The attack that occurred on Monday in Manchester was deeply felt around the world — nothing is more viscerally disturbing than children being willfully injured. Matt Stuart walked around the city the following day and spoke with the local citizens about what happened in their city. The shocked residents responded in differing waves as they, and the world, tried to process what happened as the story unfolded in front of them. This essay is a crucial look into the stages of grief that are often overlooked in a warp-speed world.
—Kate Bubacz, senior photo editor, BuzzFeed News
Star Wars fans rejoice! To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Star Wars and the upcoming film The Last Jedi, Vanity Fair teamed up with veteran photographer Annie Leibovitz to shoot a series of incredible portraits of the film's cast and crew. For those hungry for any new details on the movie, these pictures are a true treasure trove. From the reveal of new characters, like a dusty Benicio Del Toro and a royal-looking Laura Dern, to a deeply poignant moment between the late Carrie Fisher and her daughter Billie Lourd, this is one that shouldn't be missed.
—Gabriel H. Sanchez, photo essay editor, BuzzFeed News
Considering our complex shared history with Vietnam, as Americans we dwell very little on the fate of a nation that we tried to destroy and then abandoned. Like many, my overarching visual memory stops in 1973 when the Marines left. Kevin German’s work is refreshingly frank, looking at a vibrant, multifaceted country with compassion, humor, and a desire to understand.
—K.B.
Photography occupies a unique position at the cross section of science and art. Developed in the laboratories of chemists and researchers like Nicéphore Niépce and Henry Fox Talbot, to name a few, it's a medium that originated in a place of science and likewise is responsible for some of the most important scientific discoveries in recent history. Here, the New York Times reviews the give-and-take relationship between photography and science, and examines some of the remarkable images that have changed our understanding of the world around us.
—G.H.S.
Time multimedia editor Andrew Katz interviewed the photographer who captured the viral photo of President Donald Trump, Pope Francis, and Trump's wife and daughter. While I adore this hilarious image, as a photo editor I cannot forget that a single frame does not necessarily tell the entire story. Evan Vucci explains what was going on in front of the camera, and Katz brings forward the nuances of photo editing. This is a great read on the making of this photograph regardless of your political or religious affiliation.
—Sarah Kobos, photo editor, BuzzFeed
One of the fascinating things about living in a large city such as New York is watching it change in front of your very eyes. The local laundromat becomes a bar, which becomes a bodega, which becomes a church, which becomes a laundromat. Camilo’s project in Harlem, spanning 40 years, captures the subtle shifts in such a way that they seem radical.
—K.B.
Here are the most moving, sorrowful, and beautiful pictures from the past week.