Award-winning photographer Bastienne Schmidt presents this conceptual series of photographs depicting herself in the role of a “Housewife,” blending in and out into different public and private environments. “Home Stills” will be published as a book in the fall of 2010 by Jovis. (Schmidt’s previous book, ShadowHome, explores her native Germany in photographs taken between 1989 – 2004.)

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© Donald Weber/VII Network

Gravedigger Arkady Timofeev takes a break after a day of digging graves in Vorkuta, a coal mining town in the Komi Rebublic in Russia. Founded by prisoners, the region is populated by descendants of former zeks (Gulag prisoners) and prison authorities. Vorkuta had one of the largest concentrations of Gulag camps in the USSR. They bury about 5 people a day there, which is high above the Russian average for such a small town, and the only guaranteed form of employment in this quickly dying town.

Photographer Donald Weber recently won the Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography for 2009. This prize is awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts. The exhibition of Donald Weber: Russian Archive is on view until December 31 at the Alice Austen House, 2 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island.

©2009 Michael Nichols / National Geographic

This photograph of a Siberian tiger and her cubs, taken by Michael Nichols in Russia in 1995, is one of more than 11.5 million pictures in the National Geographic Society archive. The image is part of a new 500-page book, National Geographic Image Collection, which was recently released by the Society in partnership with Kodak.

An exhibition of 90 images is also currently showing at the National Geographic Museum through November 17.

© Timothy Schenck.

This image, by New York City photographer Timothy Schenck, is from a series in progress called “Tanks, Containers, and Stacks.”

© Smallz & Raskind

Actress Sharon Stone photographed for Prestige Hong Kong magazine.