‘Steve McCurry: A Muslim woman feeding doves... Afghanistan in 1991'

Steve McCurry (born February 24, 1950, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American photographer, freelancer, and photojournalist. His photo "Afghan Girl", of a girl with piercing green eyes, has appeared on the cover of National Geographic several times. McCurry has photographed many assignments for National Geographic and has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1986.

McCurry is the recipient of numerous awards, including Magazine Photographer of the Year, awarded by the National Press Photographers Association; the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal and two first-place prizes in the World Press Photo contest (1985 and 1992). read more

A Muslim woman feeding doves in front of the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan in 1991. Legend says the mosque is so sacred that any dove with a speck of color on its feathers will instantly become pure white. Photography by Steve McCurry.