8 Photo Stories That Will Challenge Your View Of The World

In this week’s roundup of interesting and unusual photo essays, we look at how some experiences transcend culture and time, for better or for worse.

Music is a great example of this, with the intense passion of K-pop fans of the modern era being brought into colorful focus by Andrew Cullen, and the musicians of backcountry Tennessee seen keeping their traditions alive by Rachel Boillot. A quirky gallery of Phil Donohue’s work looks at a bygone meeting place for many of us — the mall. Kristian Thacker looks at another unusual meeting place — this one a protest site for unpaid miners in Kentucky, who are carrying on a deep-seated tradition of their own.

Some unifying experiences are less fun: We look at one photo essay that examines how women around the world handle having their periods, and there’s a gallery on the wildfires in the Amazon that offers a stark reminder that we all have to share and care for this singular planet.

Being a snake catcher in Thailand during monsoon season doesn't seem like an experience that would appeal to many, but Soe Zeya Tun manages to capture the thrill of the hunt in her visual profile of Pinyo Pukpinyo.

Here are some of the most interesting and powerful photo stories from across the internet.