One of the world’s most famous photographers is sharing an astonishing array of pictures from his 40-year career in a new book, and they all share one common theme – spirituality.

Steve McCurry ‘explores human spirituality in all its remarkable diversity and beauty’ in his new book Devotion, publisher Prestel explains.

The photographer, who frequently has work published in National Geographic and is part of the esteemed Magnum Photos collective, shot to renown with his 1984 ‘Afghan Girl’ portrait of Sharbat Gula, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan War. 

The years that followed saw him travel the world with his camera, capturing evocative scenes everywhere from New York and India to Afghanistan. Some of the photos that have made it into Devotion include a poignant picture of a woman caring for her ailing nephew, a moving image of a woman polishing her late husband’s headstone and a serene shot of a woman meditating by the Ganges river. 

‘McCurry captures penetrating moments of devotion, loyalty, faithfulness and dedication,’ the publisher says of his book. ‘Reproduced in stunning colour, these photographs honour the universal desire to create meaning in the midst of everyday life and offer viewers an opportunity to connect with their own spirituality — whatever form that takes.’

Scroll down to look inside this ‘powerful collection of spiritually inflected images’…