Top Ten Photo Essays That You Must See

More politics, with a side of pandas and portraits to remind us what's really important.

1. "Sense and Absurdity: Photographs From the Democratic National Convention" —Time Lightbox

Landon Nordeman for TIME

"Landon Nordeman's collection of offbeat scenes from the Democratic National Convention provides an alternative perspective on the highly choreographed, chaotic event. The images are an excellent continuation of his work at the RNC, with both series refusing to take politics too seriously". —Kate Bubacz, senior photo editor, BuzzFeed News

2. "Spellbinding Photos of Meals From Classic Books" —FeatureShoot

Charles Roux

"To Parisian photographer Charles Roux, food plays an important — sometimes even central — role in fiction. This write-up describes his artistic thought process as finding the magic in the mundane, and you see this philosophy throughout his photos. What drew me most to this series is that despite taking inspiration from mythical worlds, they look like snaps of a place that is undeniably real." —Anna Mendoza, photo editor, BuzzFeed Australia

3. "A Photographer Retraces His Grandfather’s 1,300-Mile Escape From a Soviet Prison Camp" —Hyperallergic

Michal Iwanowski

“After learning of his great-uncle’s harrowing escape from a Soviet Gulag during World War II, photographer Michal Iwanowski was compelled to experience the 1,367-mile journey for himself. Here, Hyperallergic profiles Iwanowski’s new photo book, Clear of People, which documents his solemn trek from Russia to Poland, and poetically captures his own struggle to comprehend the burdens of family history.” —Gabriel H. Sanchez, photo essay editor, BuzzFeed

4. "Pandas Get to Know Their Wild Side" —National Geographic

Ami Vitale

"If you want to get an idea of China’s efforts toward the conservation of the panda population, this feature by Jennifer S. Hollande shows one very quirky method. In this particular nature reserve, pandas are being nurtured to thrive in the wild, and what other way to do it than to remove as much of the human element by getting caretakers to look like the species themselves." —AM

5. "This Portrait Series May Restore Your Faith in Politics" —BuzzFeed News

Maegan Gindi

“Elections are strange. The bright lights of the candidates often blind us to those who stand behind them. I love these images from Maegan Gindi, who went to rallies for Trump, Sanders, and Clinton during the primary season to take portraits of supporters and shows us the people behind the person.” —Dennis Huynh, design director, BuzzFeed News

6. "A Different View of the Democratic National Convention" —ABC

Peter DaSilva for ABC News

"DaSilva's use of film to capture street scenes at the DNC gives this series a sense of historical weight, which is hard to pull off in the era of 24-hour deadlines and social media scoops." —KB

7. "Mortal to Divine and Back: India’s Transgender Goddesses" —New York Times

Candace Feit

"This series conveys a hint of the magical as kothis prepare to perform. Feit's portraits are respectful of her subjects and the rare space that they occupy between acceptance and ostracization, divine and humane." —KB

8. "16 Photos of People With Spectacularly Hilarious Brain Freeze" —BuzzFeed

Laura Gallant / Buzzfeed UK

“Finally! Something light and funny this week. Want a bunch of images of people in the middle of a brain freeze from a slushie? Yes, yes I do.” —DH

9. "The Terrible Beauty of Californian Wildfires" —The Atlantic

David McNew / Getty Images

"For the last decade, Getty photographer David McNew has bared witness to the ferocious power of wildfire in the arid California landscape — at times transforming entire residential neighborhoods into hellish landscapes of ash and embers. Here, The Atlantic has brought together a collection of McNew’s pictures over the years, capturing a subject as hypnotic and awe-inspiring as it is destructive and unforgiving.” —GHS

10. "Venezuelan Children Express Hunger in Drawings" —Reuters

Carlos Jasso / Reuters

"When so many schoolchildren are literally fainting from hunger, the solution isn’t as straightforward as putting food in their mouths. Carlos Jasso’s simple photo essay leaves a very strong message about how real the consequences of a national recession are to the most helpless in society." —AM