Love Pulse Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Three decades ago, Steve McCurry took one of the best pictures in the world, but his eyes shine with light so far when he starts talking about her, the "Afghan girl." "She had a stunning, sharp, piercing look," he recalls. "When I showed the film, I knew the picture was special, and when I presented it to the editor of National Geographic, he jumped out of his seat and shouted, 'This is our next cover.'" The picture has not only become a cover for the magazine, but has become one of the most important and successful achievements of the magazine. The photo was taken in 1984 at Nasir Bagh refugee camp near the Afghan-Pakistan border and published the following year. When McCurry remembers this picture, he connects it directly to the impact it generated, as aid began to increase to Afghan refugee camps after its deployment. The woman behind the green eyes The "Afghan girl" is Sharbat Gula, an orphan who lived in the camp when she was photographed in December 1984. Today, she is a woman in her forties, who was found unaccounted for all these years and National Geographic documented the journey of being found in a documentary. Reaching this woman was not easy, especially with reservations in Afghan society that require women to wear the burqa, but the photography team finally found and took a picture to show the girl who became a woman again on the world stage. Today, the picture is the basis of an exhibition on McCurry's life, and he is proud to bring it back to the public. “If you find something you love, you have to practice it all your life,” he says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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