In 1985, Steve McCurry photographed an Afghan girl for National Geographic. The intensity of the subject's eyes and her captivating gaze made this portrait one of the most celebrated and recognized images in the history of contemporary photography. This image is accompanied by other remarkable faces he encountered during his travels around the world and is part of a compelling and moving series of unique street portraits: unposed, unstylized images of people that reveal the true universality of human emotions.

This fresh new edition, expanded with more photographs than ever before, including some previously unpublished images, creates a contemporary and unparalleled collection of McCurry's portraits. Critically acclaimed and internationally recognized for his classic photojournalism, he has worked on numerous assignments over the past thirty years and has traveled extensively in the Near and Far East. As a regular contributor to many international magazines, McCurry is a member of Magnum Photos and a recipient of the Robert Capa Gold Medal as well as an unprecedented fourth World Press Photo Award in a single year; many of McCurry's images have since become modern icons. He is best known for his striking color photography that captures stories of human experiences, transcending the boundaries of language and culture in the best documentary tradition.