermore, from the way he caught people in such natural environment to the way these people gave such genuine and non forced expressions. McCurry did not save face when it came to showing India, he did not just show the good glamour look of India such as a wide focus shot of the Taj Mahal. The photographer showed the rough times faced and the happy times celebrated, but it does not matter which of the two being showed the elements of comradely is still portrayed strongly. From the way these people group together to protect each other in an unexpected disaster or in Holi to hold each other up; as a result, his photos lack that pitiful look which images that include destruction normally provoke and instead welcomes hope and happiness with smiling faces.

In the exhibition’s collection there were plenty of works that caught my attention from the “Dog Balances on the Only Remaining High Ground in Monsoon Flood” to the “Crowds Gather for he Kumbh Mela Festival on Temporary Pontoon Bridges across the River Ganges”, but the one that really took my attention and kept it was “Father and Daughter on Dal Lake”. This piece in particular shows the trial and relationship between a parent and a child; also, I find it interesting that it kind of lacks a smile like his other photos but that did not deprive the picture of hope, given that their route to their destination is not conventional but yet they still persevere on a daily. Then what strengthens this photo even more is the strong diagonals giving a flow and movement to the photo; in addition, there is color, the red stands out from the grey and the brown so viewers’ eyes will always be drawn back to her face in which the real emotion of the photo is. Then there is the high angle in which this was shot and the strong front light given that there are no shadows and also that the subject is looking directly at the camera, giving a strong interaction between subject photographer and viewer.

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McCurry’s most Famous photo is that of the “Afghan Girl” which made the cover of National Geographic. The strength of the photo lays in the color relation and composition, because it also closely gives the feel of another widely known piece, “jan vermeer girl with the pearl earring” due to the pose and it has been compared to the Mona Lisa being called the “First World’s Third World Mona Lisa“. The use of diffused lighting gave strength to her green eyes, which I must say was the first thing I notice when seeing this photo, The beauty and captivation of her stare draws you in, and it also correspond with the green of her shirt and of that of the background; then there is the strong red which kept your attention to her face and separate her from the background. The story is about Sharbat Gula, also known as Sharbat Bibi, an Afghan woman who was living as a refugee in Pakistan during the time of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan when she was photographed by McCurry. McCurry was enchanted by her eyes and knew he wanted her as his photographic subject, he seen an element in her that would strengthen his piece; therefore, the strength and innocence of her stare showed him the pride and self-respect females had even in those times of hardship which gave him inspiration. This exhibition in all thought me that photography can save lives, inspire and introduce people from other parts of the world to get involved and improve a life, while seeing the beauty which hides in hardship.

 

 

 

 

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Steve McCurry’s Exhibit

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Jay

The Steve McCurry exhibit is one of the most beautiful exhibit I have ever seen. As soon as I came out the elevator on the 5th floor, I was captivated with the theme of the exhibit. The walls are painted dark blue while at the same time the lights on the floor are very dim. This made the walls look very smooth. On the other hand, because the walls are dark, the Photos Seems to pop right off the walls because there are spot lights shining directly at each photos.  Each photo is mounted about an inch from the walls and they have no frames, this effects makes the photos float right off the walls. They are about 30 Photos in this exhibit, which were taken around the 1980s, and 2000s.

“The Steve McCurry exhibit brings together stunning photographs of India, its people, monuments, landscapes, seasons, and cities. A combination of portraits, landscapes, and documentary imagery express McCurry’s curiosity and commitment to capturing unexpected moments. The exhibition opens with images of spiritual life, as well as selections from the series India by Rail, which portray the movement and life surrounding the Indian Railway. Photographs from the Monsoon series depict India’s season of heavy storms that is also synonymous with life, passion, and celebration. Later works capture beautiful landscapes, historical sites, and the life of ordinary people in major cities and rural areas, representative of diverse regions of India” Rubinmuseum.org

I have to say all of Steve McCurry’s photos of India are extremely beautiful, but one of my favorite is the photo of the Holi Festival. I love this photo because I can relate to it, we also celebrate this Holiday in my birth county in Guyana and also in the United States. This traditional Indian festival marks the beginning of spring with an explosion of color. People of all ages participate in the festivities which include playful pigment fights using dyed powder and water. Everyone’s fair target no matter their age, relation, or social status meaning anyone can join in on the fun! This photograph is successful because of the strong angle in which McCurry chose to photograph this photo. We can tell that Steve is right in the action and not using a strong lens in which he is far away. The people in the photo are well aware he is taking their photo and they seem very trusting and happy.

Holi

 

In 1984, McCurry The photographed an Afghan girl named Sharbat Gula. This photo instantly because famous all over the world. She was only a teenager when she was photographed. “The portrait by Steve McCurry turned out to be one of those images that sears the heart, and in June 1985 it ran on the cover of this magazine. Her eyes are sea green. They are haunted and haunting, and in them you can read the tragedy of a land drained by war. She became known around National Geographic as the “Afghan girl,” and for 17 years’ no one knew her name.” – Newman. This portrait of this girl is so famous because of her she is looking directly into the camera, looking at the viewers. You can see her pain right in her eyes. This portrait fills the frame perfectly, and the lighting focusing directly on her face and her clothing. This image is so powerful that by looking at it, you can instantly tell her life story. Something that I take away from this exhibit is no matter how bad you think you have it, there is someone out there struggling even more, never take what you have for granted,

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Steve McCurry Exhibit Review

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Ellen Chan

The Steve McCurry exhibit at the Rubin Museum was really interesting and had a lot of beautiful photos from the photographer’s portfolio. What’s interesting about the exhibit was that all of the walls were this dark shade of blue, instead of the typical white walls present in most museum galleries. The lighting is also dim, which helps bring out the vibrant colors present in all of the photos. When you step out of the elevators, the first collection of photos you see are examples of the religious diversity (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) in India. As you walk past these photos and begin to circle around the central staircase, the next collection you see are a series of photos focused on the railroads of India and what a day in India is like during the monsoon season. The last collection of photos are portraits and photos from a colorful town in India called: Jodhpur. Following that is a map of India and videos of Steve McCurry playing on monitors that visitors can listen to.

India is the subject of the Steve McCurry exhibit. Through the photos displayed in the exhibit, you get the sense of diversity that is present in India. You see people from many different religious backgrounds in his photos: Buddhism, Hinduism, Muslim, etc. The railroad photos show the daily lives of people in India, and there is a clear sense of how essential the trains are to their livelihoods. The monsoon photos show the people’s attitude and perseverance towards the floods that come with the weather. There is also diversity in the locations shown, such as the Taj Mahal and an Indian town where the buildings are painted in blue. The exhibit doesn’t show any of the politics going on in India; it’s explicitly about the culture. The subjects are everyday people instead people in positions of power.

The photograph I love in this exhibit is “Buddhist Monks Debate”. There are only two photos in the exhibit that show Buddhist monks: this one and a portrait of a Buddhist boy. But I picked this one because the visual composition grabbed my attention more. There is a clear pattern thanks to all of the red robes the monks are wearing. But the pattern is broken by the robes of the older monks, who wear a yellow sash around their shoulder. There are even two other monks wearing some kind of yellow hat on their head. The streak of yellow directs the viewer’s attention to the center of the photo: two monks engaging in a fierce debate. The aggressiveness of the two monks’ poses, contrasted with the solemnity on the other monks’ faces, makes it clear they’re the subject of the photo. Because the other monks’ attention are directed to the subjects, the viewers feel like they’re also participating as onlookers in this spectacle.

McCurry’s “Afghan Girl” photo is famous because I think it challenges preconceptions about Muslim women and refugees. It’s also a visually compelling photo, because of its color composition. The red headscarf compliments the green background, which helps bring out the subject’s green eyes. Because of this, combined with the fact the subject looks directly at the camera, the viewer is simultaneously drawn in and confronted. The subject is a refugee who fled to Pakistan after the Soviet Union bombed Afghanistan. I think people have a lot of preconceptions about what a Muslim woman looks like, so a portrait of a Muslim girl with green eyes is interesting in that aspect. Which was the main thing I took away from the exhibit: to throw away preconceptions and approach things with a clear mind. I think people have a certain image of India, but McCurry’s photos shows there is a vibrancy to the life there that is often overlooked.

Link to photo: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9b/7e/f1/9b7ef1e292c7443fe790a4f5ea69e939.jpg

 

 

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Homework 6: Trip to the Museum

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Calvin Huang

The museum itself has a lot well-seen images by Steve McCurry. His pictures are all set up to where you will stand at that one specific picture and while you are to stand at that position, you’ll see that the photos in the past can bring you back in time to where it was taken. There are a large amount of portrait pictures and a few landscape images that’s around 30 different images. The photos in the museum gives the attention to the color and the size in the looks into the various lifestyles of India and northeastern Asian countries such as Tibet and the Himalayan region. The collection of photos were taken in the past around the 1980s through the early 2000s.
The photos showcases a lot of India’s common livelihood and religious life. There are pictures of Mosques, Muslims, the Holi Festival, regular people at work and architecture. We don’t see anything that isn’t related to everyday Indian life to one person to another. There aren’t any pictures of romantic nature, pictures focused solely on monuments or inanimate objects and there isn’t any pictures that are focused on royalty or lavish lifestyles. Steve McCurry’s approach to photographing India is very lively, he isn’t at a distance and shooting with a bigger zoom through the camera’s lens. Even if the he takes pictures with the lens that aren’t interchangeable, his pictures are always close to the subject as the main key to the topic. His portraits also captures the emotion in the subject’s eyes. The photos Steve McCurry took shows the environment around him, taken in a way that uses diagonal angles and different ranges that puts the viewer in his position looking on at the area around him.
The photo that caught my attention is the “Steam Engine of Taj Mahal” photo. I find the photo captivating because it captures the scenery and background to the photo. This photo focuses on many different parts, The Taj Mahal, the villagers on the train and the steam of the train. The villagers on the train are standing at one point of the train as we’ll figure, if they are waiting to see what the holdup was or stopping to see the view that’s coming up next to their expedition. The close up of the picture expresses them as travelers traveling on the train for new journeys and the amazement to their sight. The steam from the train also shows how trains were back in the past before there was technology and live view.

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The “Afghan Girl” photo is a striking photo that completely almost looked like another modern portrait of Mona Lisa. The photo has a great method of the position balanced and filling the frame. The lighting of the photo captures the intensity of her green entrancing eyes as the photo focuses on her. The clarity of the picture and the enhanced features of her face also becomes sharp because the whole picture is made up of one of the two complimentary colors— such as redand green. The red is the hijab and her eyes are green eyes as well as the background. The story of the girl— Sharbat Gul— was something to learn about from the past. She was a refugee in a camp in Pakistan during the Soviet War. As she was in her class, Steve McCurry decided to take her picture and thought nothing of it. When he took the photo he believed that this was the picture that would shape his career. This exhibit has shown me different ways that a photographer takes full advantage to the environment as well as the people. It is amazing to see what how pictures can change ones lives in many ways.
• http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/afghan-girl/index-text

The trip to the museum shows a lot on how Steve McCurry focuses on his subjects and how to take the perfect picture. In the present, as we take pictures, it takes timing and concentration as the subject must be focused and the image is in perfect position.

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HW#6- Odalys Punch

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Odalys Punch

The museum itself has a calming, private environment. Pictures are all set up within a reasonable distance from each other where your eyes are allowed to focus on one specific picture but also able to glance at one next to it. There are a large amount of portrait pictures and a few landscape images. There is roughly 20-25 different images.  The photos were very vibrant in color and large in size and featured a look into the various lifestyles of India and northeastern Asian countries such as Tibet and the Himalayan region. The collection of photos were taken in the 1980s and a select few pieces in the early 2000s.

The photos showcases a lot of India’s common livelihood and religious life.  There are pictures of Mosques, Muslims, the Holi Festival, regular people at work and architecture.  We don’t see anything that isn’t pertaining to everyday Indian life. There aren’t any pictures of romantic nature, pictures focused solely on monuments or inanimate objects and there isn’t any pictures that are focused on royalty or lavish lifestyles. Steve McCurry’s approach to photographing India is very lively, he isn’t at a distance and shooting with a powerful lens, but rather he’s very much close to the action of the subject. His portraits are very intense as you can see the emotion in the subject’s eyes. His photos of the environment around him is taken in a way that uses diagonal angles and different ranges that puts the viewer in his position looking on at the area around him.

The photo that caught my attention is the “Nomad Girl” photo. I find the photo captivating because it captures mood and makes amazing use of colors. This photo fills the frame awesomely and also follows the dominant eye very well. Her vibrant red and gold headscarf frames her face well in the shot and brings attention to her facial features. The close up of the picture expresses her shy mood about having her picture taken as she is seen drawing her hands to her face as if she’s being extremely modest.INDIA-10350NF4_

The “Afghan Girl” photo is a striking photo that completely almost looked like a modern day variation of the Mona Lisa. The photo has a great use of positioning and filling the frame. The lighting of the photo captures the intensity of her green entrancing eyes. The clarity of the picture and the enhanced features of her face also becomes sharp because the whole picture is made up of complimentary colors— such as the red hijab and her green eyes and the green background. The story of the girl— Sharbat Gul— was interesting. She was a refugee in a camp in Pakistan during the Soviet War, she was in her class and Steve McCurry decided to take her picture and thought nothing of it. When he took the photo he believed that this was the picture that would shape his career. This exhibit has shown me different ways that a photographer takes full advantage of their environment and it is amazing to see wha feelings a picture can invoke if it is taken in a certain way.

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HW6: Steve McCurry’s India Exhibit

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Alicia

The Steve McCurry exhibit was made up of large photographs being “floated” off of the dark blue walls. They did not have frames around them and they were gently lit from above so they each had a small spotlight. The space of the exhibit was organized in a circle around the middle of the room which had the main staircase. The room featured 37 photographs which were “representative of three decades of McCurry’s work,” (http://rubinmuseum.org/). The dark walls were chosen to bring a feeling of closeness and intimacy to the space. The photos are arranged by which region of India they come from, and they vary from traditional portraits to landscape photography, all meant to represent an aspect of Indian culture that McCurry chose to show to the rest of the world.

The photos of India McCurry chose to represent are all very varied, though his focus is on the human side of the country. Without the people, the country wouldn’t be as vibrant and appealing as it is. Due to this, the exhibit doesn’t show a single photograph that doesn’t have a human–except for one where the subject is a black dog, but even that one carries a very lively and human aspect. His primary goal is to showcase the people. When he photographs his subject as a classical portrait, he often does it head-on, with the subject at eye-level on a neutral background. Other times, he has no qualms about photographing people with their backs turned to him while they are engaging in an activity, like the boy running through the alley or the girl dancing by the movie posters. When he is not taking portraits, he makes sure to include the setting of the photograph to give it a sense of place and time, like with the picture of the man with his sewing machine walking through the high waters of a monsoon. Often, India has a reputation for being a country struggling to stay afloat amidst the poverty, starvation, and dirt. However, McCurry doesn’t exotify the conditions of his subjects. He doesn’t show suffering or pain, instead he shows perseverance, humanity, and human situations which people everywhere can relate to. He reframes situations which might seem bizarre and gives them a context that is easy to connect to, like the man taking his daughter to school or the men looking for files amongst the filing cabinets. 006-steve-mccurry-theredlist

 

The image I chose is the one of the cobblers surrounding a man in a suit. It drew me in because of the symmetrical arrangement of the men working, all of them bent down at their work and shirtless. The composition of the image is striking because of the man in the suit being centered. The colors and textures of the image are also very appealing, as everything is lit with even, diffused light and there are no extreme shadows being cast. This image also shows the principle of frame within a frame, due  to the dark receding space behind the men making a new frame out of the blueish walls. It speaks to me because in many ways it could be representative of the differences in class in India. However, despite the differences in appearance and jobs, all the men in the image are not wearing shoes, and the the presence of the man in the suit shows how despite their differences the different social and economic classes still intersect. Another interesting thing is that the cobblers are looking down but the man is looking to the left, away from the camera. It makes the image appear candid because it appears that none of the men have noticed the photographer and are preoccupied with their own lives. It makes me feel that everything is interconnected, and that so many photographs are really about being at the right place and the right time, but also being able to have a critical eye for spotting a good photograph.

The photograph of the Afghan girl, taken by McCurry in 1984 is iconic for many reasons. Her name is Sharbat Gula and she was only a teenager when she was photographed, but she had already experience loss since losing her parents to the Soviet Union’s bombs during the invasion of Afghanistan. (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/afghan-girl/index-text). What is so captivating in her portrait is the combination of colors, the swirl of her red shawl around her face, and her piercing, adult gaze. In the photo she does not shy away from the camera and looks directly at it. The neutral background of the photo complements her green eyes. She is lit with even, diffused light and her face is slightly turned to a 3/4 view. The photograph became emblematic because in the middle of the war and the images of the war, fighting, fire, pain and rubble, nobody expected to see this image of a girl refugee meeting the world head-on.  The exhibit showed the true power of images to remain timeless messages. The ability of McCurry to capture a moment in time is incredibly priceless. Photography is one of the strongest methods of communication, because the ability to reproduce a memory and communicate it to a viewer on the other side of the world, without the use of words, is something like magic.

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Portrait Basics

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Wilson Sanchez

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I think this is one of my best portrait photo’s because the space around the head is evenly balanced out. The lighting is also very strong, creating a nice direct light for contrast on the face.

  1. When shooting a portrait its important to set the right shutter speed, have the face placed towards the light, have the back erected, and also placing the light the right height and angle.
  2. The difference between broad and short lighting is that broad lighting is when the light mostly hits the side turning towards the camera. Short lighting is the opposite, its when the furthest side of the face from the camera is getting the main light.
  3. The Purpose of the main light is to light the face of the subject.
  4. The function of the fill light is to lighten up the shadows.
  5. The function of the background is to create separation between the subject and background.
  6. I learned that when lighting the face you should be looking for a triangle on the opposite side from were the light is coming from. I would like to review, fill light next class.
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