The Most Memorable Photographs

Afghan Girl - Steve McCurry

1984
National Geographic | Nasir Bagh refugee camp, Pakistan
The most recognized photograph in National Geographic's history,Afghan Girl immediately affected anyone who saw it. The image ranks alongside the Mona Lisa as an unforgettable portrait. The eyes are piercing as if they could see right through you and the expression on the face of Sharbat Gula (she was identified as such in 2002) is one of proud sorrow. It continues to freeze one's spine when seen even to this day.

Vulture - Kevin Carter

March 26, 1993
New York Times | Sudan
A disturbing picture of a Sudanese girl resting during the famine of 1993 while a vulture eyes her as a potential meal is what Carter captured in this photograph. On first sight the girl looks as if she died from starvation which adds more impact to the image. It is hard not to tear up when contemplating the circumstances of this little girl's life which the photo forces you to do.

Kissing the War Goodbye - Victor Jorgensen

August 14th, 1945
Times Square, New York City
If you were not around in 1945 at the end of World War II, which includes most of us, this photograph of a sailor passionately kissing what is either his girlfriend or a perfect stranger, brilliantly captures the excitement of the times. The world just finished a second brutal war in less than most people's lifetime and you couldn't capture the relief and joy people around the world felt although this photo comes very close.

The Blue Marble - Crew of Apollo 17

December 7, 1972
Traveling toward the moon
The most popular picture of the earth taken was this photo at a distance of about 45,000 km away from the planet. It is a great shot of a fully lit earth and you can see the continent of Africa with the island of Madagascar under all the clouds. The image has a way of bringing out a childlike awe of what it must have been like for the astronauts who were looking down on the earth in all its brilliance.

Gerri Santoro - Police Photographer

June 8, 1964
Norwich, Connecticut
One of the most politically charged and grotesque photos ever published (by Ms. Magazine in 1973) it became iconic image of the pro choice movement in the United States and elsewhere. The graphic nature of the photo (showing a nude Gerri Santo dead after a botched back-alley abortion) can't help but bring disgust in the eyes of any civilized person. It is impossible not to be affected by it.

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