As it’s the first of the month, it’s time for some classic mono:

Floyd Burroughs, cotton sharecropper. Hale County, Alabama (LOC)

This is from the Library of Congress photostream on Flickr.

Our final pick of the week is from Jasen Strickler:

Night Watering

© Jasen Strickler

Via Flak.

Another photo essay selection today, this one from Michael Mullady who documents how pollution from the local metal smelting plant affects the lifes of the inhabitants of La Oroya, Peru.

All photos © Michael Mullady

More here.

Our pick today is a photo essay from Mark Power/Magnum in Motion.

The shipping forecast and the names of the shipping areas are part of British public consciousness. In practice for most listeners the shipping forecast and conditions at sea have no meaningfull impact on their lives.  However, as a child I remember listening to these mysterious names and wondering what it must be like for the people who were riding out an increasing gale force 9 in German Bight.

The essay from Mark Power explores “the clash between the pictures built up in his imagination since childhood and the reality of the places he found”.

It’s a wonderfully atmospheric piece, enhanced by the forecast soundtrack. The only minor negative is that some of the photos linger all too briefly.

Click here for the essay.

For the first POD for each month I think we’ll get into the habit of looking back at some classic photography. So to kick off February I’m delighted to present this quietly intense portrait from Paul Strand:

More here.

Whilst we are primarily concerned with contemporary photography here at Nova, occasionally it can be worth looking back. So today our pick is this impossibly luminous image from Josef Sudek:

More here.

Today’s images are from Rena Effendi’s series on being twenty-something in Tehran:

All photos © Rena Effendi

More here.

Some compelling mono work from Mark Steinmetz is today’s selection:

All photos © Mark Steinmetz

More on his website. And here.