Picks of the bunch: Huck’s top ten photo stories of 2018
- Text by Huck
- Photography by Owen Harvey (main image)
It’s been a good year for photography on Huck.
We’ve seen shots from inside Europe’s largest alternative-living community, uncovered the internet’s forgotten shit pics and laughed at photos of really – really – rich people getting drunk.
And that’s before mentioning our annual celebration of visual storytelling: Huck 67 – an all-woman photography special. Featuring the likes of Susan Meiselas, Kendrick Brinson and Mikiko Hara, it’s a spotlight on the women breaking new ground in the photography world.
Looking ahead to next year, here are the ten most popular photo stories of 2018 – as chosen by readers.
The photographer capturing subcultures that refuse to die
For the past six years, Owen Harvey has been finding out why people are drawn to styles from a bygone era – and developing some unexpected perspective on his own life in the process.
© Owen Harvey
Photos that flip the way we view sex, violence and women
Pooling influence from Hollywood, old advertisements and porn, visual artist Camille Mariet uses explicit, bold photography to subvert sexist stereotypes.
© Camille Mariet
Life inside Europe’s biggest alternative-living community
The ZAD is a micro-society in rural France where activists, farmers and free-spirits live in harmony. Photographer Kevin Faingnaert tried to find out why.
© Kevin Faingnaert
The Congolese dandies who see fashion as a way of life
‘La Sape’ is a lifestyle built on a simple set of values: dress sharp, act with integrity and inspire others. This is why they do what they do.
© Alice Mann
Inside the hotel that symbolises South Africa’s past
Celebrities, politics, murder: Johannesburg’s Carlton Hotel has seen it all. But as two artists sneak into its now-abandoned halls, taking pictures as they go, the emptiness speaks volumes.
© Yvonne Mueller and Leif Bennett
A cab driver captures 30 years of New York after dark
Street photographer Ryan Weideman drove a New York City cab for decades. With one eye on the road and a camera in his hand, every passenger became a story, every trip a wild ride.
© Ryan Weideman
Secret snapshots of Tokyo’s vivid street life
Mikiko Hara doesn’t need a viewfinder. Instead the Japanese street photographer shoots from the chest, allowing the camera to capture happy accidents that come as a surprise – even to her.
© Mikiko Hara, courtesy of Osiris
The internet’s forgotten shit pics are accidentally amazing
To relieve the boredom of his day job, Doug Battenhausen has been mining defunct websites for years – harvesting long-discarded gems from the bottom of the web.
© Doug Battenhausen
Pictures of really, really rich people getting drunk
Throughout the ’80s, photographer Dafydd Jones captured the well-heeled hedonists of England’s upper classes. ‘It was another world going on behind closed doors,’ he remembers.
© Dafydd Jones
Dystopian photos of London’s bankers in meltdown
Ten years after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Stephen McLaren’s photos remember the fear, helplessness and demented ambivalence in the City of London at that time.
© Stephen McLaren
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Sepia splashed memories of Britain’s ’90s squatting and free party scene
Bygones — Moving into a Hackney squat at the age of 19, Tom Hunter spent years living on London’s edges, while documenting the vibrant, creative community and culture that it enabled. Huck’s art director Sam White chats to him about the freedom that existed, the collectivism and what’s been lost over the decades since.
Written by: Samuel White
A melancholic portrait of youth, rebellion and womanhood in Iran
And They Laughed At Me — Newsha Tavakolian has worked as a photographer all her adult life, as Iran underwent change, upheaval and conflict. Her new photobook explores the formative years of her eye and art amid generational strife, hope and disappointment.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The real life mermaids of Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs
Old Florida — A relic of pre-Disney tourism in the state, the show – which sees women perform athletic underwater tricks in a natural spring – has been running since 1947. Jack Burke attends, while reflecting on the fragility and fantasy of old America.
Written by: Jack Burke
The intricate, clandestine art of Japan’s traditional tattoos
Irezumi — Having emerged during the Edo Period centuries ago, inking skin has long been associated the country’s working class, and particularly Yakuza. A new book by Manami Okazaki explores the history and deep meaning of the practice, as well as the horishi who dedicate their lives to the needle.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Road tripping across 1970s America
73 Trip West — In 1973, Larry Racioppo set out from Brooklyn to California, armed with a medium format camera. For the first time in over half a century, roadside photographs from his trip have been unearthed.
Written by: Miss Rosen
New exhibition spotlights the ongoing impact of Japanese Women Photographers
1950s to Now — Taking place at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, it showcases work by 27 artists from the past seven decades including Mikiko Hara, Yurie Nagashima and Mao Ishikawa.
Written by: Isaac Muk
