Steve McCurry on the journey

"One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is some of the great pictures happen along the journey and not necessarily at your destination. As you’re driving down the road you have to be attuned to what’s happening and you have to be looking and searching for possible things to photograph. You can’t let good situations and good opportunities pass you by, because that in the end may be more interesting than where you were going.

One of the best ways I’ve always worked is to literally walk outside the hotel door and explore and wander and get a sense of the mood on the street and just try and get lost in that moment. And then suddenly sort of a magical thing happens where you start seeing pictures, you relax, you’re observant, you’re almost in a meditative state. That’s when the good pictures come - it’s all serendipitous, its’ all chance encounters, it’s not planned, you’re just open and you’re not trying to force the situation, you just letting it wash over you. And then from that being open, wonderful things will develop from that mood.

If it’s good and you’ve found a good situation, you need to stay with it. It’s more about the journey than the destination. Good pictures are often few and far between. Great pictures don’t grow on trees. If you recognise something great, don’t let it slip away…go for it immediately."