Rybinsk, Russia, 2015. The city has been a leading aviation manufacturing center since the 1920s, and the plane is a monument to the workers who built jet airplane engines.
For more than 50 years, photographer Steve McCurry has traveled the world, spotlighting diverse aspects of humanity. His visually arresting work has shown us that, across continents and cultures, we’re all just people trying to make it through life.
McCurry has an eye for human connection that’s become part of his signature style. His images are evocative, with beautiful, quietly observed compositions that give the subject an authentic voice. Whether it’s a worker in Rybinsk, Russia, commuting in frigid temperatures—and beneath a giant abandoned airplane—or a boy in Kathmandu, Nepal, resting against an equally sleepy cow, we can recognize parts of ourselves in every photo.
A new exhibition at Leica Gallery New York is showcasing a selection of McCurry’s iconic work. Titled Steve McCurry: Adagio, the show draws on his new book, also titled Adagio, published as part of the Leica Libretto series. Like the exhibition, the book collects his most celebrated photographs—many previously unpublished—along with a new body of work commissioned by Leica Camera USA.
Adagio is a musical term for a slow tempo, and it serves as a metaphor for McCurry’s practice. “There’s a contemplative or meditative quality to photography which I find to be a sort of peaceful state,” he shares. “I love being able to travel the world, and experience different cultures and landscapes.”
Leica cameras have been an important part of McCurry’s process and how he builds trust with his subjects. They are compact and unobtrusive, allowing him to work discreetly when necessary. With newly commissioned works from the manufacturer, the partnership between the photography legend and the legendary camera maker continues.
Steve McCurry: Adagio is on view at Leica Gallery New York through October 18, 2026.
For 50 years, photographer Steve McCurry has traveled around the world, spotlighting humanity in myriad fascinating ways.
Monks debate philosophy at a monastery in Bhutan. This spirited debate is considered a very important part of the studies of a Buddhist monk. It deepens understanding and sharpens the mind. It is a sequence of questions and answers, based on logical reasoning. Bumthang, Bhutan, 2025.
He has shown us that, no matter how different cultures may be, the throughline is that we’re all people trying to make it through life.
Widow Asks for Alms. Kabul, Afghanistan, 2002
A new exhibition at Leica Gallery New York is showcasing McCurry’s oeuvre.
Boy Rests Against a Cow. Kathmandu, Nepal, 2013.
Titled Steve McCurry: Adagio, the show draws from his new book, also titled Adagio, published as part of the Leica Libretto series.
Venice, Italy, 04/2025
