Inspiring People

We offer unparalleled access to some of the worlds most inspiring and insightful individuals. Each adds texture and depth to any experience we create, ultimately yielding a richer travel story.

Steve McCurry

We all enjoy a bit of people watching: sitting back at a café table or in a bustling market square and studying the faces, gestures and fleeting moments of conversation that hint at some deeper human drama among the people passing by. For most of us it’s a source of amusement or fascination as we go about our own lives. But for renowned photojournalist Steve McCurry, the urge to understand what total strangers’ lives are all about has turned into a career that spans the globe.

Steve’s vast body of work chronicles devastating conflicts, vanishing peoples and the stark contrasts between ancient traditions and contemporary culture. His thoroughness and journalistic approach are clearly in sync with the way we create travel experiences at Brown + Hudson. But what inspires us most in Steve’s work is his ability to capture the essence of every person he photographs. He has a gift for seeing people. Wandering with him through the crowded street markets of Laos, or chatting with the Buddhist monks in a Burmese temple – even if you don’t carry a camera yourself – you’ll begin to see the world in new ways. 

Steve’s work first drew international attention three decades ago, when he ventured deep into the Indian subcontinent carrying nothing more than a few clothes, a camera and copious rolls of film. Eventually he met a group of Afghan refugees who offered to smuggle him over their country’s border before the Russian military closed it to western journalists. And after a few hairy experiences – travelling in disguise, wearing a full beard and the traditional dress of the Mujahadeen – Steve managed to bring the first images of the Afghan war to the world. His portrait of an Afghan girl, featured on the cover of National Geographic in June 1985, remains the most recognized image in the magazine’s history – and a haunting reminder of the human face of war. 

In our minds, there’s no better man to lead you on an expedition through the peaceful Wakhan Corridor into the stunning heartland of Afghanistan – or to help you discover the hidden side of Kumaon in India, beneath the snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas. Steve has built a career around his gift for noticing the small details that bring a region and its people to life. And for us, that could be a definition of what great travel is all about.  


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