22 Incredible Photos of Faraway Places

Thailand

Chances are you already know Steve McCurry as the man who took one of the most iconic photos of our time. It was of a 12-year-old Afghan refugee girl who's piercing green eyes told us her harrowing story. The image itself was named "the most recognized photograph" in the history of the National Geographic magazine and her face became famous as the cover photograph on their June 1985 issue.

Beyond just that one photo, McCurry has shot over a million images spanning 35 years. More than anything, he is one of a few that has that amazing ability to capture stories of our shared human experience. As he says, “Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape that you could call the human condition.”

Looking through his large body of work, we get to experience fantastic faraway places we can only dream about visiting. It's in his incredible photos that we feel connected to the world at large, appreciating our similarities and our differences, our cultures and our histories, and our past and our present in a truly unique and inspiring way.

Afghanistan

Sri Lanka

Yemen

Tibet

Cambodia

India

Burma

Eastman Kodak let McCurry shoot the last ever produced roll of Kodachrome transparency film. The film, known for its rich saturation and archival durability of its slides, was discontinued last year.

Steve McCurry

More Incredible Photos:
Capturing a Country's Culture
Breathtaking Visions of Earth
Tragic Portraits of America's Endangered Species
Incredible Wildlife Shots by Rob Kroenert

Tags: 21, Faraway, Incredible, Photos, Places, of

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Comment by Merav Benaia on September 15, 2010 at 2:55pm: I Remember that National Geographic issue with the Afghan refugee girl on its cover. There is a saying a photo is worth a thousand words, and this photo was an example of it. It is like the entire story is right there in her eyes. McCurry's photos are much more than just amazing shots. They tell a story and that is something not easily done.

Comment by Antonio Carlos Rios Brito on August 23, 2010 at 2:11am: Adorei estas fotos e foi mais um país que conheci um pouco via internet, parabéns

Comment by Stephen M. Barrett on August 21, 2010 at 7:45am: Great eye and sense of the moment.

Comment by Bangon Kali on August 20, 2010 at 4:29pm: great pictures! inspiring!

Comment by Margie Murray on August 19, 2010 at 11:48am: This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

Comment by alice on August 18, 2010 at 3:04pm: Glad you all found this set so amazing! I did, too....one can only dream to be as good as this one day...

Comment by Marica on August 18, 2010 at 3:02pm: Incredible photos, wonderful colors! this batch of images is amazing!!!

Comment by Helmut Schadt on August 17, 2010 at 6:23pm: @alice:
Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful and highly inspiring pictures of my favourite photographer Steve Mc Curry.

Comment by Richard Lee James on August 17, 2010 at 3:25pm: Amazing pictures. This guy has an EYE for the incredible. More please!

Comment by Judith Kuegler Webster on August 16, 2010 at 6:26pm: thought provoking and beautiful