Photographer Charlie Crane visited North Korea and produced and astounding series of photos called Welcome to Pyongyan which captures the essence of the living nightmare that is North Korea.
It took over a year for Charlie to get permission to go in with his camera: he was not allowed to take his mobile phone past customs and was met by two guides who were to accompany him at all times throughout his trip. At first they appeared robotic in conversation as if reading from a script, telling of their countrys great achievements. After a few days and many polaroids the guides became more relaxed and personable.
The lifeless face of the woman holding the rifle gave me chills. So did the woman pumping gas. What kind of a hell are they living in?
