In two years since the attack at Pulse nightclub occurred, depressingly little has changed about gun violence in this country. The long-term impact of grief and solidarity in Orlando after the Pulse nightclub shooting is the pivot for this beautiful photo essay by Cassi Alexandra, but it explores so much more — community, love, safety, resilience. This is one of the few projects that commits to following those impacted by shootings long after other outlets stop paying attention, and the intimate, quiet portraits more than do the story justice.
—Kate Bubacz, deputy photo director, BuzzFeed News
June is Pride Month, but no matter what the calendar says, LGBT representation is important every single day of the year. LA-based photographer Luke Austin has taken his photography a step further by using his art as a tool to challenge societal norms of representation. With a focus mainly on men, trans people, nonbinary people and those within the LGBT community, Austin has used the final book in his Mini Beau Book series to highlight the experience of trans men in the LA area. Although many of the men in this series share their scars from top surgery, it’s important to note that everyone’s transitioning experience is different.
—Neah Gray, photo intern, BuzzFeed News
The series American Bedroom by photographer Barbara Peacock gives viewers the rare opportunity to see ordinary people in their most personal spaces. If the living room is where families come together to share their day, the bedroom is where we go to take the day off. There's much to learn about the subjects in Peacock's images who appear to let their guards down for the moments she's been able to capture. Whether their rooms are clean or messy, they're alone or locked in an intimate embrace, their rooms are filled with sunshine or there are no windows at all, there are people we can all relate to on the deepest of levels.
—Laura Geiser, photo editor, BuzzFeed News
Alfred Stieglitz's Camera Work was the groundbreaking photo zine of its era, bringing to light artists working in a medium that was less than a century old at the time. To many living in the early 1900s, photography could never be considered art, but that changed when Camera Work proved that a photograph could hold its own against a painting. Today, issues of Camera Work are rare and valuable collector's items, and as the New York Times points out, "there are fewer collectors than fingers on a hand that own a complete set of Camera Work.
—Gabriel H. Sanchez, photo essay editor, BuzzFeed News
There's the Stanley Kubrick we all know — one of the greatest directors of all time, and the driving force behind classics such as The Shining and Dr. Strangelove — and now a new exhibit in NYC and the Taschen book Through a Different Lens can educate viewers on the Kubrick we didn't know: the 17-year-old kid who got his start at Look magazine in the 1940s. Through Kubrick's early photography it's clear he had a gift for portraying a moment with just the right amount of tension and excitement. Like the early work of any master of their craft, Through a Different Lens will delight any fan of Kubrick's work with the insight into how he learned to stop worrying and "see."
—L.G.
There’s no doubt that the Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City is always overflowing with an abundance of love, pride, and a sense of community among those who share the nationality. But this year’s parade marked a special time for Puerto Ricans, especially in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
This photo series screams patriotic confidence — people dressed themselves from head to toe in a colorful array of red, white, and blue, representing the island's flag. People, old and young, dark and light, came together to represent what Puerto Rico means to them. This year’s parade not only stood for a deeper meaning of how diverse Puerto Ricans are, but the resolve and unfaltering strength of the community.
—N.G.
Jackie Dives' double exposures offer the most sensitive, moving portrait of the opioid crisis yet. The crisis hits a personal note for the photographer, who lost her father to an overdose, and the unfolding process of grief can be seen in the work. Delicate and poetic, the images work better en masse than individually, but the project provides a much-needed perspective.
—K.B.
This photo essay is so good, I cursed when I first saw it. Honest and raw, it looks at the insanely difficult intersection of racism, parenting, and perspective. The portraits show the range of families trying to navigate a society stacked against them, and the images subtly address how this worry never stops, whether your son is 3 or 35, no matter what walk of life you’re in. The fact that all of this is discussed using a Hallmark holiday as a news peg makes me want to share it that much more, and if you look at anything this weekend, look at this, listen to these voices.
—K.B.
The unimaginable amount of volcanic ash spewed by the Volcán de Fuego in San Miguel Los Lotes, Guatemala, is captured in this stunning series of images by AP photographer Rodrigo Abd. The deadly eruption, which claimed over 100 lives, has produced images of scenes unlike those of the usual floods and home damage we're used to seeing from natural disasters like hurricanes and tornados. In this series, homes are blanketed in feet of ash, which unlike water will not recede.
—L.G.
From old to new, to new to old? After a massive reconstruction following World War II, the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands, is now known for its clean and modern architecture. But photographer Maarten Vromans believes there’s imperfection in even the most seemingly perfect things, and has taken his camera to the streets of the city to explore its "urban erosion." From slightly dented metal to upheaved pavement, Vromans has shown us that no matter where we live, if we look hard enough, we too can find beauty and art in the hidden corners of our streets.
—N.G.
Here are the most moving and breathtaking pictures from the past week.
—G.H.S.