These Were The Biggest Photo Stories Of 2016

Looking back at some of the most powerful and eye-catching pictures we published this year.

"In Pictures: How The World Is Reacting To Donald Trump’s Victory"

Drew Angerer / Getty Images

"Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States after a bitter battle with Hillary Clinton. Here are some emotional reactions from the US and around the world."

"Photos Show Why The North Dakota Pipeline Is Problematic"

Daniella Zalcman

"A proposed oil pipeline is set to begin construction on tribal lands in North Dakota. Members of various Native American reservations gathered Monday to try to stop it."

"A Photographer Has Painstakingly Re-Created Photos Of Young People He Took In The ’70s And ’80s"

Chris Porsz/Bav Media

"An amateur photographer in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, has bridged a gap of four decades by pairing photos of strangers he snapped in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s with present-day portraits."

"These 100-Year-Old Colour Portraits Of New York Immigrants Reveal Incredible Outfits"

Augustus Francis Sherman / New York Public Library / Dynamichrome

"Photo colourisation specialists at Dynamichrome have put painstaking work into bringing these photos to vivid life by adding colour, using historical references to help pinpoint the exact colours, including postcards from the era, and colour photographers from a later date."

"These Portraits Reveal The Brutal Beauty Of Dance"

Rick Guest / Via rg-books.com

"Photographer Rick Guest wanted to 'see behind the curtain' of the world of dance and reveal the determination and sacrifice needed to succeed at the art form’s highest level."

"39 Of The Most Epic Photos From The 2016 Rio Olympics"

Francois-xavier Marit / AFP / Getty Images

"These Photos Show How Young People Live On Scotland’s Stark And Beautiful Islands"

Laetitia Vancon / Via vanconlaetitia.com

"French photojournalist Laetitia Vancon has been visiting communities in the Outer Hebridean Isles since January 2016, seeking to understand how the islands’ young people relate to their remote home, and to the rest of the world."

"15 Photos Of What Actors See When They're On Stage"

Klaus Frahm / Amrei Heyne Gallery / amreiheyne.com

"Architectural photographer Klaus Frahm wanted to take people through the 'fourth wall' that separates actors from their audience. To do this he photographed some of Germany’s most beautiful theatres from the perspective of the actors, looking out into the auditorium. The result is a fascinating view from the stage that few audience members will have seen before."

"Portraits That Capture The Difference Between The Morning You And Night You"

Barbara Iweins / barbaraiweins.com

"It’s funny to think how different you can look throughout the day. Are your eyes brighter after you’ve had your first coffee? Are your shoulders more relaxed after that first cigarette? Does the puffiness in your face go away around 3pm? Is your makeup smudged at 5 in the afternoon? Belgian photographer Barbara Iweins brings us her portrait series 7 AM / 7 PM, which shows people at two very different times of the day, side by side. It showcases how different people can look after a full day of being awake and active versus when they have just woken from a night’s sleep."

"13 Photographs Of Teens’ Bedrooms That’ll Show You How They Live"

Daniel Carlson / danielcarlsonphotography.com

"That pivotal time between childhood and adult life, expressed in just one frame. Photographer Daniel Carlson has visited teenagers’ bedrooms to show the different ways a room can communicate a person’s identity at this important time in their life."

"How Different People Live In Identical Flats In The Same Building"

Bogdan Gîrbovan / girbovan.ro

"When Romanian photographer Bogdan Girboven was helping his neighbour fix her door in the apartment below him, he noticed her home had the exact same layout as his own, yet it looked and felt completely different. Girboven was inspired to document the ways in which people express themselves through their home, by taking portraits of homeowners in his apartment block in Bucharest. Each photo is taken from the same angle, showing the same apartment layout, but with a very different appearance."

"30 Powerful Pictures That Defined American History"

Lisa Larsen / Getty Images

"This year marks the 80th anniversary of Life magazine’s inaugural issue in 1936. Over the course of its 36 years in print as a weekly publication, Life captured the sights and stories the helped defined the 20th century. Its images are seared into America’s collective memory and chronicled our nation’s progress and struggles during an era of rapid change. To celebrate Life's accomplishments in photography and storytelling, BuzzFeed and Getty Images have brought together some of the most powerful pictures to have graced the pages of America’s most beloved magazine."

"This Is What Disneyland’s Opening Day Looked Like In 1955"

Allan Grant / Getty Images

"On July 17, 1955, the world became a bit more magical…"

"This Is What Millennials’ Bedrooms Look Like Around The World"

John Thackwray

"Over a period of six years, French filmmaker and photographer John Thackwray has traveled across 55 countries to capture the living spaces of millennials from all over the globe. After photographing the rooms of over 1,200 young people, John has compiled his favorites into an upcoming book titled My Room: Portrait of a Generation, due out this winter."

"25 Incredible Pictures That Will Change Your View Of History"

Bettmann Archive / Getty Images

"This Is How Much Trump And Clinton Have Changed Over The Years"

Getty Images

"18 Beautifully Haunting Abandoned Places Around The World"

Universalimagesgroup / Getty Images

"23 Super-Creepy Pictures Of Forgotten Olympic Villages"

Getty Images

"27 Of History’s Most Iconic Rock Stars As Youngsters"

Getty Images