As someone with a background in the visual arts, I've always been fascinated with the implicit stories being conveyed behind photo choice in the print media. It's a little bit of psychology, a little propaganda, and a little marketing rolled into one. It can make or break whether you buy the story. A year or so ago, I stumbled across what has now become one of the my favorite sites: BAGnewsNotes. At BAGnewsNotes, print photos are dissected and analyzed and often, the underlying thrust of stories are uncovered for what they are.

Last year, photographer Alan Chin went to the Gulf Coast and brought back images shared on BAGNewsNotes that were stunning in their unflinching yet compassionate look at the victims and the damage of Hurricane Katrina.

You can see the entire photo essay here. Alan's work is simply amazing. Many more images to be found here.