With the rise of the Internet coupled with advances in digital technology, we’re now able to experience, almost in real-time, historic moments through powerful photos. If this can do anything, it can educate us on the world around us, helping us to not only learn about our own culture, but the unique and distinct cultures from countries all around the world. Today we’ve chosen six websites that do an excellent job curating and collecting these news-related photos from around the web. These photos are not only timely, recording recently published events, they also provide captivating stories that give us a greater appreciation for our world.
1. The Atlantic’s In Focus
While most people know Boston Globe’s Big Picture as the ultimate news photography blog, many may not know that its creator, Alan Taylor, joined The Atlantic in January 2011 to start a similar site called In Focus. Several times a week, Taylor updates In Focus with compelling images that are high-impact. With categories that range from Disaster and Environment to Festival and Sports, In Focus is known to give a wide variety of intense visual stories. By sorting through images from top photo agencies like Getty, Reuters and the Associated Press, as well as from a personal network of photographers, you can always count on In Focus to bring us only the most fascinating stories to light.
Tip: To get the most out of In Focus, or in other words to get a truly immersive experience, see its images at its largest possible size. Look for the “1024 or 1280″ checkboxes at the top right of an entry page.
2. The Wall Street Journals’ Photo Journal
If you want one place to see the global news stories of the day, stop by Photo Journal. Produced by the editors of The Wall Street Journal, Photo Journal features both world and national news stories all told through large, crisp and clear images. Aside from Photos of the Day, this site also asks its viewers to submit their own photos to be, potentially, published in their online gallery. For example, just recently they asked photographers to share their best photos of New York at night.
Tip: If you love the Big Apple, look for their New York Photos of the Week posts where they show off the state in spectacular style.
3. The New York Times’ Lens
Presenting the finest and most interesting visual reporting which includes photos, videos and slide shows, the New York Times’ Lens, not only showcase the work of Times photographers, they feature the best photos from outside newspapers, magazines, and photo agencies. Set against a black background and displayed in navigable slideshows, Lens makes powerful photography the main focus in their horizontal scrolling website.
Tip: To get the most ouf of the Lens blog, click on their About section for useful tips and tricks.
4. Denver Post’s Plog
Unlike the others, Denver Post’s Plog (which stands for photo blog) shows a collection of storytelling images from both the present and the past. To get a feel for the type of stories they cover, one of their most popular posts was Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943 which featured some of the only color photographs taken of America’s rural towns during the Great Depression.
Tip: To narrow in on the subjects that matter most to you, check out their About section which lists a short list of categories like On War and The Game (sports-related).
Read More From Alice Yoo
