THE BIG PICTURE

Finding community in America’s Appalachian region

- The 2010 U.S. Census listed Owsley County, Kentucky as having the lowest median household income in the country outside of Puerto Rico. Familial and community bonds run deep, with a populace that shares a collective historical and cultural legacy uncommon in most parts of the country.

(Getty Images photographer, Mario Tama)

THE BIG PICTURE

Daily life: April 2012 

- The universality of our lives is never so evident as when we feature a collection of “slice of life” photographs from around the world. Common experience is what brings us together as people. So, from St. Petersburg, Russia to Salem, Oregon, tour the world in images of everyday existance.

(38 photos total)

THE BIG PICTURE

Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest: 50 Finalists

- The Smithsonian magazine’s 9th annual photo contest finalists have been chosen. The contest attracted over 14 thousand photographers from all 50 states and over 100 countries. (25 photos total)

THE BIG PICTURE

Lunar eclipse of December 10, 2011

- The longest lunar eclipse in over ten years animated the night sky on December 10. Viewers in Asia had the best view of the total eclipse, while those watching in Europe saw part of it at moonrise, and North Americans caught part of it as the moon set. The next total eclipse will occur in 2014. (27 photos total)

THE BIG PICTURE

Christmas approaches

- The Christian religious holiday may not arrive until December 25, but secular and commercial festivities have been in full swing for almost a month already. Gathered here are images of preparations from around the world as it begins to look a lot like Christmas. — (42 photos total)

THE BIG PICTURE: Texas drought and wildfires

- Wildfires have blazed across Texas for several days, but the drought conditions that fed the flames have been building for many months. Since last November, almost 1,500 homes have burned in nearly 21,000 fires across the state. Two deaths so far have been attributed to the fires, which have forced the evacuations of thousands of residents.(45 photos total)

THE BIG PICTURE - London riots

- Two nights of rioting in London’s Tottenham neighborhood erupted following protests over the shooting death by police of a local man, Mark Duggan. Over 170 people were arrested over the two nights of rioting, and fires gutted several stores, buildings, and cars. (26 photos total)

The Big Picture

Obama: US troop withdrawal to begin

- President Barack Obama told war-weary Americans in a 15 minute address from the East Room of the White House that the United States had largely achieved it’s goals in Afghanistan and that a withdrawal of American troops would be set in motion. In this post, we offer more glimpses of the troops and the Afghan people as they coexist, for now. (45 photos total)

Here Comes the Sun

- June 21 marked both the summer and winter solstice, the longest or shortest day of the year for sunlight depending on which hemisphere you reside. Here are some glimpses of the power, beauty, and transforming presence of the sun, taken since the beginning of June. (27 photos total)

THE BIG PICTURE: Japan continues to deal with the enormous task of cleaning up and moving forward three months after the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast coast. Collected here are images from this past weekend marking the three-month point, as well then-and-now images of the destruction shot by Kyodo News via the Associated Press. (29 photos total)