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‘I want people to react to photography’

‘Afghan Girl’ photographer Steve McCurry on clicking one of the world’s most recognisable photographs — and why he could never tire of the attention that followed

SNAPPY STATEMENTS: Photographer Steve McCurry at the Seven Princesses exhibition in Dubai earlier this month.- Photo by Shihab/ Khaleej Times

“My name is Steven Atkins McCurry. And my social security number is…”

The world famous photographer trails off, laughing. It was a joke, of course, but perfectly illustrative of the warm, forthcoming manner in which Steve greets everyone — from the restaurant servers to the media — despite the back-to-back interviews and the jet lag from zipping into town for a day, before he was due to fly off to India the following day.

Best known for producing one of the world’s most recognisable photographs — ‘Afghan Girl’ — the National Geographic photographer was in town for the opening of his latest exhibition ‘7 Princesses’, a collaborative project with The Empty Quarter Gallery in DIFC, featuring 20 inspirational Emirati women from across the seven emirates.

Here, he chats with wknd. about the perils of the job, the human condition and the “girl with the beautiful eyes” (you know who he means!).

Your career was launched when you smuggled the first pictures of the Afghanistan conflict in 1979, after sewing the rolls of film into your clothes. Can you tell us about that body of work and being embedded with the Mujahideen?

WORLD ICON: ‘Afghan Girl’ was named as “the most recognised photograph” in the history of the National Geographic magazine and widely used on Amnesty International brochures, posters, and calendars

In those days, the Mujahideen were just a bunch of farmers, shepherds and villagers. They were random guys, banded together to try and repel government forces from destroying their villages, and had everyone’s respect because what they were doing was very honourable.

We were in a war zone… and these guys didn’t really know much about what they were doing. I just happened to meet some refugees in the camp who offered to take me into Afghanistan. It seemed like a good idea at the time — and it ended up being a turning point in my life.

I had to sew the rolls into my clothes because we were in a restricted area… I’d gone into Afghanistan without using my passport; I just walked through the hills… So I was afraid that if I was picked up, they would search me and confiscate everything. I had to hide it so they wouldn’t find it.

Much of your work has been about armed conflicts around the world. Why?

I don’t do [those assignments] so much now, but... [covering armed conflicts] it’s a time in these places’ history where things are in flux. It’s a pivotal period; to witness that is fascinating. It’s important to tell the stories because you want to bring these issues to people’s [attention] and show them what’s happening.

You were a freelance photographer when you first started out. What was the motivation behind taking up such a dangerous mission in Afghanistan?

It’s a calculated risk. You always want to work within a margin of safety… I thought that I could manage it at the time. Plus, as you get into these conflicts, you’re drawn in. It’s a funny thing. Like a moth to a flame, you want to get closer and closer, and see where the action is. As photographers, we want to make a difference. When you have a government bombing innocent people, that story needs to be told. I think that’s the motivation.

Do you think a photo has the power to bring about change?

Sure! We all have to make contributions — however small — and I think photographs can make small differences towards that end. There are a couple of pictures of the Vietnam War, for example, that I think helped to hasten the end of the war. I think ‘Afghan Girl’ was another photo that helped draw attention to Afghan refugees and raised a lot of money for charity.

Are you ever tired of all the attention that photograph has garnered?

I’m proud of the picture… grateful that people respond to it in a wonderful way. To think negatively about any aspect of that would be silly because it’s what we want. We want people to react and respond to our work. So, it would seem silly to be tired of the attention because that’s what we work for.

What do you think made that picture so iconic?

There are millions of beautiful women and girls on the &covers of magazines all the time, but there’s something emotionally compelling and slightly disturbing about that picture. She has this dignity… and a gaze that’s neither smiling nor frowning… she’s just staring straight into the camera… There’s also a dual thing going on: she’s got beautiful eyes, but her shawl’s ripped and she’s clearly poor… I think it was a completely honest moment that would be very rare to try and replicate.

Did you recognise all those qualities when you first saw her?

I think photography is from the heart… You don’t have a lot of time to intellectualise things. You have to work with your instincts and just let your heart dictate. Obviously, I’m exaggerating a bit… but you do have to go with the flow.

After nearly two decades, you found her again — even though several other women had come forward claiming to be her — and identified her as Sharbat Gula. Could you describe the moment you found her?

We were shocked… just thrilled. We couldn’t believe our luck. There was no mistaking her and we were just completely lucky to find her because she could’ve been from anywhere. But fortunately, we met her brother and he had the exact same eyes that she did. She was living near the border so we were able to find her really quickly. I’m still in touch with her every month. She has her children and just lives her life the best that she can, considering the circumstances.

In 30 years of shooting the ‘human condition’, what have you discovered?

First of all, that there’s a shared humanity. Whether you’re in Afghanistan, India or America, the differences of language and culture are all on the surface. Once you get beyond that, it’s pretty much the same. The other thing is that economic prosperity doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happy. I’ve seen kids on the streets in Bombay, laughing and playing, even though they live in slums. Living where they do is not a good thing but I’ve found that sometimes, they are able to be every bit as happy as some rich person somewhere. I learned that life has a lot of paradoxes and contradictions. Things aren’t always what they appear to be.

karen@khaleejtimes.com