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The humidity trickled down the back, the sun kissing the five-foot-way of the shophouse, the skies spilled a clumsy mash of clouds. Beneath the white walls of the shophouse legendary lensman Steve McCurry resided. He was engaged in a critique session with one of his students from his master class. Little did he realise the next person he was to evaluate was himself.

Even if you’re not interested in photography, chances are you’ll recognize National Geographic’s Afghan Girl, published twenty-four years ago as the cover for the magazine. Shot a year earlier by Steve on Kodachrome color slide film, the Afghan Girl was immortalized eternally as the most recognised photograph in the history of the magazine. The iconic photograph captivated viewers all over the world, with its remarkable ability to reflect the bitterness of the war through the Afghan Girl’s piercing emerald eyes. It would be safe to conclude that this photograph has become the symbol for the 1980s Afghan conflict.

Our interview with the Philadelphia native eats into Steve’s lunch (Japanese, for the curious stalker), in the serene hall of the shophouse, accompanied by a couple of polite aides by the corner. He didn’t appear to mind our interruption. Perhaps the many years of venturing in war- and poverty-stricken cities have trained him well. After all, after dodging a bullet or two, sushi must be a luxury.

The interview began in the most unusual manner with Steve asking the questions first. Astute as ever, he had noticed a tattoo which escaped the fabric of my top as I reached for my pen from behind. It didn’t take long before my photographer, Joan Leong, and I found ourselves flashing our tattoos at him. His reputation for being an unassumingly candid lensman with the profound gift of encapsulating the human condition in whomever, whatever, whenever, displayed evidently at that point. In less than 5 minutes, he made two women he has just met share their stories with him.

In Singapore for his exhibition, “The Unguarded Moment”, on display at the Asian Civilisations Museum, held in conjunction with the Month of Photography Asia 2009, Steve handwrote his own answers for this exclusive interview. Download hi-res version here.

First published on COMMONPEOPLE.