Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry has been one of the most influential and iconic contemporary photographers for nearly three decades now. McCurry is the recipient of numerous awards, including Magazine Photographer of the Year, awarded by the National Press Photographers Association; the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal; and two first-place prizes in the World Press Photo contest. McCurry focused on the human consequences of war, intending to not only show what war impresses on the landscape, but rather, on the human face. He often traveled into enemy territory, and third world countries showing what life is like for less fortunate people.

He is best known for his 1984 photograph "Afghan Girl" (pictured below), which originally appeared in National Geographic magazine.

This piece, "Red boy", is also very famous, for it shows a child in a tough part of the world covered in red dust for some reason.

His photos often have all of the background out of focus; this draws all of your attention to the subject. He says that he tries to make every photo he takes stand out on its own. That each photograph tells its own story.