This document discusses portrait photographer Steve McCurry and two of his photos. It provides background on McCurry's style of photographing people in their natural environments without posing or editing. It then analyzes two of his photos - one of a young boy holding a gun to his head in Peru, raising questions about his environment and circumstances, and another of an Afghani girl with a shocked facial expression, representing the poverty of her situation. The document explores the purposes and meanings behind McCurry's photos and how they provide windows into the lives of others around the world.

1. Caleb Knowles
A01 – Understanding Photographs - Portrait
The photographic category that I am going to be investigating is that of the
Portrait genre. Portrait photography involves the photographic study of living
creatures, most commonly human beings. Portrait photography covers a wide
range of different events or styles of life as we know it, as it can cover topics such
as happiness, peace of mind, and war.
Portrait photographers such as Steve McCurry focus on the living conditions, or
the effects of war on different people around the world. A lot of McCurry’s work
is focused in LEDC’s (Less Economically Developed Countries) such as India,
Afghanistan, Yemen, Tibet, Ethiopia and many more.
Not all of his work is based on war and LEDC’s however, as some are set in
MEDC’s (More Economically Developed Countries) such as England, America,
and France.
Unlike some photographers that travel around the world asking different people
to pose for a photo, McCurry only takes photos of people within their natural
environment. This means he does not ask for poses for the camera, he just takes
photographs as the way things are. In addition, he does not use any editing
whatsoever, as if he wants people to see the reality of things in the world we live
in without someone enhancing or coloring in a photograph.
This is one of the many
photos taken by Steve
McCurry and it was taken
from Yanesha, Peru. The
picture itself is that of a
mystery as it raises different
questions just by looking at
it; Why is the child holding a
gun to his head?, Is he being
forced to do so?, What kind of
environment does he live in
to force him to do this?
Seeing as how Steve McCurry
doesn’t ask for poses, he just
takes photos as he sees them,
this can have an effect on the
viewer as it can open their eyes to what can happen in the world we live in, and
possibly what human beings are capable of doing to themselves or others. In this
case, the thought of a child aged around 5-8 years old taking their own life can
shock a lot of people enough to donate to charities to help children in need of
saving.
Maybe that is one of the meanings and purposes of this photo, or maybe McCurry
wanted to show how life can be for others who are less fortunate than us. Either
way, the true purpose of this photo is up for debate, unless McCurry himself
actually says what the purpose or meaning of this photo is or was.

2. Caleb Knowles
This is another portrait photograph
that was taken by Steve McCurry from
Afghanistan. The photo itself is not
really obvious in its purpose or
meaning, but by looking at the girl’s
face, you get the impression that she is
shocked or scared. This can be told by
the way her eyes have completely
widened up, which is a hint of fear or
surprise. However, although her eyes
are open wide, the rest of her face is
emotionless and bleak so we are not
quite sure what to make of her.
By looking at the clothes she is
wearing, you get the impression that
is from a somewhat poor area, as her
clothes are dirty and ripped. The
clothes represent the main colors
within this photo as the red stands out
the most from everything else. There
are hints of green within tis photo as
well, the main portion of it being in
the background behind her.
Green is also showed under the ripped patch of cloth on her clothes, and within
her eyes, which are really the main focus of this photo as they make us wonder
what she is thinking. Is she scared? Or Surprised? We can only assume for the
time being what the real meaning behind this photo is, why her facial expression
is so bleak, yet her eyes are so alive.