‘These soldiers are fighting Rwandan-backed rebels in the DRC. They’re attempting to pose – but you can see how lost and vulnerable they are’

‘This was one of 40 pictures of Yemen I showed at an exhibition in Brussels. The Yemeni ambassador came to me with tears in his eyes and said: “No one has shown my country like this”’

‘Many people are surprised by its size and someone asked if it was a real person. But for anyone from Argentina, it’s just part of the everyday’

‘The band had just come off stage. I blocked their path, they stopped in their tracks and just started dancing on the spot’

‘This was taken at a small high school event. It was all about who could create the “perfect body” by working hard – and maybe becoming the next Arnold Schwarzenegger’

‘The first elk hunt is a special, spiritual moment in Gila. Families depend on the meat – they thank the animal and bless it for its sacrifice. After Lainey got the elk, she cried’

‘Sheep are Annie’s passion. She won an award with this north country cheviot. It’s put on a stand to keep it still’

‘The rule of a Colombian bunde ritual is that you cannot go home before the child is buried at midnight. If you try, their ghost will chase you’

‘He is the ultimate outlaw, one of the most brash and sparkling acts I’ve ever encountered, performing rock albums in a cabaret style. But I wanted this image to be clean, simple and free of narrative’

‘This was the first march of the Women’s Liberation Movement. The figure that’s usually given is 4,000 – but I’m sure there were tens of thousands of us. It was chocka!’

‘One woman heard tree branches snapping and jumped out of bed – just in time to see her mattress float away as the back half of her house melted into the darkness’

‘“What do you want me to do?” he said when we got to his trailer. I couldn’t have him just staring at me, so I said: “Maybe pick up the phone?” I don’t know if he called anyone’

‘I have photographed fathers and sons holding hands from Bulgaria to Armenia and beyond. I approached these two as a stranger – and had just seconds before it got too awkward’

‘The sun trickled in just as we were coming down the mountain. When I looked back at Victoria and Keni, the wind was rustling their clothes and hair. I was screaming because it was so beautiful!’

‘This was taken in Qaanaaq, one of the world’s most northern cities. It gets 24-hour sun during the summer months. I went because my name originates there’

‘My rural American hometown isn’t known for being tolerant towards nonconformity. We wanted to juxtapose the grimy backdrop with the glamour of drag’

‘A true champion would rather have his arm torn out than give up. When one competitor shook my hand, it was like being gripped by a bear’s paw’

‘I’d had too much to smoke and was lying down with my Leica when I saw the Bubbleman. The bubble burst just as I pressed the shutter’

‘The energy at this show was chaotic. This guy scrambled to the top of the amplifier and leaped. I thought he was going to break his neck’

‘This was inspired by a daily ritual in which female fighters in the mountains plait each other’s hair while chanting: “Woman, life, freedom.” It was a response to the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in Iran’