Category: Face Of The Day

Lorenzo Triburgo explores the conflict between the real and fabricated in portraiture through his photographs of transgender people:

“I wanted to make a genuine, proud portrait while at the same time calling attention to the fallacy of portraiture,” [Triburgo] said in an interview. The Portland photographer sought to use the medium of photography and the theme of portraiture to explore both American masculinity and transgender identity. When he started the endeavor in 2008, Triburgo was going through his own transition so the project allowed him to navigate personal issues through professional interests.

See more of Triburgo’s work here and here.

Sister Daphne and Sister Suzette participate the ecumenical Good Friday procession  in Berlin Germany on April 18, 2014. Under the theme of “Reformation and Politics”, the Protestant church invites this year’s politicians to join the traditional march through Berlin. By Christian Marquardt/Getty Images.

Biden’s first selfie. The Onion’s version to follow (I hope).

A Catholic worshipper holds Virgin Mary picture as he prepare for Holy Week celebrations, known as ‘Semana Santa’ on April 16, 2014 in Larantuka, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Easter celebrations in Larantuka started in the 16th century, when Portuguese missionaries entered and acculturated the local people. The ritual appeals to the pilgrims and people from various regions in Indonesia, who come to follow the procession. Holy Week marks the last week of Lent and the beginning of Easter celebrations. Catholics make up approximately 3% per cent of the population of the predominantly Muslim country. By Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images.

Mark Murrmann appreciates the work of Chris Hondros, the renowned photojournalist who was killed alongside Tim Hetherington in Libya in 2011:

Though he published thousands of photos, one of Chris Hondros’ best known images remains seared in my mind: a young Iraqi girl crying, covered in the blood of her parents who were just killed by the US soldiers towering over her. I first saw it in the New York Times—a shocking story with a mesmerizing image. I was just finding my way in the world of photography at the time, thinking maybe I wanted to be a war photographer. Hondros’ photos stood out for his ability to capture moments of clarity in tense, difficult situations. …

Testament, a new offering from powerHouse Books, stands as a retrospective of Hondros’ work, and also reveals him as a skilled writer and speaker who often talked publicly about his profession and the impact of photography, especially war photography, on society. Excerpts of his writings, speeches, and interviews are interspersed with the photos, giving a better idea of the man, and where he was coming from as a photographer. It’s this extra stuff that makes Testament much better than just another collection of great photos from horrific situations. Proceeds from sales of the book, incidentally, go to the Chris Hondros Fund, established to support the work of conflict photographers and spread awareness of issues that arise from reporting in war zones.

Buy the book here. A photo essay of many of Testament‘s images here.

(Photo: Joseph Duo, a Liberian militia commander loyal to the government, exults after firing a rocket-propelled grenade at rebel forces at a key strategic bridge in Monrovia, Liberia on July 20, 2003. It’s the cover-photo for Testament – photographs by Chris Hondros/Getty Images, text by Chris Hondros, published by powerHouse Books.)

Masked faithfuls dressed as a devil, popularly known as ‘Talciguin’, while taking part in the celebration of an ancient local tradition marking the start of Holy Week on April 14 in Texistepeque, some 84 km west of San Salvador, El Salvador. Talciguines lash Catholic faithfuls to cleanse their sins. By Jose Cabezas/AFP/Getty Images.

Photographer Lindsey Villatoro put together a mock wedding for an 11-year-old whose dad is dying of pancreatic cancer:

Why not give her something every little girl deserves? After speaking to Josie’s mom, the plan began to take shape: they would create a surprise wedding for Josie so that she could have her father walk her down the aisle.

In 72 hours, Villatoro was able to bring together a wedding dress from L.A. Fashion Week, catering, flowers, tux, hair, makeup and more, all donated by her local vendors. There was even a wedding cake and promise ring. In all, Villatoro tells us, “she received over $2,000 in birthday presents from my clients,” and not a cent was spent to bring the event together.

See more of Villatoro’s work here or follow her here. A video of the day’s highlights can be found here.

Thomas Card photographed unique styles on the streets of Tokyo:

Since the early 1990s, fashion tribes—from ganguro to Lolita—have united people interested in developing hyperstylized looks. Initially intrigued by an article describing makeup trends among Japan’s nightlife crowd, New York–based photographer Thomas C. Card spent several months in Tokyo in spring 2012 creating portraits of the city’s most striking citizens for his book Tokyo Adorned. Although many of the people he photographed showed characteristics of various fashion tribes, Card noted the fierce individualism his subjects expressed in describing their style.

“The thing I found absolutely amazing once I was on the ground in Tokyo was that the fashions were very much centered around the individual and less around the tribe,” Card said. “In the early part of our production process, we were thinking of this as different tribes and groups that were very close and defined. I was thrilled when I got there to find that nearly all the girls really view this as an expression of themselves.”

See more photos from the series here.

A Gelada baboon is pictured at the zoo of the French eastern city of Amneville on April 11, 2014. By Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/AFP/Getty Images.

A robot is pictured at the Morsettitalia stand at the Hannover Messe industrial trade fair  in Hanover, Germany on April 10, 2014. The Netherlands is the official partner country of this year’s fair with more than 5000 companies showcasing their latest industrial products and solutions. The Hannover Fair will run from April 07-11. By Nigel Treblin/Getty Images.