The biggest and most comprehensive volume on Steve McCurry published to date and the final word on forty years of McCurry’s incredible work. Written and compiled by Bonnie McCurry, Steve’s sister and President of the McCurry Foundation, Steve McCurry: A Life in Pictures is the ultimate book of McCurry’s images and his approach to photography.

The book brings together all of McCurry’s key adventures and influences, from his very first journalistic images taken in the aftermath of the 1977 Johnstown floods, to his breakthrough journey into Afghanistan hidden among the mujahideen, his many travels across India and Pakistan, his coverage of the destruction of the 1991 Gulf War and the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, up to his most-recent work. Totalling over 350 images, the selection of photographs includes his best-known shots as well as over 100 previously unpublished images. Also included are personal notes, telegrams and visual ephemera from his travels and assignments, all accompanied by Bonnie McCurry’s authoritative text – drawn from her unique relationship with Steve – as well as reflections from many of Steve’s friends and colleagues.

Steve McCurry: A Life in Pictures is the complete, definitive volume on McCurry.

About the authors:

In an incredibly successful career spanning over 40 years Steve McCurry has created some of the most evocative and best-known images in photography. He has been awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal, the National Press Photographers Award, and four first prize recognitions at the World Press Photo Contest.

Bonnie McCurry is Steve McCurry’s sister and is president of Steve McCurry Studios and director of ImagineAsia, a non-profit organization primarily working in Afghanistan. During her trips to Afghanistan she has taught English to high school girls, supported numerous educational initiatives, and founded the Young Women’s Photographic Initiative.

American photographer Steve McCurry (b.1950) is universally recognized as one of today’s finest image-makers and has won many of photography’s top awards. This monograph brings together the most memorable and beautiful of his images, taken around the world over the last 30 years. McCurry's ability to cross boundaries of language and culture to capture fleeting moments of human experience is unique. With his discerning eye for form and colour, shape and symmetry, he offers us windows into other worlds.

Seen at the large scale of this new book, McCurry's images are particularly powerful: reproduced at slightly larger than life-size, his portraits have an extraordinary immediacy and impact, while even the smallest details of his spectacular landscapes are clearly visible on the page.

Portraits of children, pilgrims and farmers are presented alongside views of ancient temples, busy city streets, dramatic mountain landscapes and quiet scenes of daily life – people are seen fishing, playing, working and praying.

The images are presented in an uninterrupted sequence for maximum impact, and all the photographs are shown at either full-page size or as double-page spreads.

The back of the book contains extended picture captions accompanied by colour thumbnail images for quick identification.

About the Photographer:

Steve McCurry (b.1950) launched his career as a photojournalist when disguised in native garb, he crossed the Pakistan border into Afghanistan over twenty years ago. His remarkable coverage won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal, which is awarded to photographers who exhibit exceptional courage and enterprise. Famous also for his work in Southeast Asia, McCurry’s photographs are beautiful, uplifting and affecting. McCurry is a regular contributor to many international journals including National Geographic magazine. He is a member of Magnum Photos.

Steve McCurry’s iconic images have made him one of the world’s most popular photographers

Steve McCurry Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs takes an unprecedented look at the work of Steve McCurry, one of today’s finest and most daring imagemakers. This is the first book to fully explore how the world-renowned photographer finds, takes and develops his uniquely iconic photographs. Presenting a personal archive of material, Steve McCurry Untold features the very best of McCurry’s most beautiful and powerful photo stories, taken from around the world over the last thirty years. Each story is illustrated with never-before-seen notes, images and ephemera – saved by McCurry from his extensive travels – and over 100 lavish, full-colour photo plates of McCurry’s most significant work. Brought to life by newly commissioned essays, the stories offer a critical narrative and give new insight and ideas into the background, experience and ideas behind McCurry’s unparalleled photography. Together, these fascinating documents reveal a new and exciting view of the story behind the story.

Tracing the narrative behind 14 of McCurry’s most important assignments, each story provides a behind-the-scenes look at McCurry’s adventures, from first publication to their afterlife in the world, creating a documentary record of his remarkable career. The featured work covers his entire oeuvre and focuses on a broad range of themes, such as rail travel in India (1983), the plight of the Tibetan people (2000–6), the effects of the Monsoon (1984) and the events of September 11th (2001), alongside his lesser-known bodies of work on the Hazara Tribe in Afghanistan (2007), Yemen (1999), and the environmental fallout from the Gulf War in Kuwait (1991). Richly illustrated and explained, this book provides an inside perspective on Steve McCurry, creating a living biography and archive of one of photography’s greatest legends.

About the Photographer:

Steve McCurry (b.1950) launched his career as a photojournalist when, disguised in native garb, he crossed the Pakistan border into Afghanistan thirty years ago. His remarkable coverage won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal, which is awarded to photographers who exhibit exceptional courage and enterprise. A recipient of an unprecedented four World Press Photo first prizes in a single year, many of McCurry's images have since become modern icons. Famous for his work across Southeast Asia, McCurry’s photographs are beautiful, uplifting and affecting. McCurry is a regular contributor to many international journals including National Geographic magazine. He is a member of Magnum Photos.

Animal Magnetism. Steve McCurry turns his lens on creatures around the world

From an elephant lovingly resting on his master’s shoulder to a dog led through the rubbles of Kabul on the back of a bicycle; these images by Steve McCurry tell a thousand stories, each a touching tribute to the creatures who share our planet. The legendary photographer presents his favourite shots of animals in this kaleidoscopic collection ranging from Asia to South America, the United States to Europe.

In Animals, we discover a different side to the famed photographer who skillfully explores animals’ complex relationship with humans and the environment.

Tenderness abounds, particularly in scenes of unkempt street dogs sleeping contentedly next to a human. But there’s also a kind of essential solitude, with animals belonging to no one and simply wandering through life with only their survival instincts to guide them. We witness camels caught in the crossfire during the first Gulf War; a shepherd from Northern Pakistan tenderly feeding his goats; Beverly Hills designer dogs; race horses on a Hong Kong rooftop; elephants in Thailand, and more images selected by McCurry from his vast archives.

Through McCurry’s lens, we discover an appreciation for each creature’s beauty and silent dignity. This kaleidoscopic collection is at once a beautiful travelogue and a touching tribute to the creatures who share our planet.

The photographer:

Steve McCurry was born in Philadelphia, PA, and has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than forty years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name. After numerous travels throughout India, the Middle East and Afghanistan, he founded ImagineAsia in 2004, with the mission to help provide educational resources and opportunities to children and young adults in Afghanistan.

The editor:

Reuel Golden is the former editor of the British Journal of Photography. His TASCHEN titles include Capitol Records, Mick Rock: The Rise of David Bowie, both London and New York Portrait of a City books, Andy Warhol. Polaroids, The Rolling Stones, Her Majesty, Football in the 1970s, the National Geographic editions, and The David Bailey SUMO.

Steve McCurry’s iconic images have made him one of the world’s most popular photographers

Steve McCurry Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs takes an unprecedented look at the work of Steve McCurry, one of today’s finest and most daring imagemakers. This is the first book to fully explore how the world-renowned photographer finds, takes and develops his uniquely iconic photographs. Presenting a personal archive of material, Steve McCurry Untold features the very best of McCurry’s most beautiful and powerful photo stories, taken from around the world over the last thirty years. Each story is illustrated with never-before-seen notes, images and ephemera – saved by McCurry from his extensive travels – and over 100 lavish, full-colour photo plates of McCurry’s most significant work. Brought to life by newly commissioned essays, the stories offer a critical narrative and give new insight and ideas into the background, experience and ideas behind McCurry’s unparalleled photography. Together, these fascinating documents reveal a new and exciting view of the story behind the story.

Tracing the narrative behind 14 of McCurry’s most important assignments, each story provides a behind-the-scenes look at McCurry’s adventures, from first publication to their afterlife in the world, creating a documentary record of his remarkable career. The featured work covers his entire oeuvre and focuses on a broad range of themes, such as rail travel in India (1983), the plight of the Tibetan people (2000–6), the effects of the Monsoon (1984) and the events of September 11th (2001), alongside his lesser-known bodies of work on the Hazara Tribe in Afghanistan (2007), Yemen (1999), and the environmental fallout from the Gulf War in Kuwait (1991). Richly illustrated and explained, this book provides an inside perspective on Steve McCurry, creating a living biography and archive of one of photography’s greatest legends.

About the Photographer:

Steve McCurry (b.1950) launched his career as a photojournalist when, disguised in native garb, he crossed the Pakistan border into Afghanistan thirty years ago. His remarkable coverage won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal, which is awarded to photographers who exhibit exceptional courage and enterprise. A recipient of an unprecedented four World Press Photo first prizes in a single year, many of McCurry's images have since become modern icons. Famous for his work across Southeast Asia, McCurry’s photographs are beautiful, uplifting and affecting. McCurry is a regular contributor to many international journals including National Geographic magazine. He is a member of Magnum Photos.

This portfolio contains a selection of the best and most poignant portraits by Steve McCurry, known and loved the world over for his beautiful and enduring images of the landscapes and cultures of South and Southeast Asia. The collection includes some iconic as well as previously unknown portraits of children, monks, pilgrims and travellers that McCurry has encountered on his journeys throughout Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan and Tibet.

National Press Photographers Association and the Missouri School of Journalism 'Pictures of the Year Competition' Awarded 1st Place in the Best Use of Photography, books category.

About the Author:

Steve McCurry (b.1950) launched his career as a photojournalist when, disguised in native garb, he crossed the Pakistan border into Afghanistan before the Russian invasion. His coverage won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal, which is awarded to photographers exhibiting exceptional courage and enterprise. Famous also for his work in Southeast Asia, his photographs are beautiful, uplifting and powerful. McCurry has worked for National Geographic magazine for many years and is a member of the prestigious Magnum agency. Exhibitions of his work have been held all over the world and his previous books include The Imperial Way (1985), Monsoon (1988) and Portraits (Phaidon, 1999).