This is one of those delightful series that peels back the curtain on the typical assumptions about people’s lives and reveals something more fun and marvelous. Dina Litovsky does a great job peeking in without satirizing or overdramatizing the situation.
—Kate Bubacz, deputy photo director, BuzzFeed News
The history of photography has not been a linear path, but rather a blossoming of creativity across a wide expanse of ideas and processes. Profiled here by Artsy, a new book titled The Short Story of Photography by Ian Haydn Smith chronicles some of the most profound artists that have shocked the world of photography and forever changed the way we view the world around us.
—Gabriel H. Sanchez, photo essay editor, BuzzFeed News
There’s really so much curiosity around North Korea that the general (internet) public will devour anything and everything that will give us a glimpse of their isolated society. Elijah Hurwitz contributes to this narrative in a significant way. The Chinese border is definitely not the more popular North Korean side, but it’s fascinating in its own way. There’s a stark contrast to the photos we’ve seen of the Korean DMZ. Here, you’ve got bridges and trade, and swimming is permitted in the river. In a lot of ways, what Hurwitz shows here could be just another border, and it’s telling of how, despite recent tensions with China, North Korea still has some friendly neighbors.
—Anna Mendoza, photo editor, BuzzFeed Australia
As we approach Earth Day this Sunday, I'd like to highlight a story out of Hawaii that has not been given enough attention. Last weekend, the island of Kauai received a record amount of rainfall, with more than 2 feet in 24 hours causing catastrophic flooding on an island that generally averages 78 inches a year. Many residents needed to be airlifted from their homes, and subsequent mudslides and flash flooding lead to even further damage. This Town & Country article uses eyewitness social posts to show the island before and after the historic weather event, giving those unfamiliar with the island some perspective on the devastation.
—Laura Geiser, photo editor, BuzzFeed News
Two things in R.A. Tinoko’s process drew me to this collection: that faces are out of frame, and that it’s an ongoing project. Because of the choice not to identify the subject, this series is one of those times when the author does not need words to tell a story. You don’t need context to understand it; these bodies are anyone and everyone. The second point enhances this idea of inclusiveness. By not setting an end date, Tinoko drives the point home that everybody (and every body) is unique and deserves to be weaved into the wide, diverse fabric of physical beauty.
—A.M.
In another dispatch from the besieged and bombarded Syrian neighborhood of eastern Ghouta, this series of photos tells the story of a family living underground as they try to escape the dangers of the war being fought above. It's important to be reminded of the human cost of this war as bombs and chemical attacks are wielded among civilians and rebel fighters indiscriminately. The images reveal a lack of fresh air, sunlight, and clean living conditions for this Syrian family, and the International Rescue Committee releases them as a reminder: The war is still ongoing, families are still trapped in the crossfire, #IAmStillAlive... But if nothing is done, for how long?
—L.G.
Here are the most moving and breathtaking pictures from the past week.
—G.H.S.