Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry is an American photojournalist. His name and images are world know. His most famous is arguably that of "Afghan Girl" (image above). His work as a photo journalist is incredible. Amongst his travels he manages to capture such raw and beautiful moments and members from the societies. His images all tell a story and you can feel a sense of depth to the images. These are not just simply point and shoot shots. Being a photo journalist there is not doubt in my mind that he takes his time with the people he is photographing and learns about them and their personal story and then he captures them and tries to convey and portray how the individual is as a person and not just a subject worth photographing. The most powerful shots are those that give a clear line of sight to the eyes. You are staring at the eyes and they are staring right back at you. You are so close to the faces of these individuals and it creates a very personal moment between the viewer and the subject. The only time you are usually that close to someone is if you are intimate with them, so for you to be this close to complete strangers, it sends a very powerful message.