Your best photos of the week, March 22, 2019

This week I was thrilled to see so many different views of the world right here from my desk in Washington, D.C.—scenes that I may never get to see firsthand. I’m always humbled by the Your Shot photo community sharing the world with us through their eyes.

When I first saw Rachel Mataira’s photograph of a person holding their hands in the sunlight, I was immediately intrigued by the details in their clothing and body language, even though I couldn’t see the entire scene surrounding them. Then I read her caption. My heart sank as I learned that this photo was from a gathering in New Zealand following the mass shooting in Christchurch. Photographs don’t always have to be spectacles to tell a story. Little details that intrigue us can sometimes have the ability to tell a much larger story.

Photography is fascinating in that way. It has the power to evoke emotion in the audience while simultaneously leaving us wanting to know more. We witness just a speck of time in a photo, but we can craft an entire narrative within those four corners of the frame. We can learn so much from just one moment.

I’m grateful for everything the Your Shot community shares with us, from the flowers in their backyards and their worldwide travels to the personal stories they are experiencing in real time. As always, I look forward to what I’ll be learning through the community next week.