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Artists
Steve McCurry

Christopher Michel

Steve McCurry

Photographer
American·b. 1950·Website ↗
Known for:
color documentary photography for National Geographic
Education:
Penn State University (BA, Theater Arts, 1974)

Steve McCurry spent more than twenty years as a contract photographer for National Geographic, producing some of the magazine's most widely circulated images. His 1984 photograph of a young Afghan refugee - identified decades later as Sharbat Gula - appeared on the June 1985 cover of National Geographic and became one of the most reproduced magazine covers in history. He was among the last photographers to shoot on Kodachrome before Kodak discontinued the film in 2010.

Steve McCurry's Gear List(6)

Kodak Kodachrome 64
Kodak Kodachrome 64

Kodak

Connection Source
PetaPixelWebsite
↗

Connection note

McCurry was among the last photographers to shoot on Kodachrome before Kodak discontinued it in 2010; he documented the final roll.

Product description

Kodachrome 64 is a color reversal (slide) film discontinued by Kodak in 2010 after more than seven decades of production. Its dye-based structure produced colors with exceptional stability and saturation, and it was the predominant film in professional color photography for much of the postwar period.

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Find on Adorama ↗
Nikon FM2

Nikon

Connection Source
WikipediaWebsite
↗

Connection note

Camera used for the "Afghan Girl" photograph at Nasir Bagh refugee camp, 1984

Product description

A fully mechanical 35mm film SLR built around a titanium honeycomb shutter capable of 1/4000s. Requires no batteries to shoot (only for the light meter), making it a favorite of photojournalists and students who want a camera that works in any conditions.

Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 AI-S

Nikon

Connection Source
WikipediaWebsite
↗

Connection note

Lens used for the "Afghan Girl" photograph

Product description

A manual-focus portrait lens produced from 1959 through 2005 across five revisions. It delivers a rendering that digital-era lenses rarely match: creamy bokeh, warm contrast, and a compact build. Steve McCurry used it to photograph the iconic "Afghan Girl" for National Geographic.

Leica SL2

Leica

Connection Source
AboutphotographyInterview
↗

Connection note

"The best camera I've ever used" — used for travel work in China and Italy

Product description

A 47.3-megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera with L-mount, Maestro III processor, 5-axis in-body stabilization, and 5K video recording at 30fps. Features a high-resolution 5.76m-dot OLED EVF and 225-point autofocus with object detection.

Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4

Leica

Connection Source
AboutphotographyInterview
↗

Connection note

Main lens on the SL2/SL3 system

Product description

A full-frame L-mount standard zoom with 18 elements in 15 groups, including four aspherical surfaces. Launched alongside the original SL (Typ 601) in 2015, it covers 24-90mm at f/2.8-4 with optical image stabilization rated to 3.5 stops. The lens uses a stepping motor for near-silent autofocus, focuses as close as 0.3 meters at the wide end, and is weather-sealed.

Find on Adorama ↗
Nikon D810

Nikon

Connection Source
AboutphotographyInterview
↗

Connection note

Called it "the best camera he has ever owned"; used for editorial and travel work

Product description

A 36.3-megapixel full-frame DSLR that eliminated the optical low-pass filter for maximum resolving power, making it a benchmark for landscape, studio, and fine-art photography. Its wide dynamic range and native ISO 64 earned it a reputation as one of Nikon's best sensors of the DSLR era.

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