Magnum Photos

Today marks 87 years since photojournalist Gerda Taro lost her life while documenting the Battle of Brunete during the second year of the Spanish Civil War. The first woman war photographer to die in the field, Taro’s short yet profound career continues to have a lasting influence on the world of photojournalism. In 1933, Taro fled Leipzig for Paris, where she met one of the future Magnum co-founders, Robert Capa. Capa encouraged Taro’s early experiments in photography, and in 1936 they traveled to Barcelona to photograph the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, where she would continue to return alone throughout the following year. Taro threw herself into the heart of the action, compelled to experience the conflict first-hand, and many of her negatives from this period were considered lost until they emerged in a suitcase found in Mexico in 2007. Her legacy endures through her work and her role as a pioneer in war photography. 🔗 Read about Gerda Taro’s life and legacy: https://bit.ly/3WF0PlB © Robert Capa, Gerda Taro © International Center of Photography / Magnum Photos

Signature Drop #001: Newsha Tavakolian is now live 🌹 The first in a new series of time-limited pieces from Magnum photographers debuts today with a 16x20” print from Newsha Tavakolian. “Girl Smelling a Rose” is a five-image portrait of a girl immersed in the scent of a red rose from Tavakolian’s archive. Captured in 1997 during a presidential election in Tehran, the portrait represents a first-time voter who was “full of hope, with a beautiful gaze,” she explains. Through a series of physical and chemical experiments, the five images see the subject evolve: “The first picture represents naivety, the second is anger, the third is transformation, the fourth is the changes she’s going through with her past, and the fifth image is awareness and bursting into light.” Each print is made-to-order and annotated by Tavakolian herself, only available until Monday, July 29 at 9 a.m. EST. 🔗 Explore the drop: https://bit.ly/3WG6Qyp © Newsha Tavakolian / Magnum Photos

“I put all these images next to each other because without one another, this portrait of a girl smelling a rose would not be whole," says Newsha Tavakolian. "All of them, next to each other, the awareness, the anger, the consciousness — together they can describe a girl smelling a rose, not only a single image.” Upon rediscovering her image Girl Smelling a Rose nearly three decades after its creation, Tavakolian embarked on a series of chemical experiments, using it as a rich starting point for creative revision and evolution. The resulting five images represent a journey of hope and transformation, seeing her subject take on new agency throughout the process. 🔗 Watch the full video in the article: https://bit.ly/3ydKXgh

Join Moises Saman in a masterclass on contemporary image making in Seoul, South Korea this September 📸 Held in partnership with FUJIFILM Electronic Imaging Korea Co., Ltd. from September 4 to 8, this five-day workshop will see you explore the city of Seoul, creating an individual photographic response that will be shown during constructive group review sessions. ⁠ Under the guidance of Saman and peers, you will gain an increased understanding of how to develop a personal vision and style, in addition to partaking in exercises that will improve your editing and sequencing skills. Book your space: https://bit.ly/3S1OkO6 © Moises Saman / Magnum Photos

“I have always struggled to understand why I have such a complicated way of seeing things,” writes Newsha Tavakolian. In her series And They Laughed At Me, Tavakolian critically examines work created at the beginning of her career, often focusing on images that carry “mistakes," or seem flawed in some way, such as overexposed scenes, wayward frames and blinking subjects — reinterpreting them today through the lens of retrospect. Through this diversion from her technically meticulous approach to image selection, Tavakolian recontextualizes work from her archive, going one step further with the use of chemical processing to create new narratives. The first image from this carousel will be available as the first Signature Drop, a new quarterly-released, time-limited and hand-finished sale with Magnum photographers, set to take place on July 26 for 72 hours only. 🔗 Read the interview with Tavakolian and writer Sara Kazemimanesh: https://bit.ly/3W0MjD7 © Newsha Tavakolian / Magnum Photos

Today we remember Thomas Hoepker (1936–2024), an extraordinary photographer, journalist and long-term Magnum member who dedicated over 60 years to the pursuit of capturing the human condition. Establishing a reputation for his detailed photojournalism in the 1960s, Hoepker recognized the artist within as his practice evolved, outlining the need to go deeper below the surface of the image: "Taking good pictures is one thing, but once in a while you have to go beyond and do something meaningful.” His reportage revealed to many the alluring landscapes and life in Japan, China, Europe, and his adopted home for nearly five decades, the United States. Hoepker also photographed revered artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, as well as creating a much-beloved series on Muhammad Ali. “The Magnum family has lost one of its dearest members,” writes Magnum President Cristina de Middel. "His legacy within the Magnum community is one of inspiration, mentorship, and a relentless pursuit of excellence combined with kindness and generosity." 🔗 We reflect on the life, work and legacy of the remarkable Magnum photographer: https://bit.ly/4d1wtPv © Thomas Hoepker / Magnum Photos

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of beloved Magnum photographer Thomas Hoepker. He died peacefully at the age of 88. © René Burri / Magnum Photos

New #MagnumPhotos Nominee spotlight: Sakir Khader ✨ Sakir Khader (1990, Vlaardingen, the Netherlands) is a Palestinian documentary photographer and film director based in the Netherlands. His main focus is the relation between life and death in conflict zones, especially across the Middle East. He has also documented extensively in Palestine. Through his raw, intimate and cinematic signature style, Khader seeks to illuminate the poetic sorrows of everyday life. This week, following the 77th Annual General Meeting, the cooperative welcomed Khader as a Nominee alongside Salih Basheer, embarking on the minimum four-year process to full membership. Visit his bio: https://bit.ly/3WgCS3z © Sakir Khader / Magnum Photos

New #MagnumPhotos Nominee spotlight: Salih Basheer✨ Salih Basheer (Omdurman, Sudan, 1995) traverses themes of memory, belonging and social unrest through his work. He began his career by covering revolution and protest in Sudan, before embarking on long-term projects such as The Home Seekers, which follows the lives of two Sudanese men as they embark on new lives in Cairo, Egypt. His debut photobook, 22 Days in Between, published in 2023, was the first ever photobook published by a Sudanese photographer. This week, following the 77th Annual General Meeting, the cooperative welcomed Basheer as a new Nominee alongside Sakir Khader, embarking on the minimum four-year process to full membership. Visit his bio: https://bit.ly/3VUUpNg © Salih Basheer / Magnum Photos

New #MagnumPhotos Member spotlight: Sabiha Çimen ✨ Sabiha Çimen’s (Istanbul, Turkey, 1986) practice is at once intimate, playful and surreal, exploring themes of womanhood, Islamic culture, portraiture and still life in her native Turkey and beyond. "I see and experience the world through my belief system. It’s about devotion, discipline and practice. Photography helps me explore my culture by looking in. Islamic culture is underrepresented and often misunderstood in the Western sphere,” says Çimen of her work. "My mission is simply to shed some light on my world, especially about women, for others to see, and at the same time, to look deeper and discover my own true potential.” This week, following the 77th Annual General Meeting, the collective welcomed Çimen as a full Member alongside Yael Martínez. © Sabiha Çimen / Magnum Photos