The photo's author is Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist who was part of the notorious "Bang-Bang Club" — a group of reporters who documented violence in South Africa during the last years of apartheid. Carter received the Pulitzer Prize for this photo in 1994, however, it sparked heated debates about whether the photographer should have intervened in the situation.

Later, Kevin admitted that he chased away the crow, but didn't help the child, as journalists were forbidden from touching the victims due to the risk of infection. Shortly after receiving the award, 33-year-old Carter committed suicide. In his last note, he mentioned that he could no longer bear the pain he had seen.

The photo still sparks discussions about the boundaries of the profession, the responsibility to the characters in the photos, and the price journalists pay for their work.