This Week in the World looks at tips & tricks, photo news, product releases, and other interesting stories we stumbled across this week.
This week we wanted to do something different and take a look at some photo series that really caught our attention.
Surreal Farmland Landscapes by Lisa Wood

Being from Idaho, it makes sense that Lisa Wood took the idyllic image of the farmland a bit further than most, having an intimate knowledge and unique perspective of the landscape. At the same time, Wood’s landscapes still evoke a nostalgia and dreamlike appreciation without sacrificing her creative vision. (via Demilked)
Economic Collapse Seen Through Aerial Photos of Abandoned Mansions

Two-seater pilot Michael Light captured these aerial photos of abandoned housing developments in Black Mountain, Nevada, offering a unique perspective on the economic crash of 2008. (via Raw File)
Vietnam War Photos That Made a Difference

Commemorating the release of Vietnam: The Real War, a new book of photos collected from the Associated Press archives, these photos show that true, powerful photos can change minds and make it harder to avert our gaze from conflicts happening thousands of miles away. (via Lens)
A Beautiful Collection of Insects
When they’re crawling around your kitchen floor, bugs might seem gross. But get a closer look with these macro shots from the USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Program and you might find beauty where you least expected it. (via In Focus)
Arne Svenson’s Twist on the Cute Kitten Photo

New York photographer Arne Svenson may have caught some flack (and a legal battle) earlier this year for his voyeuristic series The Neighbors, but with these slightly less controversial photos of kittens not caring in the least about the human photographing them, he shows he still has a very unique vision. (via Featureshoot)
The Black and White Photography of Benoit Courti

What else can we say about these beautiful images from French photographer Benoit Courti besides “Thanks for dropping music and picking up a camera”? (via Colossal)
When Age Produces Beauty: Photographs of Legends at Work

Eugene Richards‘ awesome series chronicles important artists in their later years, still hard at work, doing what they love. It doesn’t get much more inspiring than that. (via Lightbox)
And in case you missed it . . .
Tips & Tricks: Reading Your Histogram