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April 5: Week in Photography
Your lens to the internet's most powerful photographs. 📸 MOST POWERFUL PHOTO OF THE WEEK 📸 Susana Vera / Reuters No community has been left untouched by the current health crisis, but it's the world's medical professionals who have faced this pandemic head-on with both tenacity and compassion. Unfortunately, their selfless actions are not without consequence — many on the front lines risk illness and bear the emotional stress of a health care system pushed to the brink.
In this powerful photograph from Leganes, Spain, two medical workers embrace each other outside the emergency rooms at Severo Ochoa Hospital on March 26. In quiet moments like this, we are reminded of the humanity behind these modern-day superheroes.
📸For Your 👀 Only: MARTINA ALBERTAZZI'S WORLD OF MAGIC✨ When it feels like the world is falling apart, it's easy to want to indulge in magical thinking and escapism — the idea that everything can be, if not fixed, changed with the wave of a wand. In light of this, we're thoroughly smitten with the work of Martina Albertazzi, a photographer based in Los Angeles. Her project Break a Thread looks into the fun and playful world of women magicians in LA.
How did you first get interested in magic?
I have always thought of magic as a very interesting form of entertainment filled with mystery and charm, but I have never been passionate about it. Then I moved to LA two years ago and found a bookstore in my neighborhood of Highland Park that had a broad selection about magic and used to host magic shows every now and then. The store has since closed, but I started to do some research and found out that in Los Angeles, magic is very popular.
Katrina Kroetch performs a levitation trick with Shayne Slauter, before her real magic show at the Houdini Estate on the Hollywood Hills.
At least once a week, many bars, especially around Hollywood, host shows that attract both tourists and locals. LA is also home to the historic Magic Castle, a private club open since the early ‘60s, where magicians from all over the world dream of performing. Since I moved here, I had the idea of doing a photo series about performers and suddenly it all made perfect sense — everything in this city is a mirage. Everything seems to be a big magic performance around here.
How did this project come about?
When I started to read more about magic in Los Angeles and Southern California, I found some names of local magicians. I reached out to them right away without having a very clear idea of what I wanted to focus on. All I knew was that I wanted to photograph them while they were on stage or practicing.
Magicians are usually thought to be men — why did you choose to focus on women?
The decision of focusing on women came shortly after. I bought some books, in particular one called The Art of Magic, which was a collection of old posters of magic shows. They all showed men onstage performing the craziest tricks. In the background there were always women, but their role was merely being a distraction. Women were never the stars of the show (except a very few exceptions). Although females still represent a small percentage of the magic community, in the recent years the situation has changed quite significantly. In Los Angeles, there are many talented female artists that fill theaters and bars performing amazing magic shows.
An old magic book that belongs to ELizabeth Messick. An old boyfriend gave it to her as a gift. What was the most surprising thing about this project?
Since the very beginning, this project has been a big source of surprises. The artists I photographed have taught me a lot about life onstage and especially about the struggles that women still face in the magic business. They put their own narrative to their tricks, and they are storytellers rather than just magicians. Some of them are actors, musicians, activists, and they put all these other aspects of their lives into their shows. They build their own costumes often, because most of the clothes that magicians use to hide their props are designed for men, so they need to get creative. They put their own personal experience into their shows and every single one of them is unique.
A portrait of Simone Turkington, 42, holding magic ropes after her show at Magicopolis, a theater in Santa Monica The images are a blend of portraits and reportage. Can you talk more about your process?
While the work is mostly made of portraits of the artists in their own environment which could be their studio, their home, or the secret alleys of the Magic Castle, I also thought it was important to have some candid shots of them performing or practicing together with some images of their favorite props. As performers, they were all very comfortable in front of the camera, so for me it was necessary to document a more natural side of their stage life.
Do you have a favorite image that sums up the project?
It’s hard for me to choose one favorite image, but I really love the one of the ladies watching Cydney Kaplan perform a card trick at the Magic Castle. They’re laughing and having the best time together watching a great show. I think that image describes pretty well the mood of the entire series.
Patricia Marquis, aka Patricia Magicia, practices a trick with Chinese linking rings in her apartment in Beverly Hills. 📸THE WEEK'S PHOTO STORIES FROM BUZZFEED NEWS 📸 Among new developments in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, something hopeful is on the horizon — the USNS Comfort arrived in New York City on Monday to provide support for the city's strained health care system. Our first photo story takes a look inside the capabilities and readiness of these mammoth vessels. Next we explore the various ways in which world religions are navigating a socially distant society and to end, we take a deep dive in the archives at the Museum of the City of New York to explore what medicine looked like over 100 years ago.
Find more of the week's best photo stories here.
HOPE ON THE HORIZON: INSIDE THE MERCY-CLASS HOSPITAL SHIPS Gary Hershorn / Getty Images The USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy were designed for mass casualty events and are currently docked in Los Angeles and New York City. SEE THE FULL STORY
RELIGION IN TIME OF A PANDEMIC Elaine Thompson / AP Groups across all religions are coming to terms with a new normal in which socially distant does not have to mean spiritually apart. SEE THE FULL STORY
HISTORY'S HELPING HAND: NYC HOSPITALS 100 YEARS AGO Museum of the City of New York / Getty Images "It is important to reiterate that health care workers have been on the front lines battling infection and disease here in the city for centuries." SEE THE FULL STORY
📸YOUR WEEKLY PALATE CLEANSER 📸 Christopher Furlong / Getty Images Here's an unusual scene from Llandudno, Wales, where mountain goats have taken to roaming the empty streets while residents stay indoors during quarantine. The goats normally live on the rocky Great Orme but are occasional visitors to the seaside town. A local councillor told the BBC that the herd was drawn this time by the lack of people and tourists.
"That's it from us this time — see you next week!" —Gabriel and Kate "Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography." —George EastmanWant More? Go To JPG Homepage
📝 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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