David Longstreath/AP
A devotee to the Chinese shrine of Ban Tha Rue covers his ears as fireworks explode around him on Monday, Oct. 15, at the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand. The annual celebration attracts tourists from around the world.
This is a picture you can almost hear. View and vote for your favorite image in "The Week in Pictures": http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Al Bello/AFP - Getty Images
Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox catches a ball hit by Kenny Lofton of the Cleveland Indians during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on Friday, Oct. 12, in Boston.
I'm often against using sports pictures in "The Week in Pictures", but I argued for this one. I like how Al Bello not just make a good action shot, but he also captured a lot of information in the frame. I also like how the ball is perfectly framed in that little rectangle. View and vote on all of the selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Muhammad Hamed/Reuters
Children play in a park as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Amman, Jordan, on Sunday, Oct. 14.
I like the range of emotions depected in this "Week in Pictures" image. View and vote on all of the selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Jeff Chiu/AP
A woman riding a bus watches as both war supporters and anti-war protestors rally in front of a Marine recruitment center in Berkeley, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 17. The Marine office near the University of California opened months ago but was only recently discovered by the anti-war group Code Pink, which led to protests and counter-protesters.
All the editors liked this picture during "The Week in Pictures" edit. I think it looks like a picture right out of the civil rights era. View and vote on all of the selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Denis Poroy/AP
Cynthia Lucia, dressed as a green Martian, sips a frozen green tea drink while taking a break on the first day of the Comic-Con International convention in San Diego, Thursday, July 26, 2007.
What if everything we consumed changed our color temporarily?
Ina Fassbender/Reuters
German commuters struggled with major disruptions for the second time in a week on Oct. 18 as train drivers struck over back pay demands. The drivers' union GDL began walkouts on regional services across Germany at 2 a.m.
Ive loved big, empty public places ever since I was a kid. It has something to do with being able to see the beauty and complexity that is only visible when a public place is empty.
Zahid Hussein/Reuters
A supporter of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto gestures in front of her poster to herald her arrival in Karachi October 17, 2007. Bhutto said she would return on Thursday to end eight years of self-exile and lead her party into national elections despite threats of al Qaeda inspired suicide attacks.
I keep seeing this "V" victory sign in many of the photos from Pakistan. Photographer Zahid Hussein has done a marvelous job of reducing this picture to its essence: the tiny hand and the giant, sad eyes of Benazir Bhutto.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
A model displays an outfit by designers during a special show devoted to AIDS during the Ukrainian Fashion Week in Kiev October 16, 2007.
I love photos where - when you initially look at it, it takes a little while to actually focus on something and make out what it is.
John Bazemore/AP
An exposed lake bed is shown at Lake Lanier in Buford, Ga., Friday, Oct. 12, 2007. Rivers throughout the Southeast are turning to dust, towns are threatening to ration dwindling water supplies and lawmakers are pointing fingers as the region struggles with an epic drought that seems to be getting worse.
The Southeast is experiencing a drought of historic proportions. Some southern cities say they may run out of water in 3-4 months. I'll be curious to see if this story comes and goes like many other weather stories, or if it stays and becomes a major event of the year.
Piyal Adhikary/EPA
An artist prepares to make idols in Calcutta, India, 01 October 2007. The festival season during which Durga Puja is celebrated widely is about to begin in West Bengal for the next two months.
The contrast in the colors and forms in this image are incredibly striking. The heaps of unused clay at the artist's feet put into perspective the intense amount of work it would take to transform that shapeless heap into the detailed, sculpted figures. The few elements of color add a lot of interest too, though the gradient hues of the curtain seem a bit out of place. What do you think?
Menahem Kahana/AFP - Getty Images
A boy is lifted above a crowd of Palestinian Muslims at the Qalandia checkpoint in the West Bank between Ramallah and Jerusalem on Monday, Oct. 8. The pilgrims were on their way to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City to participate in Al-Qadr, which takes place on the last week of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.
As in previous weeks, we are posting the selections for The Week in Pictures for discussion in PhotoBlog. Let us know what you think of our selections and view and vote on all of The Week in Pictures images: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/. While eye/camera contact often distracts with a sense of self-consciousness, in this case it's direct and arresting. Editors in the Week in Pictures discussion also enjoyed the sculptural effect of soft light on the fabric-wrapped heads, all pointed in the same direction.
Radu Sigheti/Reuters
A scavenger covers his face at Dandora rubbish dump in Nairobi on Friday, Oct. 5. A study commissioned by the Nairobi-based U.N. Environment Program found that half of 328 children tested near the site had lead concentrations in their blood exceeding internationally accepted levels.
The haze between foreground and background gives this landfill a sense of scale. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
China Daily/Reuters
A farmer leads a row of camels at a resort in northwest Chinas Kumtag desert on Thursday, Oct. 4. The region has been developed as a tourist resort where visitors can have a full view of the magnificence of the desert without actually venturing out into it.
This picture is easy on the eyes; almost every line is curved, and there's a rhythmic alternation between dark and light areas. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Sam Yeh/AFP - Getty Images
A giant wave hits the shore near the Nanfangaou fish harbor in eastern Taiwan on Saturday, Oct. 6. Typhoon Krosa pounded northern Taiwan with powerful winds and torrential rain, forcing offices and schools to close and disrupting air and road traffic.
There's a famous painting you can easily find on the Internet called "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." This picture resembles that iconic depiction of a wave, and also communicates the power of this storm. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Patrick Lin/AFP - Getty Images
Men work to remove a giant sign that fell on a car lot in Taipei on Sunday, Oct. 7. The pole was snapped by Typhoon Krosa, which left five people dead and one missing in Taiwan before weakening into a tropical storm.
After the wave, this picture offers another sense of the typhoon's power, this time in its aftermath. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
/Reuters
Workers pack wheat at a storage site in Xiangfan, in central China's Hubei province, on Thursday, Oct. 11. China will issue quotas for imports of low-tariff wheat, corn, rice and cotton for 2008 as part of its commitment as a member of the World Trade Organization.
Editors found interesting that a wheat pile in China could resemble a crater on Mars. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Gabriela Hasbun/Redux Pictures
The Padded Lilies synchronized swimming group performs at a pool in San Francisco in September 2006. The members teach body-acceptance and fat-empowerment, promoting the idea that everyone can exercise, regardless of size. This image was delivered to MSNBC.com on October 9, 2007.
This image was a hands-down selection for The Week in Pictures this week. Even though it was originally part of a project by Redux photographer Gabriela Hasbun last summer, when it moved into our servers this week and we saw the vivid colors and joy on the subjects faces, we couldn't help but smile. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
/Reuters
A worker unloads coal at a dump site at a railway station in Xiangfan, China, on Monday, Oct. 8. Chinese coal output is likely to exceed 2.5 billion tons this year, 5 percent more than in 2006, according to government officials.
For me, this image was one of those iconic images of the working class. Reminiscent of Lewis Hine's "Power House Mechanic" from 1920, this image works so well with the recurring shapes, and the asymmetry created by the right-most coal stack spilling from his compartment, all framing the iconic, lean and muscular working man. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Natacha Pisarenko/AP
Americo Corvalan, 57, sifts through recently cleaned and dried wool that will be combed and baled at the Lavalan Ltd. wool factory in Buenos Aires on Monday, Oct. 8. The factory's 24 workers, who took over the facility in the aftermath of Argentina's 2001 economic crisis, are seeking more financial and legal support from the government to keep growing.
It's almost as if the subject is in mid-transformation, turing into a sheep. The fluffiness of the scene does make a really interesting texture and the light beaming through the doorway makes it look as though he's sinking into a room filled with foam bubbles. This is one of those everyday moments that can be striking and surreal to those who aren't familiar with the process. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Robert Galbraith/Reuters
"Farmer John" Muller sits with an assortment of giant pumpkins as he awaits the start of the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 8. The winning pumpkin weighed 1,524 pounds.
The concealment of the farmer's eyes makes his expression puzzling enough against those huge pumpkins to keep this picture interesting.
Eduardo Verdugo/AP
Yaqui children play during a gathering organized by indigenous organizations in Vicam, Mexico, on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
The figures in this frame are clustered tightly together, but despite the closeness they're still totally detached, independent. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Abir Abdullah/EPA
Thousands of Bangladeshis board an overcrowded train in Dhaka on Thursday, Oct. 11. Thousands of the countrys Muslims are travelling home to celebrate Eid Ul Fitr, Islams biggest festival, beginning Oct. 15.
It took me a minute to realize that these people were on top of the train - at first I thought they were waiting at the station. View and vote on all of The Week in Pictures selections:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Steve Crisp/Reuters
Fog rolls by early in the morning, as construction cranes work, near the Dubai Marina construction and residential zone, in Dubai September 20, 2007. Dubai is the Gulf's commercial hub, and has embarked on a series of mega construction projects, including the construction of the three Palm Islands, and the world's tallest building.
That's the largest number of cranes I've seen in a single photo.
Mick Tsikas/Reuters
A model wears a creation by designer Daniel Avakian during Australian Fashion Week in Sydney October 9, 2007. Australian Fashion Week showcases the 2008 transeasonal collections from local designers.
I wonder if models ever get stage fright?
Chris Mcgrath/Getty Images
Two fans of the Chicago Cubs remain in the bleachers as they look dejected after the Cubs lost 5-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game Three of the National League Divisional Series at Wrigley Field on October 6, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. With the loss the Cubs were swept in the series 3-0.
There is no joy in Cubville . . . While the other photographers were getting the easy celebration pictures in the Diamondbacks lockerroom, Chris McGrath got this image of the Cubs fans' utter dejection. The body postures, the isolation and the garbage in the stands are just right. I guess there really is a curse.
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