What are the important traits and skills of a successful photographer like yourself? - Steve McCurry Interview

What are the important traits and skills of a successful photographer like yourself?

Like in any vocation, I think you need tenacity, perseverance and commitment to your work to be a successful photographer. Creatively, I imagine and visualize photo possibilities wherever I am. I think it is an important skill to be able to isolate and recognize a picture out of a scene. For example, for the portraits I shoot – I recognize something fascinating about the way my subjects look, be it their eyes, their way they are dressed and feel some connection that grabs my attention. I think I have a good ability to identify an interesting face among even a crowd of thousands, which I think is important to my work. The challenge is to convince them within 15 seconds to be my subject. Respect is essential to establishing that trust.

Photo Copyright by Steve McCurry

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