McCurry shares photos, travels

Sometimes it's not about the policies or the politics, but about people.

During times of war, the little attributes that make us all human are often forgotten. The mischievous smiles of a group of girls stealing away for a dance in the deserts of Rajasthan, the delighted surprise of a little boy in finding a stray dog he can call his own in a back alley in Burma, or the green-eyed ferocity of a proud Afghani girl not knowing how to pose, or where to look -- having never had her picture taken.

This is the power of photography that Steve McCurry wields. Captivating an audience of over 100 Johns Hopkins students and community members, the world-renowned photojournalist weaved through a delicate slide collection of some of his most coveted work, sweeping audience members into the crowded streets of India, around the smoky hills of the Philippines and through the blue-brown mud walls that are home to a family in a remote village in Thailand.

"The [photographs] were each so vivid and full of emotion, that I felt like I had fallen right in," freshman Kyra Halperin said.

The presentation, which lasted well over an hour, with members of the audience shouting out questions throughout, was livened by McCurry's quirky anecdotes -- proving that a picture really is worth a thousand words.

"What strikes me most is the similarities I have found in people," said McCurry, who is planning another trip to Rajasthan, India in two weeks. "I see the same expressions everywhere, and it makes me really feel like despite all of our differences, we are all connected -- all feel, all smile and laugh and cry.

"The things I have seen, experience, are complicated and sometimes it just rips your heart out, but my goal is to show the stories, to be a voice to those silent pleas go unheard."

He talked about his many travels and people like Sharbat Gula, whose whose green eyes and tattered red shawl are haunting symbols of a war-torn country.

Most famous for the portrait of this 12-year-old girl who graced the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985, McCurry had no idea the impact it would create.

"It has never stopped," he said. "We still get letters, e-mails, inquiries every day asking about Sharbat ... people wanting to adopt her, to marry her."

Sharbat, "found" again, as the headlines screamed last spring, is now a mother of three whose dream of religious pilgrimage was fulfilled by National Geographic with an all-expense paid trip to Mecca.

"She requested that her husband and brother come too, and in the end it turned out to be an entourage of her and her seven best friends," McCurry said jokingly.

Gasps of disbelief, of awe, and of caught chokes filled the Shriver auditorium Tuesday night as each click brought in a new world, or at least a new angle. The lecture was sponsored by the Foreign Affairs Symposium (FAS), and a customized exhibit of 18 photographs, hand-picked by McCurry, is also on display in the Shriver lobby.

A project pushed by FAS programming director Erica Weiss, the corresponding exhibit provides a unique interactive visual component for this year's symposium.

"[Weiss] brought a new element to our staff," said Suman Sureshbabu, one of the executive directors of the 2002-2003 spring series. "A blossoming photographer herself, she really made us realize that a citizen's perspective would tie in ideally with our theme and we were intrigued by the idea."

"All of this is a culmination of Erica and our entire staff's efforts -- and we are proud of the turnout, and the eager interaction on the part of our audience members," added fellow Executive Director Nikita Japra.

Many stayed after the lecture to leaf through the assorted items for sale, some purchasing a book or postcard set signed by McCurry. Art students from Washington, D.C. and aspiring photojournalists in their first year came to see McCurry, seeking "inspiration".

"These images make me feel like seeing and appreciating the world --it makes you realize the diversity out there," said freshman Abby Gibbon, who waited patiently in line to have McCurry sign her book. The prices ranged from $12.95 for a set of postcard images of some of McCurry's most popular portraits to an oversized horizontal picture book that was priced at $59.95.

A poster of Sharbat was also among the treasures, the $25 price tag going toward a fund set up by McCurry for girls' education in Kabul. The fund has already raised $700,000.

Bob Barnett, a representative with Phaidon Press Inc. who handled all the sales, estimated that somewhere between 50 to 75 books and 10 to 15 posters were sold.

"Frankly, I'm amazed," said Barnett. "I wasn't expecting this much at all. When I was in college we spent all our money on pizza and movies; it's really encouraging to see college students here today buying books.