December 1, 2024

This week’s Photo of the Week peeks inside Notre Dame just days before it opens to the public after a catastrophic fire. Plus, we celebrate a little-known Polaroid pioneer, deal with mutinous macaws, and learn how to take great portrait photographs. 

PHOTOGRAPH BY TOMAS VAN HOUTRYVE

At first, the catastrophic fire seemed the end of Notre Dame. But for 5 ½ years, an army of artists and builders worked to restore the Gothic symbol of Paris, accompanied by Nat Geo Explorer Tomas van Houtryve. His Photo of the Week is displayed here, days before the repaired and reimagined cathedral opens to the public on Saturday. See his work. 

Related: What’s happening during the reopening? 

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIE HEMM KLOK 

The photograph looks tranquil, orderly. Nope! This image, one of our 20 Pictures of the Year, was made under stressful and chaotic conditions at a sanctuary for hundreds of abandoned parrots. They were loud, extremely energetic, social and curious, pointing up the challenges for human caretakers of all kinds. During the photo session, one macaw even perched on photographer Christie Hemm Klok’s boot! Being inside that enclosure, she says, is like “trying to walk around a house with the house alarm going off.” Catch other behind-the-scenes glimpses. 

Related: See all 20 Pictures of the Year 

POLAROID CORPORATION RECORDS, BAKER LIBRARY, HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

She made Polaroid into a cultural icon. Do you know her name? Few know how Meroë Marston Morse, an art history undergraduate, led and transformed the camera company into a brand beloved by photographers to this day.  

Related: How women photographers have changed the world 

Photography 101: How to take great portrait pictures

Gear: The 10 best compact cameras for travel 

Today’s Soundtrack: Training Season (acoustic version), Dua Lipa 

Thanks for opening today’s Photo of the Week. David Beard edited and curated it, and Amanda Bryant-Williams produced it. Like what you see? Get this in your inbox next Sunday.