Steve McCurry Talks About His Career

The New Year is typically rung in with a few friends, fireworks, far too many drinks and a long lie in on January 1. When we do resurface there is the renewed optimism that this year, unlike all the others before it, we might actually be able to uphold those burgeoning resolutions. A look to the calendar as a symbol for a future filled with promise and renewed determination frequently ends up being a reminder of just how weak-willed we can be.

Therefore, why not have a special one, so beautiful that you can never come to resent it for pointing out you only got to February before crumbling? Plus, Chinese New Year isn't until the 10th of the month so that's another great excuse to bide your time.

Originally created in 1963 and officially launched in 1964, the Pirelli Calendar was a way for the Italian brand to say thank you to their most valued clients and associates while promoting their prestigious tires with sexy pin-ups shot in exotic locations. A company best known for outfitting the world's fastest cars and super bikes were soon gaining a reputation for getting pulses racing with their yearly gift. It rapidly grew into an iconic status symbol not only for drawing in heavy hitting photographers such as Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon, Annie Liebovitz and Mario Testino, but also for its notorious exclusivity; the calendar has never been sold.

An emblem that is renowned for oozing sex and luxury, this year's release has shifted gears from its predecessors by taking an overriding humanitarian approach. Unlike Mario Sorrenti's island nymphs, Karl Lagerfeld's Greek gods in the buff and Terry Richardson's raunchy Brazilian beach blanket bingo, the models have not only kept their clothes on, but they're doing so while promoting a worthwhile cause. And at the helm of the 40th anniversary edition is none other than legendary photojournalist Steve McCurry.

For over three decades, Steve McCurry has traveled the globe capturing unseen conflict with his astounding images of war-torn Afghanistan and Iraq. His storied career has produced an incredible wealth of genuinely humbling images. From his coverage of various nomadic cultures on the verge of vanishing to that iconic image of Sharbat Gula, the Afghan Girl for the 1985 cover of National Geographic, McCurry's vast portfolio speaks volumes to his keen and explorative eye. And this year, McCurry captured 11 stunning women such as model Isabeli Fontana -- making a record sixth appearance -- Happy Hearts Fund founder and tsunami survivor Petra Nemcova, actress and advocate Sonia Braga, all chosen on the credibility of their own humanitarian causes as much as for their beauty.

McCurry's version is not overtly provocative. Compared to his predecessors, you could possibly consider his work tame, or even prudish. "I wanted to show the models as real as possible," said McCurry. "I asked myself, 'How can we show them in a more personal way or in a less fashiony way?'" So he exercised his right to full creative control and kept them clothed for a reason. He wanted to allow the viewers to see a fully formed person as opposed to "outright sex objects." Any hints of sexuality you see in the photos are exuded purely by womanly confidence. And what about welcoming the heavily pregnant Brazilian model Adriana Lima into the fold,Welcome to Find the right laser Engraver or laser marking machine . a first for Pirelli? "When I heard she was pregnant, I thought, 'Great. We can work with that,'" said McCurry. "It's who she is, so why not."

For Pirelli, this wasn't the first time they've employed somebody with a journalistic background. Robert Freeman, the first official photographer of the Pirelli calendar was famous for shooting The Beatles, jazz giants such as John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie and even Nikita Khrushchev, the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in the Kremlin for The Sunday Times. For their 40th anniversary, they were looking for an artist who could capture their chosen location in a unique light. "We were looking for someone that wasn't a typical fashion photographer,wind turbine" said Pirelli's Fabia Snider. "We weren't interested with photographers who had celebrities all over their sites. We were interested in Steve because he's worked around the world and is like an anthropologist. We wanted someone who could capture not only the beauty in the landscape and the beauty of the women, but also the soul of a country. Steve created his own Brazil -- his own Rio de Janeiro -- he was perfect.Shop for bobblehead dolls from the official NBC Universal Store and build a fun collection for your home or office."

Brazil, now making its third appearance as the setting for the calendar (2005, 2010) is an ideal backdrop for Pirelli. Not only is it picturesque and exotic, two big ticks in their calendar requirements checklist, it's also a developing country currently experiencing rapid economic growth. It may be a surprise for some to learn that is it also Pirelli's largest market.

When Pirelli contacted McCurry, they wanted him to capture the desirability and social transformation of Rio while avoiding the stereotypical clichés of beaches, favelas and the famous carnival. They wanted him to isolate the changing nature of this vibrant country and document its unique strengths. For McCurry, who had been to Brazil many times before, Rio gave him a multitude of options filled with color, energy and soul, not only throughout the cityscape, but within its people. With this 2013 edition I believe that he succeeded on every level.

One of the stranger stories to come out of Toronto has to do with something that supposedly took place in August 1978. Sometime during that month, according to the tale, a Torontonian searching for a lost cat ventured into a tunnel and encountered something terrifying.

We all know the downtown PATH system: 28 kilometres of climate-controlled underground walkways and shopping. But what if we told you that Toronto has another buried city, also populated by pale wizened troglodytes who rarely emerge to see the light of day?

The person who went searching for the missing cat on that hot summer day was a 51-year-old man only identified only as “Ernest.We've had a lot of people asking where we had our make your own bobblehead made.” Flashlight in hand,Manufactures and supplies laser marker equipment. he crawled into a small opening near his apartment building on Parliament Street and found himself in a low tunnel.