We know them as head of states, movie stars or athletes. They are forward-thinking, rebellious or controversial. They lead us or challenge us. Yet, behind their extraordinary auras and personalities, they are human beings like the rest of us.
This year, as TIME reinforced its legacy of strong visual storytelling, these newsmakers reveled in the flashes of the magazine’s photographers. From Marco Grob’s playful portrait of Seth Meyer to Yuri Kozyrev’s powerful – and exclusive – shoot with Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of the Pussy Riots, TIME’s commissioned photographers crisscrossed the world to meet with the world’s most influential personalities; culminating in an unprecedented four-country, 12-city photo shoot by Jackie Nickerson and Bryan Schutmaat with TIME’s Person of the Year – the Ebola Fighters.
Seth Meyers. From "We'll Do it Late." January 13, 2014 issue.Marco Grob for TIMESpike Jonze. From "Lonely Boy." January 20, 2014 issue.Dan Winters for TIMEMaria Alyokhina (left) and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. From "What Pussy Riot Does Next." January 20, 2014 issue.Yuri Kozyrev for TIMEJanet Yellen. From "The Sixteen Trillion Dollar Woman." January 20, 2014 issue.Peter Hapak for TIMEMonique and Jocelyne Lamoureux. From "The Enforcers." February 10, 2014 issue.Michele Asselin for TIMEFrançois Hollande. From "Can He Fix France?" February 17, 2014 issue.Marco Grob for TIMEThe Dalai Lama. From "Tibetan Wisdom." March 3, 2014 issue.Marco Grob for TIMELupita Nyong'o. From "The Front Runner." March 3, 2014 issue.Sebastian Kim for TIMEWes Anderson. From "On the Night Train With Wes Anderson." March 10, 2014 issue.Markus Jans for TIMEWoody Allen. From "No. 1 With a Bullet." April 14, 2014 issue.Therese + Joel for TIMEJapan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. From "The Patriot." April 28, 2014 issue.Takashi Osato for TIMEJohn Oliver. From "Oliver's Twist." April 28, 2014 issue.Peter Yang for TIMEColin Firth. From "10 Questions." April 28, 2014 issue.Peter Hapak for TIMEEric Holder. From TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World." May 5 / May 12, 2014 issue.Paola Kudacki for TIMEMary Barra. From TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World." May 5 / May 12, 2014 issue.Paola Kudacki for TIMESerena Williams. From TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World." May 5 / May 12, 2014 issue.Paola Kudacki for TIME Jason Collins. From TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World." May 5 / May 12, 2014 issue.Paola Kudacki for TIMERobert Redford. From TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World." May 5 / May 12, 2014 issue.Paola Kudacki for TIMENgozi Okonjo-Iweala. From TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World." May 5 / May 12, 2014 issue.Peter Hapak for TIMELaverne Cox. From "America's Transition." June 9, 2014 issue.Gillian Laub for TIMEJamie Ewing. From "America's Transition." June 9, 2014 issue.Gillian Laub for TIMEJenny Slate. From "Good Humor Woman." June 16, 2014 issue.Peter Hapak for TIMEJürgen Klinsmann. From "Stars, Stripes and Soccer." June 23, 2014 issue.Levon Biss for TIMELeft to right: Jermain Jones, Fabian Johnson and Geoff Cameron. From "Stars, Stripes and Soccer." June 23, 2014 issue.Levon Biss for TIMEJR. From "French photographer JR thinks selfies can change the world." June 23, 2014 issue.Lauren Fleishman for TIMEJeff Koons. From "Show Me the Bunny." July 7 /July 14, 2014 issue.Sebastian Kim for TIMEMark (left) and Ilja Terebin. From "The Antisocial Network." July 7 / July 14, 2014 issue.Rafal Milach—INSTITUTE for TIMEJack Antonoff. From "Music Therapy." July 21, 2014 issue.Geordie Wood for TIMETerry Crews. From "Crews Control." September 22, 2014 issue.Peter Hapak for TIMEHenry Kissinger. From "The Lion in Winter." September 22, 2014 issue.Marco Grob for TIMEU2. From "U2's New Mission." September 29, 2014 issue.Sebastian Kim for TIME Gillian Flynn. From "The Marriage Plot." October 6, 2014 issue.Daniel Shea for TIME Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. From "After the Revolution." October 6, 2014 issue.Peter Hapak for TIME Mia Wasikowska. From "The Long Trek." October 6, 2014 issue.Erik Tanner for TimeMark Bittman. From "How to Eat Now." October 20, 2014 issue.Grant Cornett for TIMEEddie Redmayne. From "Let's Get Physicist." November 10, 2014 issue.Sebastian Kim for TIMEJessica Chastain. From "The Art of Science." November 10, 2014 issue. Robert Maxwell for TIME Matthew McConaughey. From "The Art of Science." November 10, 2014 issue.Robert Maxwell for TIME Anne Hathaway. From "The Art of Science." November 10, 2014 issue.Robert Maxwell for TIME Taylor Swift. From "Taylor Strikes A Chord." November 24, 2014 issue.Martin Schoeller for TIMEChanning Tatum. From "Body of Work." November 24, 2014 issue.Carlos Serrao for TIME Benedict Cumberbatch. From "The Price of Genius." Dec. 1 / Dec. 8, 2014 issue.Dan Winters for TIME Angelina Jolie. From "The Lady and The Scamp. Angelina Jolie Finds Her Equal." Dec. 1 / Dec. 8, 2014 issue.Paola Kudacki for TIME Chris Rock. From "Will The Real Chris Rock Please Stand Up?" Dec. 1 / Dec. 8, 2014 issue.Geordie Wood for TIMEDr. Jerry Brown. From "2014 Person of the Year." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issue.Jackie Nickerson for TIMESalome Karwah. From "2014 Person of the Year." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issueJackie Nickerson for TIMEKatie Meyler. From "2014 Person of the Year." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issueJackie Nickerson for TIMEBryan Schutmaat for TIMEProfessor Thomas W. Geisbert. From "2014 Person of the Year." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issueBryan Schutmaat for TIMEPeter Piot. From "2014 Person of the Year." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issueBryan Schutmaat for TIMEMichael Keaton. From "The Best of Culture 2014." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issue.John Scarisbrick for TIMEFKA twigs. From "The Best of Culture 2014." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issue.John Scarisbrick for TIMEDavid Oyelowo. From "The Best of Culture 2014." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issue.John Scarisbrick for TIMEEmily St. John Mandel. From "The Best of Culture 2014." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issue.John Scarisbrick for TIMEJulianne Moore. From "The Best of Culture 2014." Dec. 22 / Dec. 29, 2014 issue.John Scarisbrick for TIME
