Daring to Define the Human Experience

Photojournalists don’t have an easy job. Tasked with capturing moments of human experience, from the banal to the extraordinary, assignments can take them into some of the most dangerous places in the world. Steve McCurry is widely regarded as one of the standout stars of the discipline and has a career defined by discovering the photographs that need to be taken.

Sharing Untold Stories with the World

Perhaps inspired by his travels around the world prior to attending university, McCurry booked a one-way ticket to India on graduating. Traveling light, he carried clothes and enough film to keep him going on this new freelance path. The following months would be formative, as he followed a lead that would create some career-defining images.

After crossing the border from India into Pakistan, McCurry met a group of Afghan refugees, who told him about the civil war going on in their home country. Disguised in traditional clothing, he was smuggled across the border by some brave refugees and then went undercover, secretly traveling the country to capture moments of life in this extraordinary situation. After escaping with rolls of film sewn into his clothing, McCurry’s photography was published in TIME magazine and other publications, informing the world of what was going on.

Steve McCurry

McCurry has gone on to seek out pivotal moments in Beirut, Tibet, the Philippines, Cambodia, and the Gulf War.

Connections that Transcend Pixels

Since then, McCurry has gone on to seek out pivotal moments in Beirut, Tibet, the Philippines, Cambodia, and the Gulf War. But the objective is never to sensationalize these events and their impact on cities and environments, or turn people’s lives into clickbait, instead to reveal the true impact on individuals. The right image can turn an abstract concept into something that provokes empathy and understanding in an entirely new way.

Connections that Transcend Pixels

Since then, McCurry has gone on to seek out pivotal moments in Beirut, Tibet, the Philippines, Cambodia, and the Gulf War. But the objective is never to sensationalize these events and their impact on cities and environments, or turn people’s lives into clickbait, instead to reveal the true impact on individuals. The right image can turn an abstract concept into something that provokes empathy and understanding in an entirely new way.

While many of his images went on to win awards, it’s the impact of visual storytelling that is more meaningful than the accolades. Iconic images of unknown people became symbols of the plight of displaced and exiled individuals everywhere. Photography became a conduit for millions to emotionally connect with the people suffering throughout wars in a much more tangible way. The right shot at the right time – capturing chance moments - helped create a connection with the audience that transcended mere pixels.

McCurry worked with The Macallan to document the production of oak casks

Craftsmanship, excellence, and integrity of process have helped to maintain The Macallan as a spirit of distinction since 1824.

Finding the Moment

Being present in moments is when McCurry does his best work. In a six-year collaboration with The Macallan, spanning two continents and thousands of miles, he created a photographic journal of The Macallan Double Cask journey, detailing the passion, craftsmanship, and excellence which goes into the creation of the single malt. He also immersed himself in the build of The Macallan’s new distillery and discovered there was a lot more to the project than construction.

McCurry took the time to explore the relationship between natural materials and the people who have mastered them. Finding the right way to tell the stories of these individuals was crucial. He captured the unchanged ritual of harvesting oak from specific forests and discovered the ancient tradition of crafting natural wood into whisky casks.

The cask makeup is an essential component of The Macallan’s distillation process – up to 80% of the final flavor and character is determined by the quality of the cask. McCurry first travelled to the vast green forests of Northern Spain, where European oak is harvested and crafted into casks and seasoned by sherry in Jerez. He then traveled to his native Pennsylvania, where the American oak undergoes the same traditional processes, before all the casks arrive at The Macallan’s award-winning Speyside Distillery, where each is filled with new make spirit.

Tevasa Cooperage in Spain

McCurry was able to explore, first-hand, the consistency and adherence to quality and tradition that defines The Macallan across continents. Even seasoned whisky aficionados will be surprised to see the true mastery of wood and spirit which McCurry has been able to capture.

Craftsmanship, excellence, and integrity of process have helped to maintain The Macallan as a spirit of distinction since 1824.

McCurry’s career has captured some of the most important images in recent history. Knowing how to distil moments of importance into a single, arresting image, is what makes his work as relevant today as it was in the moment of creation.