10 Striking Moments in Photojournalism This Month

This month, the world has turned its attention to the Amazon rainforest as wildfires have rapidly spread over the course of three weeks, due in part to continual deforestation practices, verging on a global environmental crisis. In Hong Kong, protestors have continued to rally against Chinese influence through mass demonstrations, while Moscow residents have staged their own protests in the name of fair elections. Photographers have captured these major events but have been present for smaller moments, too, from the birth of two white lion cubs in France to a picturesque alpine opera concert in Italy. We present 10 striking photojournalism moments in August.

On August 25th, Victor Moriyama took this aerial image of smoke billowing from the burning Amazon rainforest, near Porto Velho, Brazil. The country’s National Institute for Space Research reported an 84 percent spike in wildfires in Brazil this year, with over 70,000 fires breaking out in the Amazon region alone.

August marked the third month of mass protests in Hong Kong, which began in June in response to a proposed extradition bill that would afford the Chinese government more power in the autonomous region. On August 25th, Chris McGrath took this image of protestors in gas masks and tennis rackets, which have been widely used to defend against police officers with tear gas.

Indranil Mukherjee took this photo on August 21st of students in facepaint and accessories, channeling Hindu gods Krishna and Shiva for a school event in Mumbai.

On August 3rd, a gunman targeted a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people. It has been reported that he was targeting Mexican immigrants in the border city. Four days later, the city’s residents came together for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims.

Two newborn white lion cubs named Simba and Nala cuddle up in a basket on August 11th at the animal refuge Caresse de Tigre in La Mailleraye-sur-Seine, France. The two cubs, named after characters from The Lion King, were born at the end of July.

On August 15th, an Airbus A321 landed in a corn field shortly after takeoff from Moscow due to engine failure from colliding birds. Photographer Sergei Bobylev visited the site of the emergency landing four days later.

This month marks two years since the Rohingya crisis, when Burmese security forces responded to Rohingya insurgent attacks by razing villages and killing civilians. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh. On August 25th, 200,000 Rohingya gathered in a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar to observe the second anniversary.

On August 21st, the Verona Arena Choir played an alpine opera concert high above Lake Garda in Malcesine, Italy, near the top of Mount Baldo. Concertgoers hiked or took cable cars to the pop-up open-air venue.

Beijing played host to the World Robot Conference from August 20th to 25th, which saw more than 700 exhibits showing what the future holds for robotics. Here, Hou Yu snapped a photo of the robot band Gree playing the piano.

On August 3rd, Moscow police detained nearly 700 protestors in Pushkinskaya Square. A series of demonstrations have taken place in the city following the exclusion of opposition candidates on ballots for the upcoming city council elections.