This is quite a set of portraits, but perhaps too much of the exotic and too little of the mundane. It is hard to know why the subjects agreed to pose, and without that much is lost. ( )

Steve McCurry is one of my photography idols. I love this book and it holds a very special place on my shelf. ( )

Title: Portraits: Steve McCurry

Hardcover: 512 pages

Price $16.99

Type of Book: Photography

General Subject Matter: Portraits

Publisher: Phaidon Press (June 17, 1999)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 071483839X

“In Portraits I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out., experience etched on a person’s face…When I find the right person or subject, I may go back once or twice, or a half dozen times, always waiting for that right moment.” – Steve McCurry (1999)

When I first saw this book it was in a local bookstore, and I was immediately drawn to the picture on the cover. I remember the image “Afghan Girl” on the cover of National Geographic approximately 29 years ago. Sharbat Gula (the subject) is an Afghan woman who was living as a refugee -at the time- in Pakistan; during the occupation of Afghanistan, when she was photographed.
The lucidity and uncertainty of her expression, seems to project through the emotions surrounding her eyes which can make you wonder about the story she wants to instinctively tell.

I opened the book and noticed that the book is arranged primarily as a visual arrangement of images. Chapters and dialogue are not included within the book, and I believe not necessary. The artist takes you on a journey (in silence) as each page introduces you to a new face and stirs pure emotion. The photos lack commentary and are printed to the edge of the page. And on the right hand side in small font opposite each photo is the city, country, and year the photo was taken. This establishes the structure, flow, and visual readability of the book.

May of the images have a lasting impact, but I wanted to mention one that immediately caught my attention. It is the first image on page 3 Lhasa, Tibet, 2000. Here he shows the vibrancy of warm tones, which echo the undertones of the pigment of the skin in the subject. There is so much character and experience projected in the subject. He’s achieved affective balance through line and space and rhythm. Ovals, rectangles, and eloquent use of chiaroscuro bring intimacy and a closeness of familiarity one can immediately experience. I enjoy the sense that the formal elemental tensions do not get lost in the work. This type of intimacy is a central theme throughout the book. (you will find this will all of the images presented.)

This book is one I truly enjoyed. I thought about how this would have been nice to see in an exhibition, viewing the images from room to room. Ironically, this book gives a similar impact to an artists “show”. Each image draws you in as you meditate over what the subject, and artist are communicating to the viewer.

McCurry is an iconic voice in contemporary photography, and Portraits is one of many examples of how this came to be. ( )