April 26: Your lens to the intern et's most powerful photographs. 📸

April 26: Week in Photography

Your lens to the internet's most powerful photographs.

📸 MOST POWERFUL PHOTO OF THE WEEK 📸

Alyson McClaran / Reuters

This week, as the debate between physical and economic safety continued to rage, a few states started to explore lifting lockdown rules, despite warnings from health care officials. Anti-lockdown protesters in Denver and Arizona were met with a literal standoff with health care workers, who took to the streets to silently protest the resumption of business at the expense of public health. This photo by Alyson McClaran summarizes the impasse that our society faces in a single, powerful frame.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 📸

Share your images of social distancing, springtime, and some of the feelings of being indoors for quarantine.

Images can be submitted here, and the most compelling picture will be shared in JPG in the coming weeks.

📸For Your 👀 Only:

THE NEXT GENERATION'S CRISIS

With the ongoing pandemic and the escalating economic crisis, it’s easy to forget the other existential crisis: climate change. In honor of Earth Day, we wanted to highlight the work of Anna Betts, who took portraits of young activists last year. Betts, a recent college graduate herself, spoke with us about her work and its importance.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PHOTOGRAPH CLIMATE ACTIVISTS?

I chose to photograph young climate activists as I was inspired by the Climate Strike that took place globally on Sept. 20, 2019. Around the world, young people are mobilizing to demand greater action on climate change. I attended the strike in New York with a friend and was blown away by the dedication, passion, and hard work of these young people who were fighting for their futures and decided that it was something that I had to be a part of and document.

Anna Betts

HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR SUBJECTS FOR THIS PROJECT? ARE YOU STILL IN TOUCH?

I found these subjects initially through Instagram as I realized that with the rise of social media, young people were becoming more engaged with politics online. I reached out to a few activists and organizations such as Fridays for Future NYC and XR Youth NYC and set up meetings with them. I learned that the organizations hold weekly youth-run meetings, which I then attended for a few months in order to get to know my subjects and allow them to become comfortable around me.

Rather than solely being an observer, I wanted to become a participant. I am so inspired by their optimism and persistence. I am still in touch with them, apart from the fact that of course we are all self-isolating. The weekly meetings are still happening over Zoom, which is incredible as despite these challenging times, these youth activists are continuing to find ways to mobilize and work towards saving this planet.

WHAT WAS THE REASONING FOR THE FORMAL PORTRAITURE?

Photography has frequently been adopted throughout history as a tool of and for activism as photographs play fundamental roles in global and national memories, which is why I felt that photographs of these activists was a perfect way to document their passion, courage, and frustration. Formal portraiture has historically been reserved for the wealthy, the sacred, and those in power such as royalty. For this project, I drew inspiration from traditional portraiture paintings (which I demonstrated through the use of lighting to create a halo-type effect to elevate these subjects) and combined this with the idea of high school yearbook photography alluding to their age.

Anna Betts

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE VIEWER WILL GET OUT OF THIS SERIES?

I hope that this work inspires people to learn more about the climate crisis and what they can do to be a part of the movement. I hope that by seeing an 8-year-old, such as Avery, get involved in social and climate activism, people realize that anyone can be a part of this movement, and anyone any age can make a difference in their communities.

ARE YOU PLANNING ON CONTINUING THIS?

Yes! I hope to continue this project and to document young climate activists around America, not just New York. I am also trying to find a way to document the virtual activism that has become essential due to the current circumstances of COVID-19 so stay tuned, haha!

Anna Betts

📸THE WEEK'S PHOTO STORIES FROM BUZZFEED NEWS 📸

It's been a confusing week, where oil is suddenly worthless and no one can decide which is more valuable: jobs or health. That should be seen as a false choice, but here we are as a society. We took a look at how communities are coming together to support each other during this crisis, first in Maine where farmers are helping citizens get groceries, and then a look back to how Earth Day was a uniting force fifty years ago. Don't miss the deep dive into the New York archives either.

Find more of the week's best photo stories here.

HOW TO HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS

Greta Rybus for BuzzFeed News

“There’s a resiliency built into the social systems of Maine farms. We want to help each other in these hard times. We want to provide information to each other and to support the local food system."

THIS IS NEW YORK TOUGH

The Museum of the City of New York

"There’s a certain resilience to living in this city."

🌷A LOOK AT THE FIRST EARTH DAY WAS 50 YEARS AGO🌷

Michele Tantussi / Reuters

Fifty years ago, before the environment was seen as a political cause, it united everyone.

📸YOUR WEEKLY PALATE CLEANSER 📸

Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty Images

Don't we all need some magic in our lives right now? A Welsh mountain pony named Annie's Wizz is held by handler Daisy Cinque outside the home of a family in Twickenham, London, on April 23. Park Lane Stables is taking the fun to peoples' windows during the coronavirus lockdown in an initiative called "tiny pony at your window."

"That's it from us this time — see you next week!" —Gabriel and Kate

📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by the News Photo team. Gabriel Sanchez is the photo essay editor based in New York and loves cats. Kate Bubacz is the photo director based in New York and loves dogs. You can always reach us here.
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