“Framework,” The cruise ship Costa Concordia lies on her side in waters off Giglio, Italy, on Sunday night, creating a sight eerily reminiscent of a scene from the film “Titanic.” Is that why we find this image so haunting? Or perhaps it is the fact that 11 people are known to have died after the ship ran aground on rocks on January 13. The Costa Concordia’s owners have blamed the ship’s captain for the disaster, and he has been charged with abandoning the vessel before all its passengers were evacuated. Photo by Filippo Monteforte/AFP. Los Angeles Times

The Boston Globe’s photo blog included this satellite image of the Costa Concordia, taken on January 17. Some 20 people are still missing from the 4,200 passengers and crew. Photo from Digitalglobe/Reuters. “Big Picture,” Boston Globe

Or perhaps a better title for this picture would be, “The Woman Behind the Man Behind the Curtain.” The New York Times’s James Estrin shot Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich having his tie adjusted before taking the stage at a town-hall-style meeting in Florence, South Carolina, where he facing off against G.O.P. frontrunner Mitt Romney in bitterly contested primary election. Standing in front of Gingrich, with her back to the camera, is the candidate’s wife, Callista. Photo by James Estrin “Lens,” New York Times

On Christmas morning, a house fire in Connecticut took the lives of three young girls and two of their grandparents. The mother of the girls, advertising executive Madonna Badger, escaped with her boyfriend, only to face a future of unbearable grief. At a funeral service in Manhattan last week, however, Badger spoke, telling those in attendance, “I have been asked a million times, ‘How can you do this, how are you talking, how are you surviving?’ Because when I used to hear about people losing a child, or if a child got very, very sick, I would say, ‘I could never survive that. I could never live through that. I could never, ever, ever live through losing my babies.’” She paused. “But here I am. Here all of us are.” In this photo, Badger is seen here next the father of the children, Matthew Badger. Photo by Angel Franco The New York Times

The U.S. economy continues to sputter, but the country’s best-known investor, Warren Buffett, tells Time magazine this week that he remains bullish on America. Buffett also continues to call for the country’s wealthy to pay more taxes—making him what Time calls “one of America's most unexpected radicals.” Mark Seliger shot this portrait at a railroad yard in Buffett’s hometown, Omaha, Nebraska, surrounding his subject with iron-clad symbols of America’s industrial might while highlighting his Midwestern iconoclasm. Photo by Mark Seliger Time

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow made a lasting impression this season, both for his unconventional play (he can’t pass) and his public displays of Christian faith. Tebow led his team on an unexpected march into the National Football League playoffs, leading more than a few commentators to suggest that something miraculous was indeed occurring. But after upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening playoff round, the Broncos were crushed 45-10 last Sunday by the New England Patriots, ending their season and, for now, Tebow-mania. Photo by Rich Gabrielson/Icon SMI Sports Illustrated

What is more interesting about twins—the ways they are the same, or the ways they differ, despite sharing the same DNA? National Geographic asks that question in a fascinating cover story in January. The article is illustrated with portraits of twins shot by photographer Martin Schoeller, who traveled last August to the annual Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio—a small town southeast of Cleveland named by identical twin brothers nearly two centuries ago. Schoeller’s signature close-up style dares us to compare and contrast the faces of look-alike pairs, searching for signs of individuality. Photo by Martin Schoeller National Geographic

Actress Evan Rachel Wood displays just the right amount of wrong in a portfolio shot by Ellen Von Unwerth—a photographer who understands how right wrong can be—for photo-showcase Flaunt magazine. Photos by Ellen Von Unwerth Flaunt

Fashion photographer Nick Knight has never been shy about experimentation—and the results have often been wondrous. His recent story for W magazine was inspired by the artist Erté’s 1920s-era fashion illustrations. (Left: Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière. Center: Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons faux-leather jacket and rayon and lace dress. Right: Giorgio Armani’s silk dress.) W aptly titled the story “From Jazz Age to the Space Age.” Photos by Nick Knight W magazine

An all-star cast sends shivers of delight across the pages of Elle this month in a fashion story inspired by classic Hollywood horror movies. Clockwise from top left: Jayma Mays (in a Chanel tweed cardigan) as Tipi Hedren in The Birds; Lea Michelle (in an OMO Norma Kamali swimsuit) as Julie Adams in Creature from the Black Lagoon; Dianna Agron (in a Giorgio Armani silk dress) as Allison Hayes in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman; and Kate Mara (in a Calvin Klein silk tulle dress) as Sissy Spacek in Carrie. Photos by Carter Smith Elle