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Larry Burrows

I know that Burrows had a son who is a photographer, and that more than seventy photographers were killed in Vietnam.
 
Preceding Steve McCurry's afghan girl, he shot similar pictures of 2 Pakistani survivors of a cyclone - same impact, different emotional motif. He did mostly B&W, but these were in color.
 
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Afghan Girl is/was rarely represented honestly...her blue eyes were typical of a minority of her people and Nat Geo has only reluctantly admitted that.
 
jtk said:
Afghan Girl is/was rarely represented honestly...her blue eyes were typical of a minority of her people and Nat Geo has only reluctantly admitted that.
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What do you mean? Did McCurry change the photo colors or what? She was Afghan wasn't she?
 
McCurry isn;'t at fault..Nat Geo is at fault. Her blue eyes are typical of a sub-group of Afghans.

The photo was ultra-popular only because of her blue eyes and was marketed on that basis....
 
jtk said:
The photo was ultra-popular only because of her blue eyes and was marketed on that basis....
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The eyes are critical, but the photo offers more than that:
 
MattKing said:
The eyes are critical, but the photo offers more than that:
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It's a fine photo but wasn't even as significant as the other Burrows photos, not to mention the many other fine photographers in Afghanistan, including Afghan photographers.
 
jtk said:
It's a fine photo but wasn't even as significant as the other Burrows photos, not to mention the many other fine photographers in Afghanistan, including Afghan photographers.
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But her eyes are so intriguing, piercing, mysterious and beautiful, you're naturally drawn to them, the article, and want to buy the magazine. That's what makes the photo so good. Of course, NatGeo picked it. So would I. Who wouldn't? Why would you discount this photo for their cover? Some people might just buy the magazine to rip the cover off and frame it on their wall. Isn't that what photos are supposed to do to us? Stir our souls? I only wish I could capture a picture like that someday.
 
I visited a big exhibit of McCurry prints never having seen the Nat Geo cover. Excellent B&W and color reportage was nearly totally ignored by the crowd that clustered around that single "girl" photo. Some were thrilled that she appeared to be, um, white.

I'm sure we're all happy that Nat Geo has made a boatload (per their own report) with "girl" posters and nicknacks. Not unlike AAs coffee cans and various artifacts

My point is that McCurrys reportage seems more worthwhile than the decor. Can't blame the photographer for his fanboys.
 
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