"As you wander around, there are certain things you see which illuminate something that you think is extraordinary, something that you want to remember, something you want to share, something that makes some kind of a comment about the human condition or about the world... You have to be completely open and sometimes not thinking too deeply." - Steve McCurry
It was after several months of travel that he crossed the border into Pakistan. In a small village, he met a group of refugees from Afghanistan, who smuggled him across the border into their country, just as the Russian invasion was closing the country to Western journalists. Emerging in traditional dress, with a full beard and weather-worn features after months embedded with the Mujahideen, McCurry made his way over the Pakistan border with his film sewn into his clothes.
McCurry's images were among the first to show the world the brutality of the Russian invasion. Since then, McCurry has gone on to create unforgettable images all over seven continents and numerous countries. His body of work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions, and contemporary culture alike - yet always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the Afghan Girl such a powerful image.
McCurry has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four firts prize awards from the World Press Photo contest. Most recently, the Royal Photographic Society in London awarded McCurry the Centenary Model for Lifetime Achievement and in 2019, McCurry was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame.
Steve McCurry founded ImagineAsia in 2004. The mission of IA, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is to work in partnership with local community leaders and regional NGO's to help provide educational resources and opportunities to children and young adults in Afghanistan.