photo essay mediterranean

‘A moment in history’: making a perilous sea-crossing with refugees – photo essay

Ahead of a UK exhibition of her photo series Journey in the Death Boat, Güliz Vural describes travelling with Syrians being smuggled to Greece from Turkey

S tanding on a Turkish beach ready to join a group of Syrian refugees on an inflatable boat bound for Greece , the photojournalist Güliz Vural’s biggest fear was that the people traffickers organising the illegal crossing would not let her onboard.

If she had known that within a few hours of leaving Turkey she would be under arrest, accused of people trafficking herself, she would have thought twice about the journey.

On that bright October morning the smugglers intimidated and humiliated the refugees who had gathered on the shore. “They were dangerous people, and rude,” Vural, 41, says through an interpreter.

But they agreed that she could accompany the migrants and eventually they set off, nearly 50 people crammed on to a boat designed for 12, their fluorescent lifejackets a patchwork of colours against the clear sky. Soon they were in the cobalt blue water of the Aegean Sea, leaving Turkey’s Sivrice Bay behind, and heading for the Greek island of Lesbos.

The families held on to each other tightly. Some rubbed and kissed prayer beads, before ritualistically tossing them overboard.

They passed the 90-minute journey mostly in silence, except for occasionally throwing their hands into the air to pray. “ Ya Allah! ” they would cry out. “Oh God!”

The migrants carry the inflatable boat they will travel in down to the beach. They had to leave all their possessions as they crammed themselves in. Nearly 50 Syrians made the crossing in a boat designed to carry 12 people, adding to the anxiety felt by the children in particular.

Wearing a wetsuit and perched at the bow, not daring to move for fear of destabilising the boat, Vural spent the journey training her camera lens on the anxious faces of her fellow passengers. “I took photos non-stop. I wanted to document [their experience]. This was a moment in history.”

After the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011, Vural spent three years documenting the lives of refugees who had fled the violence and destruction of their homeland. She met families living in temporary accommodation in Istanbul and travelled to the border town of Reyhanlı in the southern province of Hatay, near the Syrian border.

The grief and pain she saw in the people she met resonated with her. “My Kurdish family were forced from south-east Turkey in 1977. Even though I was born in Istanbul and wasn’t a refugee, I felt a lack of belonging. We lost our culture; it felt like our Kurdish history had been deleted. When I saw how traumatic the Syrian refugees’ lives were, it reminded me of my own family’s trauma, and it really affected me.”

Some of the refugees she encountered were happy to stay in Turkey, but others had dreams of making it to Europe . Stories of perilous sea crossings between Turkey and Greece began to emerge as waves of refugees risked their lives to start anew in the west. In total, more than a million migrants and refugees entered Europe in 2015, the vast majority via sea from Turkey. The tragic image of two-year-old Syrian Alan Kurdi lying face down on a Turkish beach after drowning on a sea crossing came to symbolise the desperate plight of people who dared to believe in a better future.

Vural sat in the bow so she could take photographs of the migrants, hardly daring to move in case she upset the boat. More than 800 people died in just one year on the Turkey-Greece route that she documented.

According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 3,700 migrants died trying to cross the Mediterranean in 2015 – more than 800 of them on the Turkey-Greece route that Vural documented. Since 2014, more than 22,000 migrants have been recorded as missing in the Mediterranean.

It was the biggest migration crisis in memory and Vural felt she had to record it in some way. “I saw many journalists [reporting] events from the shore. I wanted to be on the boat with [the refugees].”

In October 2015 she travelled to the Aegean coast, just south of Çanakkale, a known departure point for illegal crossings “My husband is a journalist and he understood why I had to go, but I didn’t tell my parents or my daughter. I didn’t want them to worry,” she says.

The photojournalist Güliz Vural, centre left, crossed with the refugees from Sivrice Bay, Turkey, to the Greek island of Lesbos. Right, Vural being detained as a suspected people smuggler when the boat landed in Greece.

The hazardous journey is expensive: the migrants Vural joined paid about £2,000 for each person. They were understandably anxious about the journey but Vural saw their courage too. They had to abandon their belongings when the smugglers ordered them to make space for everyone and squeeze in. They were also bidding farewell to their families and to the lives left behind. “They brought only the future with them,” says Vural.

After arriving in Greece, the migrants were sent to a refugee camp for processing. But Vural was arrested by the Greek coastguard as a suspected people-smuggler.

“For the first time in my life I was handcuffed, then I was taken to the judge, who said I would be tried for two serious crimes: human trafficking and entering the country illegally. They said I faced a jail term of 25 years.”

She was shocked and scared but, she says, “I tried not to be regretful.”

After calls to the Turkish embassy, letters from her newspaper and a €3,000 (£2,600) warranty, the authorities accepted that she was a journalist and released her five days later. But her confiscated phone was never returned to her so she was unable to contact the refugees whose number she had taken.

But Vural had the photographs. She named the series Journey in the Death Boat but the Turkish media, which had splashed her photo on the front pages when she was arrested, showed no interest in the story of the refugees’ journey. Though she was never given a reason, Vural believes this is because the project criticises Turkey for allowing people smugglers to operate.

‘He spent the whole journey desperate and sad,’ Vural said of this nine-year-old boy. Relief and jubilation as the boat lands in Greece.

Next week the project will go on display for the first time in the UK in an exhibition at Coventry Cathedral on the 10-12 November as part of the sixth Rising Global Peace Forum . The series is a tribute to her determination, and to the refugees who risked everything for a better life. Today, she thinks about the migrants often, wondering how many made it to their dream destination: Germany.

Vural is now a migrant herself. In April she moved to the UK to set up her photography business, dismayed by the political climate in Turkey, where “opposition journalists no longer have a right to life,” she says, since the Turkish government cracked down on free speech after the 2016 failed coup attempt .

She is acutely aware of the freedom she has to return to Turkey whenever she wishes. She plans to use that freedom to continue photographing those who have little chance of returning home. “I want to continue to work with refugees in the UK,” she says.

The migrants passed the 90-minute journey mostly in silence, except for occasionally throwing their hands into the air to pray. “ Ya Allah! ” they would cry out. “Oh God!”

• Rights and freedom
• Migration and development
• Middle East and north Africa
• Photography

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Photo Essay : Stunning Seaside Towns on Italy’s Mediterranean

When I think of the tiny towns nestled along Italy’s Mediterranean coast, I think of the multi-hued sherbet cubes tucked into cliffsides, varying shades of aquamarine water with colorful boats bobbing up and down, gray pebbly beaches with lounge chairs and colorful umbrellas, steep craggy coastlines that abruptly drop into the forcefully churning surf and ports where fishmongers row in their catch of the day.

And though many of them possess these same characteristics, each one has its own history, charm, vibe and reasons to visit.  Enjoy this photo essay of some of the best seaside towns along the Mediterranean in Italy.

Sanremo is one of the westernmost town, so very close to the French border.  It’s home to a casino, palm trees and a luxurious looking Marina!

Genoa is one of the largest cities on the Northern Italy Coast.  It’s a large industrial port city and actually was Italy’s first.

Lerici is in the province of Liguria.  It’s considered part of the Italian Riviera. And in case you can’t tell from the photo…it’s a port town.

Cinque Terre means five towns. It is literally made up of five tiny villages, all connected by ancient paths.  This photo is of Manarola, one of the most recognizable in the Cinque Terre.

Another hugely popular town on the Italian Riviera is Portofino.  The small fishing village was supposedly discovered by Romans and named for dolphins.  The stunning half-moon shape of the harbor is best viewed from above, as in this photo.

Livorno is an ancient tangle of canals and walls.  It’s also known as Leghorn, and there is a breed of chicken named after the city.  Rumor has it that it’s how Foghorn Leghorn got his name.

Monterosso al Mare

Another tiny town included in the Cinque Terre.  I love how the little beach is anchored on either side by the huge rocks.  And check out the walkway just clinging to that cliff face on the right.

This unique town of the Cinque Terre wraps completely around the coast, offering spectacular views. The Doria Castle, which was erected to protect against pirates and the church’s octagonal bell tower are two notable sights.

C amogli, which means houses close together in Italian, is a tiny fishing village on the coast.  If this picture is any indication, it looks adorable.

Riomaggiore

The southernmost town in the Cinque Terre group.  It sits on the Gulf of Genoa and is known for its wine and aquariums.

Portovenere

This tiny fishing village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Its name is said to come from a temple to the goddess Venus. I know I’d feel like a goddess if I spent any time there.

Piombino is an ancient Etruscan port.  The area attracts snorkelers and divers from all over the world.  There is also a Marine Biology Center and aquarium.

Nettuno, named for the Roman god Neptune, is located in the Lazio region.  It’s a popular spot for sunbathers since it’s a stop on the local train out of Rome.

Gaeta has had a turbulent history, but is currently an important seaport for both fishing and oil.  You can also get tiella here, which is a unique combination of a pizza and calzone. I can imagine eating one on that stretch of golden sand.

Sorrento is a tourist destination in the Campania region, which overlooks the beautiful Bay of Naples.  Other than delicious views and luxury resorts, Sorrento is known for its Limoncello.  How ’bout a chilled sip while drooling over this view?

Made famous by the scenes shot here in Under the Tuscan Sun, this gem had been frequented by celebs long before that. Located on the Amalfi coast,  Positano was a medieval port and boasts two separate beaches- both equally beautiful.

Atrani, located a few minutes drive from Amalfi, is one of the most romantic towns of them all.  The location is stunning,even dramatic, and looking at this photo it’s clear why.   Their abundance of fish is evident in the Sagre del Pesce Azzurro, the celebratory fish festival.

Praiano, located between Positano and Amalfi, is home to the famed Grotto Esmerela, or Green Grotto.  Not quite as talked about as the famous Blue Grotto on Capri, but with views like this, how could it not be beautiful?

Once used by pirates as a naval base and later destroyed by Turkish pirates in the 16th century, this tiny gem is known for its anchovy and tuna production.  Oh, and it looks dreamy at dusk, wouldn’t you agree?

Tropea is situated on a reef in the toe of the boot, the Calabria region.  From the photo, we can tell it’s a favorite spot of beach-goers.  The people seem ant-like in relation to the giant sandstone cliffs.

Located at the mouth of a ravine called Monte Cerrato, Amalfi is certainly one of the most well-known towns.  An entire section of Italy’s southern coast is named after it.  Amalfi is home to a Duomo, campanile (bell tower) and hosts an ancient regatta once every four years.

Which stunning locale are you heading to first?  Include any favorites that I missed in the comments.

Note : Though many of these little villages are set in more specific areas of Italy’s coastline, such as the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas, I have grouped these bodies of water all together as part of the larger Mediterranean Sea for the pupose of this piece.

Photo Credits : Mike Flemming /  Perrimoon / Alex Scarcella /  Rob Inh00d / Extravigator / Conormac / LeeMcarthur / Tylerc083 / RoSSella Rebonato / [MP] / Nick’s Pics /   Raffaelesergi1977 / Sunshinecity / Michaelwm25 / S J Pickney / Robin Locker / Allerina & Glen MacLarty / MHJohnston / Ale Bovini / Simo0082 / Paul and Jill

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How to Create an Engaging Photo Essay (with Examples)

Photo essays tell a story in pictures. They're a great way to improve at photography and story-telling skills at once. Learn how to do create a great one.

Learn | Photography Guides | By Ana Mireles

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Photography is a medium used to tell stories – sometimes they are told in one picture, sometimes you need a whole series. Those series can be photo essays.

If you’ve never done a photo essay before, or you’re simply struggling to find your next project, this article will be of help. I’ll be showing you what a photo essay is and how to go about doing one.

You’ll also find plenty of photo essay ideas and some famous photo essay examples from recent times that will serve you as inspiration.

If you’re ready to get started, let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

What is a Photo Essay?

A photo essay is a series of images that share an overarching theme as well as a visual and technical coherence to tell a story. Some people refer to a photo essay as a photo series or a photo story – this often happens in photography competitions.

Photographic history is full of famous photo essays. Think about The Great Depression by Dorothea Lange, Like Brother Like Sister by Wolfgang Tillmans, Gandhi’s funeral by Henri Cartier Bresson, amongst others.

What are the types of photo essay?

Despite popular belief, the type of photo essay doesn’t depend on the type of photography that you do – in other words, journalism, documentary, fine art, or any other photographic genre is not a type of photo essay.

Instead, there are two main types of photo essays: narrative and thematic .

As you have probably already guessed, the thematic one presents images pulled together by a topic – for example, global warming. The images can be about animals and nature as well as natural disasters devastating cities. They can happen all over the world or in the same location, and they can be captured in different moments in time – there’s a lot of flexibility.

A narrative photo essa y, on the other hand, tells the story of a character (human or not), portraying a place or an event. For example, a narrative photo essay on coffee would document the process from the planting and harvesting – to the roasting and grinding until it reaches your morning cup.

What are some of the key elements of a photo essay?

• Tell a unique story – A unique story doesn’t mean that you have to photograph something that nobody has done before – that would be almost impossible! It means that you should consider what you’re bringing to the table on a particular topic.
• Put yourself into the work – One of the best ways to make a compelling photo essay is by adding your point of view, which can only be done with your life experiences and the way you see the world.
• Add depth to the concept – The best photo essays are the ones that go past the obvious and dig deeper in the story, going behind the scenes, or examining a day in the life of the subject matter – that’s what pulls in the spectator.
• Nail the technique – Even if the concept and the story are the most important part of a photo essay, it won’t have the same success if it’s poorly executed.
• Build a structure – A photo essay is about telling a thought-provoking story – so, think about it in a narrative way. Which images are going to introduce the topic? Which ones represent a climax? How is it going to end – how do you want the viewer to feel after seeing your photo series?
• Make strong choices – If you really want to convey an emotion and a unique point of view, you’re going to need to make some hard decisions. Which light are you using? Which lens? How many images will there be in the series? etc., and most importantly for a great photo essay is the why behind those choices.

9 Tips for Creating a Photo Essay

Credit: Laura James

1. Choose something you know

To make a good photo essay, you don’t need to travel to an exotic location or document a civil war – I mean, it’s great if you can, but you can start close to home.

Depending on the type of photography you do and the topic you’re looking for in your photographic essay, you can photograph a local event or visit an abandoned building outside your town.

It will be much easier for you to find a unique perspective and tell a better story if you’re already familiar with the subject. Also, consider that you might have to return a few times to the same location to get all the photos you need.

2. Follow your passion

Most photo essays take dedication and passion. If you choose a subject that might be easy, but you’re not really into it – the results won’t be as exciting. Taking photos will always be easier and more fun if you’re covering something you’re passionate about.

3. Take your time

A great photo essay is not done in a few hours. You need to put in the time to research it, conceptualizing it, editing, etc. That’s why I previously recommended following your passion because it takes a lot of dedication, and if you’re not passionate about it – it’s difficult to push through.

4. Write a summary or statement

Photo essays are always accompanied by some text. You can do this in the form of an introduction, write captions for each photo or write it as a conclusion. That’s up to you and how you want to present the work.

5. Learn from the masters

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Making a photographic essay takes a lot of practice and knowledge. A great way to become a better photographer and improve your storytelling skills is by studying the work of others. You can go to art shows, review books and magazines and look at the winners in photo contests – most of the time, there’s a category for photo series.

6. Get a wide variety of photos

Think about a story – a literary one. It usually tells you where the story is happening, who is the main character, and it gives you a few details to make you engage with it, right?

The same thing happens with a visual story in a photo essay – you can do some wide-angle shots to establish the scenes and some close-ups to show the details. Make a shot list to ensure you cover all the different angles.

Some of your pictures should guide the viewer in, while others are more climatic and regard the experience they are taking out of your photos.

7. Follow a consistent look

Both in style and aesthetics, all the images in your series need to be coherent. You can achieve this in different ways, from the choice of lighting, the mood, the post-processing, etc.

8. Be self-critical

Once you have all the photos, make sure you edit them with a good dose of self-criticism. Not all the pictures that you took belong in the photo essay. Choose only the best ones and make sure they tell the full story.

9. Ask for constructive feedback

Often, when we’re working on a photo essay project for a long time, everything makes perfect sense in our heads. However, someone outside the project might not be getting the idea. It’s important that you get honest and constructive criticism to improve your photography.

How to Create a Photo Essay in 5 Steps

Credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh

1. Choose your topic

This is the first step that you need to take to decide if your photo essay is going to be narrative or thematic. Then, choose what is it going to be about?

Ideally, it should be something that you’re interested in, that you have something to say about it, and it can connect with other people.

2. Research your topic

To tell a good story about something, you need to be familiar with that something. This is especially true when you want to go deeper and make a compelling photo essay. Day in the life photo essays are a popular choice, since often, these can be performed with friends and family, whom you already should know well.

3. Plan your photoshoot

Depending on what you’re photographing, this step can be very different from one project to the next. For a fine art project, you might need to find a location, props, models, a shot list, etc., while a documentary photo essay is about planning the best time to do the photos, what gear to bring with you, finding a local guide, etc.

Every photo essay will need different planning, so before taking pictures, put in the required time to get things right.

4. Experiment

It’s one thing to plan your photo shoot and having a shot list that you have to get, or else the photo essay won’t be complete. It’s another thing to miss out on some amazing photo opportunities that you couldn’t foresee.

So, be prepared but also stay open-minded and experiment with different settings, different perspectives, etc.

5. Make a final selection

Editing your work can be one of the hardest parts of doing a photo essay. Sometimes we can be overly critical, and others, we get attached to bad photos because we put a lot of effort into them or we had a great time doing them.

Try to be as objective as possible, don’t be afraid to ask for opinions and make various revisions before settling down on a final cut.

7 Photo Essay Topics, Ideas & Examples

Credit: Michelle Leman

• Architectural photo essay

Using architecture as your main subject, there are tons of photo essay ideas that you can do. For some inspiration, you can check out the work of Francisco Marin – who was trained as an architect and then turned to photography to “explore a different way to perceive things”.

You can also lookup Luisa Lambri. Amongst her series, you’ll find many photo essay examples in which architecture is the subject she uses to explore the relationship between photography and space.

• Process and transformation photo essay

This is one of the best photo essay topics for beginners because the story tells itself. Pick something that has a beginning and an end, for example, pregnancy, the metamorphosis of a butterfly, the life-cycle of a plant, etc.

Keep in mind that these topics are linear and give you an easy way into the narrative flow – however, it might be difficult to find an interesting perspective and a unique point of view.

• A day in the life of ‘X’ photo essay

There are tons of interesting photo essay ideas in this category – you can follow around a celebrity, a worker, your child, etc. You don’t even have to do it about a human subject – think about doing a photo essay about a day in the life of a racing horse, for example – find something that’s interesting for you.

• Time passing by photo essay

It can be a natural site or a landmark photo essay – whatever is close to you will work best as you’ll need to come back multiple times to capture time passing by. For example, how this place changes throughout the seasons or maybe even over the years.

A fun option if you live with family is to document a birthday party each year, seeing how the subject changes over time. This can be combined with a transformation essay or sorts, documenting the changes in interpersonal relationships over time.

• Travel photo essay

Do you want to make the jump from tourist snapshots into a travel photo essay? Research the place you’re going to be travelling to. Then, choose a topic.

If you’re having trouble with how to do this, check out any travel magazine – National Geographic, for example. They won’t do a generic article about Texas – they do an article about the beach life on the Texas Gulf Coast and another one about the diverse flavors of Texas.

The more specific you get, the deeper you can go with the story.

• Socio-political issues photo essay

This is one of the most popular photo essay examples – it falls under the category of photojournalism or documental photography. They are usually thematic, although it’s also possible to do a narrative one.

Depending on your topic of interest, you can choose topics that involve nature – for example, document the effects of global warming. Another idea is to photograph protests or make an education photo essay.

It doesn’t have to be a big global issue; you can choose something specific to your community – are there too many stray dogs? Make a photo essay about a local animal shelter. The topics are endless.

• Behind the scenes photo essay

A behind-the-scenes always make for a good photo story – people are curious to know what happens and how everything comes together before a show.

Depending on your own interests, this can be a photo essay about a fashion show, a theatre play, a concert, and so on. You’ll probably need to get some permissions, though, not only to shoot but also to showcase or publish those images.

4 Best Photo Essays in Recent times

Now that you know all the techniques about it, it might be helpful to look at some photo essay examples to see how you can put the concept into practice. Here are some famous photo essays from recent times to give you some inspiration.

Habibi by Antonio Faccilongo

This photo essay wan the World Press Photo Story of the Year in 2021. Faccilongo explores a very big conflict from a very specific and intimate point of view – how the Israeli-Palestinian war affects the families.

He chose to use a square format because it allows him to give order to things and eliminate unnecessary elements in his pictures.

With this long-term photo essay, he wanted to highlight the sense of absence and melancholy women and families feel towards their husbands away at war.

The project then became a book edited by Sarah Leen and the graphics of Ramon Pez.

Picture This: New Orleans by Mary Ellen Mark

The last assignment before her passing, Mary Ellen Mark travelled to New Orleans to register the city after a decade after Hurricane Katrina.

The images of the project “bring to life the rebirth and resilience of the people at the heart of this tale”, – says CNNMoney, commissioner of the work.

Each survivor of the hurricane has a story, and Mary Ellen Mark was there to record it. Some of them have heartbreaking stories about everything they had to leave behind.

Others have a story of hope – like Sam and Ben, two eight-year-olds born from frozen embryos kept in a hospital that lost power supply during the hurricane, yet they managed to survive.

Selfie by Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer whose work is mainly done through self-portraits. With them, she explores the concept of identity, gender stereotypes, as well as visual and cultural codes.

One of her latest photo essays was a collaboration with W Magazine entitled Selfie. In it, the author explores the concept of planned candid photos (‘plandid’).

The work was made for Instagram, as the platform is well known for the conflict between the ‘real self’ and the one people present online. Sherman started using Facetune, Perfect365 and YouCam to alter her appearance on selfies – in Photoshop, you can modify everything, but these apps were designed specifically to “make things prettier”- she says, and that’s what she wants to explore in this photo essay.

Tokyo Compression by Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf has an interest in the broad-gauge topic Life in Cities. From there, many photo essays have been derived – amongst them – Tokyo Compression .

He was horrified by the way people in Tokyo are forced to move to the suburbs because of the high prices of the city. Therefore, they are required to make long commutes facing 1,5 hours of train to start their 8+ hour workday followed by another 1,5 hours to get back home.

To portray this way of life, he photographed the people inside the train pressed against the windows looking exhausted, angry or simply absent due to this way of life.

You can visit his website to see other photo essays that revolve around the topic of life in megacities.

Final Words

It’s not easy to make photo essays, so don’t expect to be great at it right from your first project.

Start off small by choosing a specific subject that’s interesting to you –  that will come from an honest place, and it will be a great practice for some bigger projects along the line.

Whether you like to shoot still life or you’re a travel photographer, I hope these photo essay tips and photo essay examples can help you get started and grow in your photography.

Let us know which topics you are working on right now – we’ll love to hear from you!

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Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

Penelope G. To Ana Mireles Such a well written and helpful article for an writer who wants to inclue photo essay in her memoir. Thank you. I will get to work on this new skill. Penelope G.

Herman Krieger Photo essays in black and white

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Photo Essay: Behind the Scenes at a BU Commencement

A scene from the conclusion of Boston University’s 151 st  All-University Commencement on Nickerson Field, May 19. Photo by Dave Green

A glimpse of what it takes to pull off more than 150 events for 75,000 people

Bu today staff, bu photography.

It takes more than 1,500 employees from across the University—including from Dining Services, the BU Police Department, Campus Planning & Operations (CPO), Transportation Services, IS&T, and more—to pull off a Boston University Commencement each year. And then there are the 300 staff and faculty who volunteer to serve as ushers, marshals, and other roles on the big day itself. 

Needless to say, graduation at BU is about more than just the All-University Commencement on Nickerson Field. Over the course of a week, the University hosts more than 150 events, among them 52 individual convocation ceremonies. Receptions run the gamut from a dinner for 650 people at Agganis Arena to an intimate luncheon for 20—and everything in between. All told, an estimated 75,000 people attend the weeklong events. 

Here are a few fun facts that help give a sense of what an undertaking Commencement week is: Dining Services prepared 39,400 finger rolls, 2,000 chocolate-covered strawberries, 20,732 cookies, and 3,720 cupcakes. Campus Planning & Operations staff set up (and then broke down) 15,000 folding chairs, 385 barricades, and 188 stanchions and ropes just for the main ceremony on Nickerson.

And to make sure the campus was looking its spiffiest, CPO staff spent weeks planting 40,000 annuals, 1,500 perennials, 200 shrubs, and 15 trees and spreading 900 yards of mulch.

The photo gallery below gives a look at some of the many unsung heroes who helped make this year’s Commencement week a success. Take a look.

And to all the custodians, truckers, chefs, waiters, electricians, police officers, carpenters, grounds crew employees, masons, volunteers, and more who worked so hard to make BU’s 151st Commencement proceed like clockwork—a big thank you. 

Now, time to begin planning for next year. 

Find more information about Commencement here

Facilities Management & Operations groundsworker Matt Pereira tending some of the 40,000 annuals delivered April 30 in preparation for Commencement.. The flowers were planted in beds across the Charles River campus.

Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Maria Cornier, a Barnes & Noble at BU campus retail associate, alphabetizes graduation gowns by last name to make pickup easier. Each order is checked for accuracy so hoods are with orders requiring them and every robe has its proper school tassel.

Photo by Cydney Scott

Facilities maintenance worker Lino Sorabella readying the event and line-up signs on April 30 for the All-University Commencement on Nickerson Field.

Brooke Sheerin (left), sales rep for Herff Jones, manufacturer of the caps and gowns used for BU commencements, steams robes with Auxiliaries Services institutional event specialist Judith Moran May 2 in the Athletics Offices.

Preparing for the May 19 All-University Commencement, David Cooper from D&Y Window Cleaning is power washing the Nickerson Field stands May 6.

Roger Vicente,a Facilities Management & Operations custodian, lugging chairs onto Nickerson Field May 13 for the May 19 ceremony, which drew an estimated 3,700 students and 20,000 guests.

Dining Services cook John Quessa (left) and retail location manager Alhani Jackson preparing sandwich rolls during Commencement week food prep in the GSU May 15. BU Dining served more than 39,000 finger rolls and 1,800 regular sandwiches for the week’s events.

Priscilla Medeiros, lead baker with Dining Services, putting the finishing touches on BU-branded whoopie pies in the GSU May 13.

GSU cashiers Yovana Portillo (left) and Maria Echavarria getting the perfect coating of chocolate on strawberries for Commencement week at the GSU May 15. Dining Services served up approximately 2,000 chocolate-covered strawberries during Commencement week.

BU President ad interim Kenneth Freeman signing two copies of the honorary degree, Metcalf Cup and Prize, and Metcalf Award citations for each recipient May 16 in his office at One Silber Way. The citations were awarded during the All-University Commencement May 19.

Victoria Ellis, South Campus Residence Life area director, marks chairs on Nickerson field May 17 to indicate the number of chairs per row. Ellis was joined by employees from Development & Alumni Relations and Procure to Pay.

BU staff volunteering as marshals for the All-University Commencement receive last-minute instructions during an orientation training session under tents erected over the tennis courts at Nickerson Field May 17.

Auxiliaries Services events specialists Teresa Batista (left) and Judy Moran polishing the mace and the Metcalf Cup in a BU Police Department conference room May 18. The mace, representing the authority of the University, is carried at the front of formal academic processions. Fashioned of sterling silver with two University seals intertwined on the button end, it was designed in the 1980s by the late Arthur G. B. Metcalf (Wheelock’35, Hon.’74), a BU Board of Trustees chair emeritus and a former professor. It is carried by the University Marshal during the All-University Commencement ceremony.

President ad interim Ken Freeman (left) rehearsing for the BU Commencement hooding ceremony with the help of Michael Ciarlante, Institutional Events director, on the Nickerson Field stage May 18.

Dave Kolar (MET’24), Learning & Event Technology Services assistant director, under the stage at Nickerson May 17, where a manhole provides a connection point for audio breakout cables connecting multiple locations carrying audio signals at Nickerson. Kolar received a master’s degree in financial management during Commencement, and his two sons degrees in economics.

Nate Stelmach, Learning & Event Technology Services (LETS) lead (right), with technical director Michelle Schlickman in the production truck May 18. BU Productions requires a large team of staff and freelance video professionals to produce a show the scope and scale of Commencement. Working out of the truck, (parked on Harry Agganis Way) are the producer, director, technical director, video engineers, audio engineers, media manager, video playback operator, and Game Creek Video engineers, who manage the truck. Two LETS staff members (with their array of laptop computers) are also in the truck, managing the livestream from this location. 

The Commencement production is a partnership between BU Productions and LETS, which handles the technical components and the show’s distribution to locations all around Nickerson in addition to the livestream. The combined teams total approximately 40 people.

Freelance photographer Dana J. Quigley (hired by the BU Alumni Association to photograph this year’s graduates throughout Commencement Weekend) photographing grads and their families on the Marsh Plaza seal May 18.  The Marsh Plaza seal is the most popular photo spot for grads: tradition has it that students who step on the seal prior to Commencement won’t graduate. 

The Boston University Police Department leading a motorcade escorting those attending the Marsh Chapel Baccalaureate service to Babcock Street for BU’s 151st Commencement on Nickerson Field May 19. On the bus were this year’s honorary degree recipients.

ASL interpreter James Wiggins was one of four interpreters on site during the All-University Commencement May 19. Booked through BU Disability Services, approximately 18 interpreters were employed by the University throughout the week.

As the 151st Boston University Commencement gets underway, BU’s new community service animal and bona fide campus celebrity, Bean, plays with her handler, BUPD officer Geovanni Chevere. Bean, who is still in training, had a daunting role to play—to be cute. She does it well.

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Raisi's Death: Photo Essay

On May 19, 2024, President Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated a dam on the border with Azerbaijan with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev. On the way back to the Iranian city of Tabriz, about 80 miles to the south, his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of East Azerbaijan province. Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian and six other passengers and crew died. Bad weather, including dense fog, may have been the cause although other helicopters in the convoy made it to their destination. The following is a photo essay of the crash and aftermath. 

On May 19, Presidents Raisi and Aliyev inaugurated Qiz Qalasi dam located on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan. 

Raisi was flying in a Bell 212 helicopter, a model developed in the 1960s by an American company. It was manufactured until 1998 and is still used by countries around the world. The helicopter’s registration number suggested that it may have been delivered to Iran in 1994 .   

State television broadcast images of the helicopter wreckage , which was found on May 20 with the help of a Turkish drone.

On May 20, thousands of mourners gathered in Valiasr Square in Tehran. Many carried posters with Raisi’s image.

At night, images of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian were projected onto Azadi Tower, an iconic monument built in 1971, in Tehran.

On May 21, thousands of people gathered in the northwestern city of Tabriz to follow a truck carrying the coffins of Raisi and the others. “We, the members of the government, who had the honor to serve this beloved president, the hardworking president, pledge to our dear people and leader to follow the path of these martyrs,” Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said .

Raisi's remains were then flown to the holy city of Qom. On May 21, an honor guard received the coffins at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport.

On May 22, tens of thousands participated in the funeral at Tehran University. The government had sent out mass text messages with information about the event to ensure a strong turnout. Some citizens traveled for hours to attend. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers before the caskets. “Oh Allah, we didn’t see anything but good from him.”

Foreign officials and diplomats paid their respects at a different hall.

Many men crowded around the caskets to touch them and pay their respects. Mohammad Mokhber, the interim president, cried during the service.

A man held up a poster showing the late General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Qods Force who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020, embracing Raisi in heaven.

A man wept while carrying a poster of Raisi.

Raisi's body was then taken to Birjand, a city in South Khorasan along the border with Afghanistan. Raisi had represented the city in the Assembly of Experts. The casket was then taken to Raisi's hometown of Mashhad via airplane for burial in the holy shrine of Imam Reza.

A young woman in Mashhad carried a small poster of Raisi. 

Thousands of people participated in the mourning procession in Mashhad. 

Photo Credits: Khamenei via Khamenei.ir; Raisi via President.ir ; Helicopter via Tasnim News Agency ; Azadi monument via IRNA ; Tariz procession via President.ir

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A Mediterranean-Inspired Getaway in an Australian Surf Town

Plus: golden handbags, a Brooklyn boutique’s Tokyo pop-up and more recommendations from T Magazine.

On Australia’s East Coast, a New Inn With Rooms That Conjure Italy

By Gisela Williams

The origins of Il Delfino, a new oceanside inn in the surf town of Yamba on Australia’s east coast, go back to its founder’s childhood. “I grew up in this area, fascinated by this ramshackle surf cottage,” says the Australian fashion stylist Sheree Commerford. “Having it was a secret dream for as long as I can remember.” At the end of 2021, Commerford bought the building, which had previously been a rustic family lodge, and spent the last two years transforming it into a four-room inn and bungalow that she opened last month. “We wanted to keep all its original midcentury features but add inspiration from some of my favorite travels in the Mediterranean,” she says. That means whitewashed walls, citrus trees in terra-cotta pots and a terrace with Italian-made sun beds and uninterrupted ocean views. The guest rooms, which are named for Italian destinations like Ravello and Ischia, are all equipped with kitchens and each feature a colorful mural by the Australian artist Heidi Middleton. There’s no restaurant at the hotel, but staff will organize breakfast boxes upon request and recommend places to eat in Yamba. They can also help arrange whale-watching excursions, in-house massages and surf lessons. From about $300 with a two-night minimum, ildelfino.com.au .

In Manhattan, a Multimedia Show by Asian Artists and Designers

By Aileen Kwun

A veteran of the media and design world, William Li founded his art consultancy, Armature Projects, last year as a way of bridging art and interiors. This month, Li and the interior designer Aamir Khandwala, in collaboration with the rug company Fort Street Studio and the Asian American Pacific Islanders Design Alliance (AAPIDA), present “Eastern Standard,” an exhibition of works by emerging and midcareer artists and designers of Asian descent. Li’s selections, which are displayed in vignettes arranged by Khandwala at Fort Street Studio’s Manhattan showroom, include blocky seating and shelves made from dripping black and brightly colored foam by the South Korean designer Sang Hoon Kim and embroidered scrim works by the Cambodian-born artist Hon Chen-Gaudet. There are also stoneware pieces by the Japanese artist Niho Kozuru, who comes from a lineage of ceramists who’ve been making the pottery known as Agano ware on the island of Kyushu for hundreds of years, as well as a large acrylic-and-oil painting by the actress Lucy Liu. Khandwala, who was born in Pakistan, shows one of his own calligraphy pieces, a collaboration with the artist Rachel Jensen that features seven of the approximately 18 different words for love in his native Urdu. “Eastern Standard” is on view through June 20 at Fort Street Studio, armatureprojects.com .

Metallic Handbags That Channel an Italian Summer

By Zoe Ruffner

When Marie-Louise Sciò ’s signature gold evening clutch fell into a state of irremediable disrepair, the Rome-based chief executive and creative director of the Pellicano Group’s hotels, and Issimo, an online shop that sells Italian goods, began to search for an alternative, only to come up empty-handed. So she turned to Melissa Morris , the American founder of the London-based leather goods company Métier, whose bags are handmade in Florence. “We’re both meticulous about details and a less-is-more approach,” Sciò says. Morris spent six months refining an aureate finish that, she says, “wasn’t too loud or too matte and had the perfect amount of shimmer and shine.” Marrying Sciò’s Italian glamour with Métier’s discreetly distinct silhouettes, the four-piece collaboration includes an oversize wallet and pochette, complete with a detachable shoulder strap and golden hour-inspired interior lining. Though Sciò and Morris initially conceived the bags as ideal accessories for anyone vacationing by the Mediterranean Sea, the subtle metallic accents can travel far and wide. As Sciò puts it, “They’re neutrals.” From $290, metier.com .

A Brooklyn Boutique Brings Its Colorful Goods to Tokyo

By Gage Daughdrill

Since it opened in 2021, the Brooklyn boutique Tangerine has become a destination for colorful swimwear, gingham bags, hinoki-scented soap and sculptural jewelry. Its founders, Gina Esposito and Amanda Lurie, envisioned it as “a space where we could curate all of our favorite brands together,” says Lurie. The pair also run their own brands that are sold in the store — Esposito has the swimwear label Nu Swim and Lurie created the clothing company Coming of Age. This week, they opened their first international pop-up within the Japanese department store Isetan in Tokyo. “We have many Japanese clients come to Tangerine, which is crazy for us,” says Esposito. “We’re just a small store in Brooklyn.” The pop-up, on the third floor of Isetan’s Shinjuku location, emulates the red-and-white color palette of Tangerine’s New York boutique, accented by silver strips that usually hang from the ceiling of the department store, giving it a festive feel. On offer are some of Esposito and Lurie’s signature staples, including one-shoulder swimsuits and nylon windbreakers, as well as some exclusive pieces from collaborators such as a tangerine-shaped candle that they designed with the Japanese artist Olga Goose. The Tangerine pop-up will be open through June 22, tangerine-nyc.com .

A Dramatic Chaise Longue From the Designer Camilla Stærk

By Camille Sojit Pejcha

The designer and artist Camilla Stærk merges the drama of Old Hollywood with Danish minimalism in the clothing, accessories and home décor that she sells under her namesake label, Stærk. She has also designed the interiors of restaurants and hotels around the world, most recently the dining room for Brooklyn’s Ilis. Now she’s launching her first piece of furniture, the Signature Chaise No. 1. Inspired by the Danish author Karen Blixen’s memoir, “Out of Africa,” the chaise longue features a horn-inspired block base, hand-painted oak frame and upholstery made of saddle leather and shearling. The leather lacing on its sides — intended to evoke the tight crossings of a corset — is complemented by metal and black pearl hardware and a headrest made of Stærk’s trademark hand-knit leather, which she calls “armor.” Stærk, whose previous collections have referenced David Lynchian surrealism and the transgressive photography of Robert Mapplethorpe, sees design as a form of storytelling. “I love creating a whole mood and atmosphere and world, and just letting the fantasy take over,” she says. Signature Chaise No. 1 is on view at Twentieth Gallery in Los Angeles and is made to order. Price on request, twentieth.net .

An Encyclopedic Look at Issey Miyake’s Creations and Career

The fashion designer Issey Miyake was always interested in the way clothing could move with its wearer. His first solo show, held in 1971 at the Japan House in New York, included several pieces of bodywear made of clingy jersey material that, as Kazuko Koike writes in “Issey Miyake,” the Taschen book about the designer, “represented the latest innovations from Japan’s textile industry.” Throughout his career, Miyake played with materials (“Anything can be clothing,” he once said) and silhouettes, from the delicate accordion style that he made famous with his Pleats Please line to a square coat inspired by the Japanese futon. The book, initially released in 2016 and recently updated with examples of the designer’s work from 2015 up until his death in 2022, catalogs these developments chronologically using archival imagery alongside essays by Koike. The encyclopedic collection of photos from museum exhibitions, runway shows, concept drawings and campaigns is proof of Miyake’s devotion to texture and capacity for constant experimentation. $100, taschen.com .

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A Forest Retreat in ‘Tokyo’s Backyard’:  Here’s how the architect Terence Ngan and the interior designer Ed Ng made a home for themselves in the woods .

Artist Questionnaire:  The artist Charles Gaines discussed his new work at the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Alabama, the development of his practice  and taking drum lessons from Jimmie Smith.

Skin Care Routine for Adult Acne:  Here is an expert-approved guide to the most effective products and techniques  for dealing with stubborn breakouts at home.

An Antidote to Loneliness:  Patrick Carroll began making textiles during lockdown . Last year, several of them appeared at a JW Anderson runway show.

The 25 Essential Italian Pasta Dishes:  Two chefs, one cookbook author, a culinary historian and a food writer made a list of the country’s most delicious meals , from carbonara in Rome to ravioli in Campania.

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In Photos: Affinity Celebrations for the Class of 2024

Above, attendees at the affinity celebration for Black graduates light up Sanders Theater with their phone flashlights, swaying to a performance.

Kris King ’24 speaks at the second annual celebration of graduates with disabilities on Monday morning. In their speech, King discussed challenges students with disabilities have faced “growing into adulthood” at Harvard amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The affinity celebration for Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and Desi-American graduating students opens with a performance from a member of Urban Khmer. The Monday afternoon event was the third annual AAPI graduation ceremony.

Harvard Graduate School of Education lecturer Christina S. Villarreal delivers a speech at the AAPI celebration. Villarreal’s address focused on the theme of “solidarity,” and she said that she “has always been and forever will be” inspired by the 15 Harvard College seniors who were barred from graduating on Friday evening due to their participation in the Harvard Yard encampment.

A student receives a stole at the inaugural Jewish graduates affinity ceremony Monday evening. Though affinity graduation ceremonies for Jewish students have been hosted by Hillel in the past, this is the first year Harvard officially co-hosted the event.

The Harvard LowKeys, a student acapella group, performs a medley at the affinity celebration for first-generation, low-income students on Monday. The event was attended by nearly 500 students and family members.

A student receives a stole at the affinity celebration honoring Indigenous graduates Monday afternoon. The ceremony took place in the Science and Engineering Complex in the Allston Campus and was attended by approximately 50 Harvard students, affiliates, and family members.

Graduating seniors in Harvard’s Mariachi Véritas perform at the affinity celebration for Latinx graduates on Tuesday.

Later in the event, students pose for a selfie after receiving their stoles.

Harvard Divinity School Dean Marla F. Frederick accepts the Faculty Award on behalf of former Harvard President Claudine Gay at the celebration of Black graduates Monday evening.

At the inaugural affinity ceremony for veteran graduates, students pose for a photo with a saber owned by a Harvard alum who served in the military in the early 20th century.

Students pose for a photo together at the affinity celebration for Arab graduates on Monday.

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