Legendary South African war photographer Joao Silva, who had his legs blown off below the knees in a land mine explosion in Afghanistan late last year, took his first steps on brand-new legs this week.

Silva has been undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC in the US after stepping on an anti-personnel mine in October while covering the war in Afghanistan.

In a conversation with The Times' pictures editor Robin Comley on Tuesday night, Silva sounded strong.

"[He] said he had felt no pain while walking but had - in typical Silva mode - pushed himself to the limit and now had blood blisters on his wounds so the doctors had taken his prosthetics away again," said Comley.

His wife Viv said yesterday she was "very happy, but not surprised" to see him doing so well so soon after getting his prosthetics.

On The New York Times' website, Lens.blogs, Silva said: "The therapist fitted my legs and asked me if I'd like to walk. So off I went. Must have walked up and down that ramp 20 times. "