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Steve McCurry :: Biography 1h181n

Reviewed by on Dec 27, 2006
Rating: 1 Star Rating

Steve McCurry famous photojournalist who has worked for National Geographic for over 20 years. Best known for his picture of a young Afghan girl that appeared in the magazine in 1985.

Talk about dead man walking. Steve McCurry's job has taken him all over the world and placed him in danger a ton of times. He's been reported dead in the media twice but he just keeps coming back.

Steve is a world famous photojournalist whose work has taken him far and wide. He's traveled to Afghanistan in 1979. He disguised himself in the local garb and crossed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to capture the war-torn country on film. He had to sew his rolls of film into the hem of his clothes to get them out of the country but it was definitely worth the risk.

In 1980, Steve won the Robert Capa Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad for the Afghanistan pictures that appeared in Time magazine. The award is given to photographers that show exceptional courage and performance.


1Afghan girl who had lost both of her parents in the war when she was just a baby. Her piercing green eyes made the photo one that no one could ever forget.


The picture was named one of the Top 100 National Geographic photos by the magazine. In January of 2002, Steve tracked down the young Afghani girl, who is now about 30, and retook her picture.


Personal Info 5y6s1

  • Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1950.
  • Graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Forensic Identification Specialist
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