This image made it to the last round in the Year in Pictures edit, and I was surprised, at first, that it didn't make the final edit. Global, colorful, slice of life images like this tend to work well with other world news features, and the composition really drew me in, I thought it was a shoe in! But the years of experience represented by the multimedia team here at MSNBC.com make for many great editing debates, and this image wasn't quite as unique as many of those that were included. See them at yearinpictures.msnbc.com

This picture lasted many rounds while we were doing our Year in Pictures - Sports edit. I felt a strong connection to this photo because of the moment that I felt like it captured. This kid has an intense look on his face, and I feel a sense of desperation in his eyes to get an autograph from one the players. I can't help but wonder if he ever got that autograph. Photos often draw us in because we feel an emotional connection to that image, whether we realize it consciously or not. Unfortunately there were other photos in the Year in Pictures - Sports that had stronger moments than this one. Still it broke my heart when I had to see this picture not make the final round.

Several Year in Pictures contenders show how U.S. soldier deployments to Iraq impact their loved ones. This image was my preference, because the moment, composition and technical components are excellent, and the combination creates a poignant image. But, the "Flat Daddy" image (see it at yearinpictures.msnbc.com) garnered the most support from editors, because it was a unique perspective on a frequently covered topic. Flat Daddy raised questions in my mind was it a portrait or was it a spontaneous moment? Or does it matter if it has impact, which it did for the majority of the editors.

This image was considered for the Year in Pictures, and I love it because the photographer produced such a surreal, eye-catching moment from a relatively mundane situation. Unfortunately, there are so many important events to include from the year that feature pictures have to rise to an extraordinarily high level to make the cut. This one simply didn't rise to that level for everyone on the team.

This river of gasoline photo was a contender for the Year in Pictures. I find it compelling because it blends an ancient act (dipping a stream) with a contemporary problem (broken petroleum pipeline), which for me implies a substitution of oil for water and makes me think about valuation of resources.

The story of Barbaros career-ending injury in the Preakness will no doubt make many sports writers lists of top stories of the year. And this Al Behrman photo is a great picture of the moment Barbaros raised hind leg says it all. But the picture didnt quite rise into our final sports edit for the Year in Pictures because, while news value is considered, its competitors had a few more visual qualities going for them.

Edit until it hurts. We just released our Year in Pictures package. Its the culmination of months of editing and two weeks of production. You can see it at http://www.yearinpictures.msnbc.com. It is a wonderful project, and I stand behind our final edit. However, there is a handful of pictures that didnt quite make the final edit that I enjoyed very much. John D McHughs picture is one of those.

I love the contrast between the Santas kissing and the seemingly grumpy man on the right-hand side of the frame. It seems like anything goes in New York on the subway and very rarely are people fazed by something out of the ordinary. But I guess seeing something out of the ordinary every day makes it ordinary, doesn't it? What have you seen on the subway (not only in New York) that has surprised, entertained or saddened you? (Please keep it G-rated, folks.) Did anyone else take note of what was going on at the time, and did fellow observers' actions surprise or sadden you as well?

This photo, sent as part of a selection of the best photos of the year, really put the world we live in and probably take advantage of, in perspective for me. Here is a young girl who lost her home, yet she still manages to smile. I will remember this photo the next time something gets me down.

It's difficult to make interesting pictures at controlled events, but I think Larry Downing caught an interesting juxtaposition of Bush and Rumsfeld in this picture. It's just a moment but it represents something much bigger.

I thought this picture was very funny, I congratulate the photographer for having a sense of humor in taking this photo and transmitting the image. Besides the fact that I think it is funny, I also think it is a well composed picture. I really like the stance of the wrestler and the way the photographer chose to frame this image. While Robert Hood may want to start wearing bull fighter costumes to work, I think I am going to start wearing this costume to work.

The asian games have been going on lately and each day I have seen an image of this sport, Sepaktakraw. I have no idea what this sport is or how it is played. All I know is that from every picture I see, it looks very intense. Does anyone know anything about this sport?

Sometimes you're lucky. Emilio Morenatti made an effective blurred action shot in this situation. I like how everything but the security officer is soft. It helps tell the story of this hectic moment.

This photo looks like someone used some funky photoshop filter to make it look like it was drawn; but it's just a photo. It totally caught my eye when I saw it. I like that you can't really decipher what it is until you read the caption.

I made this picture while working on a story about the resurgence of women's roller derby, which proved to be more tricky to shoot than I had imagined. The bouts are generally held in neighborhood roller rinks with all of the main lights off, dodgy spotlights and the subjects zooming around on skates. The good news was the action was repetitive, I had a strobe, and based on a little research, I knew which skater would have the most contact given her role in the game. I picked my spot knowing the animated coach was roaming the sidelines and waited until the action came to me. Moral of the shoot for newbies to photography: be patient and know the sport you are shooting.

This was a photo that was in my initial edit for the The Week in Sports picture and I was in love with this photo. After discussion with another photo editor, we narrowed down the pictures and unfortunately I lost the battle to keep this image in. It was felt that there were other stronger swimmer pictures in the edit that should have priority over this one. This happens often to picture editors, we all see things in a different way, so there are time when we all have different opinions on what we think looks good. Sometimes you have to learn to pick and choose your battles wisely. For me this is one that I let go.

I love the different characteristics the combination of water and air take on in this image. It has a glass-like quality near the surface, and it's more cloud-like below.

I wonder what the two of them were thinking at the moment this image was made, and again what they were thinking later that evening, after they had parted ways from this photo-op.

Imagine the amount of trust this guy has to have in the driver. I can't imagine how he gets out of his current situation should there be some sort of mechanical issue or anything that would cause the car to land back on all four wheels.

We produce this gathering of the best photojournalism every week. Im usually pleased with the result, but every week there is a handful of pictures that dont make the final edit, and it breaks my heart. The edit involves a democratic process with each editor weighing in at some point. Sometimes Im troubled by the subjectivity of judging the quality of a picture.

The Heartbreak of 'The Week in Pictures' edit... Some news pictures are eye candy, but so what. Sometimes it is nice to just be visually wowed. Bob Martinson did that for me with this picture, and I wish it had gotten into 'The Week in Pictures'.

The Heartbreak of 'The Week in Pictures' edit... Creating symbolism while on assignment in a fluid situation is a big part of the beauty and mystery of photojournalism. Seeing and recognizing that a situation has the potential to represent a big thought or a theme is important. Kimberly White's picture does that. I believe she captured the blurred and often confusing nature of the AIDS story.

The Heartbreak of 'The Week in Pictures' edit... I love the way Rodrigo Abd handled this. The lighting he chose to use, and it really does boil down to a choice, helps tell the story by setting a mood. At first glance you just know something isn't right. The caption material is amazing. I wasn't aware this problem existed until viewing this picture.

I bet photographer Matt Stroshane was disappointed when the launch was scrubbed, but he turned the situation into an interesting photograph. His picture engages the viewer on two levels. It's beautiful, and it tells the story of the evening. I say WELL DONE!