Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs

by Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry's iconic images have made him one of the world's most popular photographers working today. Now, for the first time, he shares the stories behind stunning images taken from around the world throughout his extensive career.

In the finest documentary tradition, Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs delves into McCurry's personal archive to reveal never-before-seen ephemera, including journals, portraits, maps, and beautifully reproduced snapshots from various assignments. The book is organized into 14 photo stories, each brought to life by narrative text and over 100 lavish, full-color photo plates. Together, these fascinating documents create a living biography of one of photography's greatest legends.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Travel, Collections

264 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2012

About the author

Steve McCurry is an American photographer, freelancer, and photojournalist. His photo Afghan Girl, of a girl with piercing green eyes, has appeared on the cover of National Geographic several times. McCurry has photographed many assignments for National Geographic and has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1986.
McCurry is the recipient of numerous awards, including Magazine Photographer of the Year, awarded by the National Press Photographers Association; the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal; and two first-place prizes in the World Press Photo contest (1985 and 1992).

Reviews

[arcobaleno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Famiglia in cammino lungo un binario, unica striscia di terreno asciutto, Bangladesh, 1983*

Questo volume non è il catalogo (che non esiste) della Mostra "STEVE MC CURRY-Icons and women", ma una raccolta di numerosissime immagini, di cui centoventi in grande formato e in gran parte anche in esposizione ora a Forlì, del celebre fotografo statunitense. Il testo rispecchia la modalità di presentazione delle (centottanta) foto in Mostra. E chi ha avuto la fortuna di visitare almeno una esposizione di McCurry può capire quanto sia scenograficamente affascinante il percorso, ben curato e approfondito. La visita, come la lettura di questo testo, non può esaurirsi con l'osservazione semplice delle foto. Perché ogni immagine è capace di raccontare una storia intensa; e assorbe l'attenzione totale, con la vista, con la mente e col cuore. Ogni scatto è un'opera d'arte di luci, colori, movimenti; di equilibri e armonie; di richiami inconsci; di attimi fissati o sguardi magnetici; ogni immagine va contemplata con calma, ammirata esteticamente; va letta con attenzione e partecipata emotivamente. Alla fine ogni foto parla, vive; si fa abbracciare e amare. E, attraverso la foto, ascolti e abbracci il Fotografo, con la sua Arte e la sua Passione; con la sua sensibilità, la sua intelligenza, il suo intuito.

Utili i commenti fuori campo dell'audioguida nel percorso della mostra, riproposti e arricchiti nel percorso di questo catalogo cartaceo, per conoscere gli appassionanti retroscena, le ricerche minuziose e pazienti, la prontezza e il coraggio, le esperienze e i pensieri stessi del Fotografo prima di giungere al risultato.
Un ottimo testo, dunque, anche per rivivere le mie intense sensazioni delle quattro ore di visita ed emozionarmi di nuovo.
Un consiglio, oltre a quello di andare a visitare almeno una mostra di McCurry (ora a Forlì fino al 10 gennaio): di non acquistare il volume nel bookshop dell'evento a prezzo (alto) intero; si può trovare su diverse librerie online a prezzo un po' scontato. E la spesa sarà generosamente ricompensata dalle vive emozioni.

*Ti metti in viaggio, prendi appunti, ti guardi intorno; all'inizio non vedi niente e cominci a preoccuparti, ma col passare del tempo le cose cominciano a rivelarsi. Man mano che il viaggio prosegue , impari a conoscere i ritmi di un luogo e all'improvviso vedi cose che prima non vedevi. [...] Non ci si deve fissare su quella che si pensa sia la 'vera' destinazione. Anche il viaggio in sé è importante. Bisogna essere aperti a quello che si vede lungo la strada, essere pronti a cogliere un'opportunità - fermarsi e scattare una foto.

[Chrisl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotionally Memorable photos, with perspective providing text.
Section 1 - Shooting Under Fire - Afghanistan, late '70s -
Section 2 - India by Rail
Section 3 - Monsoon
Section 4 - The Afghan Girl
Section 5 - After the Storm
Section 6 - Gateway to India
Section 7 - In the Vale of Sorrow, Kashmir
Section 8 - Sanctuary: The Temples of Angkor
Section 9 - A Country Apart
Section 10- September 11th
Section 11- The Tibetans
Section 12- Beyond the Footsteps of Buddha
Section 13- Hazaras: Strangers in the Homeland

[andreea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a big fan of McCurry's photos even since I came to know him almost 10 years ago. But reading the stories behind the photos it's a whole different thing. I've never realised that in shooting the pictures I knew so well he went through so many dangerous situations and risked his life so many times.
I was pretty impressed to find out that he was in New York during the 9/11 and that he took one photo right when one of the planes was crushing into the Wolrd Trade Center.
I particularly liked the chapters about India, since I'm very passionate about Indian culture while the chapter about the Hazaras reminded me of Khaled Hosseini's books.

I really enjoyed reading this book and going through the pictures once again.

[Sara Emme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho sempre amato le fotografie di McCurry e con quest’opera ho potuto apprezzarle ancora di più.
I racconti delle sue avventure in giro per il mondo sono fonte di grande ispirazione!
Imperdibile!

[abi turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Through my pictures, I can help others to explore the planet”

[Massimo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Foto bellissime perché McCurry è un maestro, ma noiosissime le storie raccontate, perché anche se interessanti, sono continue autocelebrazioni.

[Il cassetto dei libri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le sue fotografie viste dal vivo ti sommergono di talmente tante sensazioni che rimani in silenzio a contemplare l'umanità in tutte le sue sfaccettature. Le parole in quel momento non servono..a parlare è il linguaggio dei corpi, spesso gli occhi, i gesti, o il caleidoscopio di colori degli abiti e dei paesaggi. Consiglio a tutti, se ne avranno l'occasione, di vedere una mostra di McCurry. Sicuramente lo scatto più famoso è la Ragazza afghana, che fu copertina anche del National Geographic, ma sarebbe un peccato fermarsi solo alla conoscenza di quella, seppur bellissima, foto.

[Matt Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

McCurry is a master of his craft and the pictures contained within this book are priceless. I had a hard time rating this a 3 star but the stories are a bit long-winded and the photo referencing is a bit cumbersome.

The included scans of tickets, keepsakes, and McCurry’s notebook are a wonderful touch. It was great to get some insight into McCurry’s mind and work process, I just wish there was more quotes from McCurry throughout the book. I found myself waiting and scanning for his thoughts on particular photos.

However — there are some incredible insights from McCurry, and great stories included. This book is a wonderful piece of work to study composition and storytelling, and I will be referencing the images for years to come.

[Jeevitha Balakrishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best birthday gift I ever received. I was balled over reading each and every chapter of Steve McCurry's stories behind every photograph. Amazed by his passion and perseverance, his exceptional courage in bypassing the near death moments and his photo-journalistic integrity. He emphasizes the importance of exploring slowly at a human pace. His 30 years of photojournalism is an epic.
Mammoth reverence to Steve McCurry.

[Matthew De Moraes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good photos but honestly nobody is a good enough photographer to write about themselves in the third person listing their awards in what becomes a giant book of self marketing. Wish he’d opted to write it humbly.

[Graham Brownett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first aware of Steve McCurry during an interview on Bloomberg TV, they showed his iconic and beautiful photograph of an Afghan girl from 1984 whose name Sharbat Gula, he didn’t know until many years later.

McCurry photographs mainly in Asia. His earliest assignment was to Kuwait and Iraq to cover the environmental devastation in the aftermath of the Gulf War. He went on to cover many assignments for magazines such as National Geographic and Time Magazine, from railway stations in India to remote areas of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Cambodia, Kashmir and Pakistan and has travelled in many areas such as Tibet and Nepal where he can focus on his fascination with Buddhism. He spent two periods in Viet Nam following three families facing the trauma of AIDs but perhaps his most poignant images are of 9/11. He had only returned from Tibet to his home city of New York on 10 September 2001, the following morning he looked out of his studio window to see the South Tower of the World Trade Centre on fire having been hit by United Airlines flight 175.

The stories behind the images are an interesting insight to how much thought and planning goes into the taking of a single photograph, he has the knack of creating a rapport with his subjects and for showing the human side of poverty, many of the people and locations could have been taken any time during the past 200 years.

The book is extremely well produced and is a special tribute to Steve McCurry’s artistry and dedication to his craft.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this book, it gave me a good cross sectional impression and understanding of McCurry’s career, appreciation of the breadth and diversity wherein. It is worth, despite this being a great book, just viewing it with some skepticism. It is whitewashed and sanitised, almost PR-like rather than the context of individual stories or photographs that McCurry produced in his career. This, I think is what I was hoping for. It was a scratch that was at least partially itched. It’s also worth looking into specific projects - his book titled “Afghanistan” is one of my favourite photo books and I feel that it demonstrates his best work in the breadth and love for a place better than the snippets of stories in this.

A great book if you want some further context and story around brilliant photojournalism, not really going to satisfy if you are after a pure photo book however.

[Charley Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a long-term and continuing admirer of Steve McCurry, so my opinion is biased. Great to see so many photos and to read the stories behind the themes into which the book is organised and behind the individual shots. A bit disconcerted by some of the more fulsome critical commentary on the man and his work. Nonetheless a great buy.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the Angor Watt section but each section had some stunning hi lights. Quite an adventurous history type book for a photography master. Colour, ruins, war, settings and those amazing people portraits and action shots. Those eyes! Deeply thoughtful pictures by a master photographer in his prime.
Get it in full sized hard cover. A stunning book and a valuable resource.

[Frida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awful cover, but a real treasure on my bookshelves. Steve McCurry captures the true heart of the colourful worlds he visits. I've been travelling and taking photographs for over 30 years and I still have no idea how he manages to capture such poetry on camera.

[theclimbingrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and poignant.

“These are our brothers and sisters, and we’re all living on the same small planet. Many of us are in a position to help others, but few of us are aware of what we can do or what difference we can make.”

[Tushar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book , this book helps us to Know something about professional photographer 'Steve Mccurry

[Wander Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uno dei cinque libri che consiglio a chiunque voglia avvicinarsi o approfondire le tecniche fotografiche: https://www.wanderallen.it/i-magnific...

[Stefano Mastella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un fotografo che sa comunicare empatie e le cui immagini iconiche attraversano le epoche e la spiegazione di come imposta il lavoro e decide di scattare: imperdibile.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik las dit boek in het Nederlands.
Mooi overzicht van fotoverhalen.

[Pedro Bello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quem gosta de fotografia gosto do trabalho deste homem pelos quatros cantos do mundo

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I minored in Photography back in my school daze, dreaming of one day being an international Photojournalist. What an amazing career Steve McCurry has had. Here is a snippet from the book (five stars):

"Since that first meeting in 1984, the Afghan Girl has continued to fascinate. “We still receive a lot of letters, as well as paintings and drawings based on the picture. People have wanted to send her money or clothes; some even wanted to marry her. Almost every day since [the] picture was published we have had requests for its use in various ways, or from people wanting to contact her.” For any image to become iconic, it needs to speak directly to the viewer, and to offer a connection both individual and universal. In this regard, the Afghan Girl was always more than just a photograph of a young school girl. It was about the struggle of a nation at war, and the life of its people, and in its depth it symbolized McCurry’s approach to photography as whole."

[Anujit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfold the Determination of a Legend

If you are confused between package and passion, these untold stories of Steve McCurry will help you out to overcome the orgasmic package. One thing that his book taught me is that - to be an acceptable photographer one has to escape his comfort zone.

Its not just a book to collect for your well decorated library. So you like the smell of a flooded street, rusty metal? Or you like to roll in the dust with just a plastic cup, a Swiss Knife, two camera body and a bag full of film? Yea? Then go buy this book to unfold the determination of a legend and hit the road.

See you in the field.

[Rajan Srinivasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. McCurry has a distinct style to his photos, where he engages the human element of the subject of his photos, and gets the viewer to feel their emotions. The background usually has some secondary story to it and is presented in high contrast. In this book, Mr.Mccurry tells the tales behind the photos - How the assignment came to be, how he was prepared and how the photos were visualized and shot. It is a series of very interesting narratives, and I found it hard to put the book down once I started reading. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in photography, photojournalism, cultures and tavelling.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve McCurry is amazing. I have always enjoyed his photos and knew a bit about him prior to reading this book. The stories of his major photo assignments put him in a totally new class for me. His experiences and risks taken during the assignments are breath taking. I can't imagine doing what he did. If you want to understand how photos can impact lives and change the world then this book is a marvelous way to gain some comprehension of what may be involved.

[Nicole Goodrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very interesting learning what Steve McCurry went through to capture some of his shots. His photographic talent is evident in every one of his images; the decisive moments, the composition, the lighting, they all add up to a legendary photographer. Many of his images had me stop and just stare at the pure beauty captured so artistically.

[Manish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book with Steve McCurry's experience with photographs..

U can buy it to know a great photographer's life and what are the things we should or shouldn't do during our photography expedition

For any query mail at manish.ray03@gmail.com / write at https://www.facebook.com/raysclicks

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic photographs, many taken in Afghanistan and India. This volume includes narrative that tells about the setting and experience of the photographer.

[CURTIS NUGENT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give a book 5 stars, but this one deserves it on the strength of McCurry's photos alone. The accompanying text is very thoughtful and gives insight into McCurry's iconic photographs.

[Monique Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photos with great overviews of McCurry's work and process. The book clearly displays how all of McCurry's work has been intertwined over the years.