After graduating college, Steve McCurry spent several years working at a local newspaper in Pennsylvania. He photographed high school graduations and Kiwanis meetings but quickly knew it wasn’t for him. He left for India in 1978, intending to stay for three months and stayed for two years. McCurry has since photographed all over the world but India remains his constant fascination.

Of this series Steve writes “these women were off on the side of the road huddled together protecting themselves. I saw them out the car window and thought this is going to be an incredible situation. I ran across the field, thinking my cameras were going to be ruined and made maybe a dozen pictures, it was very exciting. In a situation like this sometimes you’re not really thinking you’re just reacting your brain is on automatic pilot and you just shoot away.”

This contact sheet contains images of women in a dust storm in Rajasthan, India, 1983.

Steve McCurry joined Magnum Photos in 1986.