The 5 Books that influenced Steve McCurry
You are here because you are a fan of Steve’s work and you are probably inspired by his books. But here, you will discover the 5 books that influenced Steve McCurry to become one of the best photographers of all times.
Steve recently revealed which are the books that influenced him the most and helped shape his career.
5 Books that influenced Steve McCurry
The Decisive Moment – Henri Cartier Bresson
The Decisive Moment contains what is probably Cartier-Bresson’s most comprehensive and important statement on the meaning, technique, and utility of photography. The title refers to a central idea in his work—the decisive moment—the elusive instant when, with brilliant clarity, the appearance of the subject reveals in its essence the significance of the event of which it is a part, the most telling organization of forms” (Britannica).
“Probably the most influential book in my career was Cartier Bresson’s – The decisive moment” – Steve McCurry (Masters of Photography)
For Steve was a great pleasure to bring his own work to Henri Cartier Bresson for a review and critique. He says that the trip was always frightening because the master wasn’t gonna mince words if he didn’t like the work.
Henri Cartier Bresson’s advice to Steve McCurry was – Do your commercial work in color, but do your personal pictures in black and white.
“I never followed that advice, maybe that was a big mistake” – Steve McCurry
Photographs and Anti-Photographs – Elliott Erwitt
One of Steve’s favorite books that influenced him as a young photographer is by Elliott Erwitt.
“Each picture was just magical, each picture told incredible stories, often with great sense of humor” – Steve McCurry for Photographs & Anti-Photographs by Erwitt.
Steve and Elliott knew each other trough Magnum Photos and traveled together in Australia on a book tour.
MINAMATA – Eugene Smith
The Magnum photographer made his last photo essay about industrial mercury poisoning in the Japanese city of Minamata, helping to bring justice and visibility to the victims.
The photo-essay and subsequent book, Minamata: A Warning to the World, was a collaboration between Smith and his then wife Aileen M. Smith, whose photographs are also featured here.
Another influential book that Steve looked at earlier in his career is Minamata by Eugene Smith in which he documents water pollution by a company in Japan and how the contamination has created birth defects.
One of Steve’s all time favorite photographs is by Eugene Smith – The Tomoko Uemura in her Bath. Many commentators regard Tomoko as Smith’s greatest work.
At the wishes of Tomoko Uemura’s family, the photograph was withdrawn from further publication in 1997, 20 years after Tomoko’s death.
The Americans – Robert Frank
In the amazing book by Robert Frank – The Americans, you will find one of Steve McCurry’s all time favorite photographs – The Elevator operator.
In the Masters of Photography, Steve passionately analyses the woman in the photograph – “There’s this pretty young woman, who’s opening the elevator door, she is an elevator operator and has this, kinda lost, melancholy, lonely, kinda despair… its a very kinda sad picture, in a way. But yeah, it’s full of emotion, full of life and full of truth.“
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Paris by Night – Brassai
The images that influenced Steve McCurry the most are the ones taken on the streets, pictures of ordinary life of ordinary people and ordinary things, pictures that were telling stories, showing emotions.
