Steve McCurry's Photographs Of His Travels Will Give You The Chills

"My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport."
Mother and child at a car window, Mumbai, Maharashtra; 1993.
Steve McCurry
Mother and child at a car window, Mumbai, Maharashtra; 1993.

"Most of my photos are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person's face." -- Steve McCurry

Photographer Steve McCurry has been traveling the globe for decades, capturing images of war, trauma, desperation, hope and joy. Known for his iconic photograph Sharbat Gula (1984), also referred to as Afghan Girl, McCurry has photographed major political events and conflicts in countries including Burma, Yemen, Afghanistan and Cambodia.

Yet it was his first trip to India and its neighboring countries in the late 1970s that provided inspiration and subject matter that catapulted his career, according to Lia Zaaloff, co-curator of Steve McCurry: India, an exhibit at New York City's Rubin Museum of Art.

Through April 4, 2016, visitors will have the opportunity to view images from the photographer's travels in a museum for the very first time. Many of the 37 photographs on display are considered iconic, and some have never been seen by the public.

Steam engine passes in front of the Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh; 1983.
Steve McCurry
Steam engine passes in front of the Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh; 1983.

A master at working with light, color and connecting with his subjects, McCurry has described India as one of the most important places to which he's traveled in the past 30 years.

"I have visited India over 80 times but in some ways I feel I've barely scratched the surface," McCurry told The Huffington Post. "It was the first country that I traveled to as a young photographer, and I found it so unique with its varied cultures and customs and regions. "

His images of India and its surrounding countries have helped shape the fields of photography and photojournalism, showcasing the complexity of everyday life. Scroll down to see a selection of the images on display below.

Steve McCurry
Sikh devotee prays at the Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab; 1996
Steve McCurry
Woman and child on the Howrah Mail train en-route to Kolkata, West Bengal; 1982
Steve McCurry
Young Rinpoche, Bylakuppe, Karnataka; 2001
Steve McCurry
Boy in mid-flight, Jodhpur, Rajasthan; 2007
Steve McCurry
Women in stepwell, Rajasthan Steve McCurry; 2002
Steve McCurry
Young girl runs past movie poster, Mumbai, Maharashtra; 1993
Steve McCurry
Hindu devotee carries statue of Lord Ganesh into the waters of the Arabian Sea during the immersion ritual off Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Steve McCurry
Father and daughter on Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir; 1996
Steve McCurry
Man practices acupressure while walking on gravel, Jaipur, Rajasthan; 2009
Steve McCurry
Portrait of engineer Maqbool Andrabi, Srinagar, Kashmir; 1999
Steve McCurry
Rabari tribal elder, Rajasthan; 2010
Steve McCurry
Dust storm, Rajasthan Steve McCurry; 1983
Steve McCurry
Tailor carries his sewing machine through monsoon waters, Porbandar, Gujarat; 1983

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