He's a master photographer but what is the reason behind his method, anyone know?

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLgd6isBAoM

I think he has something wrong with his hand

Great video as I enjoyed listening to his stories of these iconic photographs.

David

Well, if you look he has excellent support this way for what he's doing.

niXer wrote:
He's a master photographer but what is the reason behind his method, anyone know?

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLgd6isBAoM

I had a chat with him three years back. Basically he has no magic except for his greatness of finding strong visual elements intuitively.

For more reading about McCurry, check out: http://tinyurl.com/7c6ph6l

maybe after all these years he has some arthritis or other issues with his right wrist? when he's shooting horizontal it also looks like a very stable setup regarding camera shake.

He appears to have very limited mobility in his right hand.

The way he holds his hand reminds me of my grandmother who had a stroke. I've no idea but watching him on this video as well as others, he simply doesn't use his right hand except to grip the post beneath his camera. Whatever has happened or is happening, it hasn't diminished his passion for photography. Thanks for the link to that video. It reminds me there are amazing resources available should i wish to take the time to pursue it.

There is nothing wrong with his hands. He just uses a special short monopod-type stick to stabilize his camera, and I believe there is a youtube video in which he talks about that.

At 2:02 of the video it shows him grasping some sort of handle under the camera while using the index finger of the left hand to press the shutter.

Yes, he attaches a handle to the tripod socket at the bottom of his camera holding with his right hand while he uses his left hand for the shutter because he's a lefthander.

Three years ago, I asked him some questions and particularly how he captured the following image. He said he found an interesting location, and he kept going back to that particular location waiting for the perfect moment. He was there in sunset, in sunrise, in rain, in fog, and in complete darkness, in all kinds of lighting conditions.

it may be phs = photographer hand syndrome: a result of being financially well of in a career of photography: the hand sort of curves inward from writing many credit card receipts and checks

Joe

Below is a link and a paragraph from an online article, not much detail, but an explanation of sorts; at least a cause for his right hand issues.

On a personal note, I've watched a few videos of him shooting and I would guess he had some significant nerve damage to his right arm/hand/fingers; partial paralysis, just enough grip to hold the hand grip but not flex his fingers, or move his index finger enough to fire the shutter. I noticed his right wrist/hand/fingers look somewhat like mine, some atrophy, muscle loss...your fingers/tendons get stiff and tight when there's little or no movement in them.

Three decades back I broke my neck, I have a C5 level spinal cord injury and am paralyzed from the shoulders down with near full paralysis of my wrists/hands, total for my fingers; everything below my chest. When watching Steve in video he uses his fingers much like I do, often wedging bars/handles and such in between them to hold an item. Steve may have some grip but I don't see much, just enough to steady/hold the camera; it's held against his body for leverage when not shooting.

I use a wired remote switch placed between my teeth, my fingers are paralyzed but my tongue isn't! We adjust, adapt, some use glasses, diopter adjustments...I can kinda hold the camera, both hands, shoot handheld most often, I don't look too elegant with a wire hanging out my mouth but I can still shoot...even with still fingers

Here's the link and paragraph...never surrender, just shoot it! Seeya round the forum...Jerry

Taking pictures with Steve
Text: Antti Kirves
http://www.photoraw.org/node/83

"He swings the heavy camera nimbly to his eye. The style is original; he broke his right arm as a child and it has not worked properly since. That’s why his own camera has a handle fixed to the tripod mount and he relies on automatic focusing."

StillFingerz wrote:
Below is a link and a paragraph from an online article, not much detail, but an explanation of sorts; at least a cause for his right hand issues.

On a personal note, I've watched a few videos of him shooting and I would guess he had some significant nerve damage to his right arm/hand/fingers; partial paralysis, just enough grip to hold the hand grip but not flex his fingers, or move his index finger enough to fire the shutter. I noticed his right wrist/hand/fingers look somewhat like mine, some atrophy, muscle loss...your fingers/tendons get stiff and tight when there's little or no movement in them.

Three decades back I broke my neck, I have a C5 level spinal cord injury and am paralyzed from the shoulders down with near full paralysis of my wrists/hands, total for my fingers; everything below my chest. When watching Steve in video he uses his fingers much like I do, often wedging bars/handles and such in between them to hold an item. Steve may have some grip but I don't see much, just enough to steady/hold the camera; it's held against his body for leverage when not shooting.

I use a wired remote switch placed between my teeth, my fingers are paralyzed but my tongue isn't! We adjust, adapt, some use glasses, diopter adjustments...I don't look too elegant with a wire hanging out my mouth but I can still shoot...even with still fingers

Here's the link and paragraph...never surrender, just shoot it! Seeya round the forum...Jerry

Taking pictures with Steve
Text: Antti Kirves
http://www.photoraw.org/node/83

"He swings the heavy camera nimbly to his eye. The style is original; he broke his right arm as a child and it has not worked properly since. That’s why his own camera has a handle fixed to the tripod mount and he relies on automatic focusing."

Thanks! Mystery Solved!

StillFingerz wrote:
Below is a link and a paragraph from an online article, not much detail, but an explanation of sorts; at least a cause for his right hand issues.

On a personal note, I've watched a few videos of him shooting and I would guess he had some significant nerve damage to his right arm/hand/fingers; partial paralysis, just enough grip to hold the hand grip but not flex his fingers, or move his index finger enough to fire the shutter. I noticed his right wrist/hand/fingers look somewhat like mine, some atrophy, muscle loss...your fingers/tendons get stiff and tight when there's little or no movement in them.

Three decades back I broke my neck, I have a C5 level spinal cord injury and am paralyzed from the shoulders down with near full paralysis of my wrists/hands, total for my fingers; everything below my chest. When watching Steve in video he uses his fingers much like I do, often wedging bars/handles and such in between them to hold an item. Steve may have some grip but I don't see much, just enough to steady/hold the camera; it's held against his body for leverage when not shooting.

I use a wired remote switch placed between my teeth, my fingers are paralyzed but my tongue isn't! We adjust, adapt, some use glasses, diopter adjustments...I can kinda hold the camera, both hands, shoot handheld most often, I don't look too elegant with a wire hanging out my mouth but I can still shoot...even with still fingers

Here's the link and paragraph...never surrender, just shoot it! Seeya round the forum...Jerry

Taking pictures with Steve
Text: Antti Kirves
http://www.photoraw.org/node/83

"He swings the heavy camera nimbly to his eye. The style is original; he broke his right arm as a child and it has not worked properly since. That’s why his own camera has a handle fixed to the tripod mount and he relies on automatic focusing."

Thanks Jerry. And hats off to you for not allowing your own physical challenges to keep you from engaging with life. I love your mantra - "Never surrender to life, just shoot it!" Life is too precious for us not to embrace what we have. I love the phrase "meeting life on life's terms" that comes out of the 12 Step tradition. It is a waste of time to try to make life conform to our preferences... or as the Chinese proverb says "it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness."

Happy shooting Jerry.

I'd say we who dedicate/spend time seeing through a viewfinder are quite privileged to do so...the saying quoted below sums it up pretty well for me...

"In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away."
-- shing xiong

As for my disability, these paralyzed bits of me are but a part of me but not the definition of me, that will be defined in my journey via choice and there is still much to see, feel, learn...breathe in...love!

12 steps..one hand clapping.
Happy shooting indeed...thank you and right back at you Curtis

Thanks Jerry... I posted a comment on your blog...

I met Steve while we were in Korea--he had a big exhibition going on in Seoul a couple of years ago. The Korean entourage around him chided me for asking a question, but he had enough tact to keep things cool and answer my question.

My question was pretty simple, and I'm sure one that's been asked a gazillion times. "Steve, what's your favorite picture." Without thinking too much about it he blurted out "All of them. Every picture has its season." I think he's on to something there--because that mentality keeps things fresh.

And yes he did have a huge camera with him. A D3.

He's also fairly short--being short means you don't get noticed as much as other people. I should know I'm not much taller than him.