The Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry
It is not only visually stunning, but emotionally engaging. Her bright clothes and bright eyes greatly contrast her dark skin. The part of the photo that most attracts your attention is, no doubt, her eyes. Her eyes that show fear and anguish. Fear from an unknown person capturing her image and anguish from a country with a seemingly endless war. Before this picture, she was unknown and hidden from the world. Her hardships shown in her torn clothes and tarnished skin. This is the reason I chose this picture because even though we are in completely different parts of the world and in completely different cultures, I feel like I know this person and feel a connection. A shocking part of the photo is that the camera used was a fairly simplistic, interchangeable lens camera, a Nikon FM2 Camera with a Nikkor 105mm F2.5 Lens, which captured one of the greatest photos of our time. Some even call the photo the "Afghan Mona Lisa".
References:
Famous Photographs: The Afghan Girl
Afghan Girl - The Story