China: Daily Life Sept. 2011

This Big Picture post gives us a glimpse of daily life in parts of China, documented by wire photographers from the Associated Press, Reuters and Getty. The post begins with a short essay by Reuters photographer Jason Lee. Lee photographed six-year-old Wang Gengxiang, known as the "Masked Boy." Gengxiang was severely burned in an accident involving a burning pile of straw last winter. Most of the skin on the little boy's head was burned off, requiring him to wear a full surgical mask. The mask is said to prevent his scars from becoming infected. According to the local media in the village where Gengxiang was photographed, the doctors cannot continue his skin-graft surgery until his damaged trachea (or windpipe) is strong enough. The Lee essay is following by a black slide, and then more "slice of life" photography from a still somewhat mysterious China. -- Paula Nelson (50 photos total)

Wang Gengxiang on Children's Day, June 1, 2010, and after he was severely burned in an accident, at Mijiazhuang village on the outskirts of Fenyang, North China's Shanxi province, September 9, 2011. Gengxiang, age 6, known as "Masked Boy", was severely burned in an accident involving a burning pile of straw last winter. (Jason Lee/Reuters)

Click here for more

10 years of war in afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001 as the armed forces of the United States of America and the United Kingdom, and the Afghan United Front (Northern Alliance), launched Operation Enduring Freedom, invading the country, in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States, with the stated goal of dismantling the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization and ending its use of Afghanistan as a base. The United States also said that it would remove the Taliban regime from power and create a viable democratic state.

10 Years of the war has resulted in thousands of adead soldiers, thousands of dead Taliban and thousands of dead civilians and the job is still not done.

WARNING: Some images display scenes of violence and death.

Two young boys are handcuffed at a local liquor factory in Kabul June 29, 2010. Afghan police raided an illicit liquor factory capable of producing dozens of litres of alcohol a day and arrested a moonshiner and two young helpers, officials said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Click here for more

the michael jackson death trial

Even in death Michael Jackson continues to affect people’s lives. Yesterday the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the man accused of causing the death of the popstar through bad medical care, started in Los Angeles. Outside the courthouse fans of Michael Jackson gathered to show their support and demand justice. They were countered by fans of Dr. Murray, who also demanded justice for the doctor who was paid $150.000 a month to look after the King of Pop. Warning: some images depict the dead singer.

Demonstrators gather outside Los Angele Superior Court during the opening day of Dr. Conrad Murray's trial in the death of pop star Michael Jackson in Los Angeles September 27, 2011. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Click here for more

in the picture ewald sadie

I’m a software developer and also a freelance photographer in Stellenbosch, South Africa. My main type of photography is action/sports (more specifically downhill mountain biking) and is where everything began for me. I’ve recently ventured into the photojournalism side of photography and am very keen to persue this more seriously.

I recently had the opportunity to take some photos of a day in the life of Prochorus , a non profit organization operating out of Kayamandi, a township on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Since 1996 they have empowered, trained, and developed skills of children and adults, and continues to do so today
We’d like to thank Ewald for sharing his photos. You can check out more of his work on his website.

Photo By Ewald Sadie

Click here for more

in the picture peter lee

My name is Peter Lee Pui Weng. I am 24 years old, student of University Malaya in Malaysia. I gained my interest in photography since I was in my secondary school. I didn’t have a proper camera at that time thus I used my mobile phone to capture whenever I saw an interesting scene. I bought a DSLR camera few years back as my passion in photography deepened. Landscape and humanities are my primary subjects in photography. I use Nikon D60 with Nikkor 12-24mm and Nikkor 70-200mm most of the time.
We’d like to thank Peter for sharing his photos. You can check out more of his work on his website.

Photo By Peter Lee

Click here for more

Afghanistan, September 2011

Tribal elders say the Taliban are far from defeated. The Taliban continue to wage a brutal war, taking a toll on Afghan citizens and American forces. The Department of Defense has identified 1,761 American service members who have died in the Afghan war and related operations as of Sept. 21, about 10 years since the start of the war. In visiting Afghanistan monthly in The Big Picture, we try to reflect our troops presence in the country as well as their interaction with the Afghan people. -- Paula Nelson (54 photos total)

US soldiers from the 27th Infantry Regiment fire 120-mm mortar rounds toward insurgent positions at Outpost Monti in Kunar province on Sept. 17. After a decade of fighting in Afghanistan, 130,000 troops from dozens of countries continue to battle resilient Taliban, who use homemade bombs and guerrilla tactics in a bid to undermine the Afghan government and the NATO mission. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images)

Click here for more

A step-by-step guide to celebrating

All it takes are two groups of people, one to gather and one to march past them. Parades took place across the globe these past two months for a variety of celebrations, from shows of military power, to tributes to organized labor, to pride for one’s country or culture. -- Lloyd Young (37 photos total)

Performers dance in the street parade at the annual Notting Hill Carnival in central London Aug. 29.. Revelers flocked to west London for one of Europe's biggest street parties, with record numbers of police on duty to prevent a repetition of riots that shook the British capital three weeks ago. Notting Hill Carnival, an annual celebration of Caribbean culture that usually draws about 1 million people for a colorful procession of musicians and performers. (Olivia Harris/Reuters)

Click here for more

Kabul: the Capital You Do Not Want to Visit

The capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, is located in the mountains, at an altitude of 1850 m above sea level. This is not only one of the highest capitals in the world but also one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. Unfortunately, longterm wars destroyed the once beautiful city and now it looks more like a huge dump with numerous checkpoints and garbage which no one bothers to clean.

Click here for more

formula 1 2011 singapore grand pix

Sebastian Vettel is just one point removed from becoming the youngest ever back to back Formula 1 World Champion after his win in Singapore. The Singapore grand prix is run under spotlights, gving it a special vibe. The race was exciting to watch, but never really special. Vettel lead from start to finish and was never really threatened.

An aerial view shows part of the illuminated Marina Bay street circuit of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at dusk September 19, 2011. The Singapore F1 night race will take place on September 25. REUTERS/David Loh

Click here for more

coolest pix of week 38

It’s the moment you’ve all bene waiting for…the weekend. And we start it with our selection of Coolest Pix of Week 38.

A Buddhist monk looks on as armed police form a blockade at Boeung Kak Lake in Phnom Penh September 16, 2011. Two bulldozers cleared a number homes at the lake to pave way for a private real estate development. A foreign investment boom in Cambodia has come at the expense of what rights groups estimate is about 30,000 Cambodians forcibly evicted from their homes a year. REUTERS/Samrang Pring

Click here for more

in the picture miguel alives

Hi my name is Miguel Angel Aviles. I’m 28 and I live in Ecuador, a little but very special country in South America, because of our size we can travel from the beach to the jungle in 8 hours. It’s amazing and in the middle the country are my favorite things, the mountains. We have alot of amazing mountains and those are responsible for my passion for photography.

I study in the university San Franscico of Quito, visual arts, I specialized my self in digital compositing and now I work in a postproduction studio where I’m the compositor leader, but I also have a minor from the same university in photography, from film photography, studio and digital.
We’d like to thank Miguel for sharing his photos.

Photo By Miguel Alives

Click here for more

at the carwash in afghanistan

Even in war torn Afghanistan a car needs the occasional wash and wax.

Workers clean cars along Qabri Gora Road in Kabul November 2, 2009. With Kabul's busy and dusty roads, business is always assured at the carwash, providing about a hundred Afghan men and young boys with an income in one of the poorest countries of the world. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen

Click here for more

in the picture marie loeb

Our next featured photographer is Marie Loeb. Most of the images you’ll see were taken in 2010 during her travels and during her stay in Buenos Aires. She has only recently decided to pursue her interest in photography and would appreciate your constructive critism.We’d like to thank Marie for sharing her photos. Check out Marie Loeb’s website for more of her work.

Photo By Marie Loeb

Click here for more

In the picture miguel alives

Hi my name is Miguel Angel Aviles. I’m 28 and I live in Ecuador, a little but very special country in South America, because of our size we can travel from the beach to the jungle in 8 hours. It’s amazing and in the middle the country are my favorite things, the mountains. We have alot of amazing mountains and those are responsible for my passion for photography.

I study in the university San Franscico of Quito, visual arts, I specialized my self in digital compositing and now I work in a postproduction studio where I’m the compositor leader, but I also have a minor from the same university in photography, from film photography, studio and digital.
We’d like to thank Miguel for sharing his photos.

Photo By Miguel Alives

Click here for more

A glimpse of North Korea

North Korea has long been enigmatic - especially to the West. An elaborate cult of personality created around the ruling Kim family permeates both the cultural and political lives of the nation. The world's most militarized nation, it has been developing nuclear weapons and a space program. In 2002, President George Bush labeled North Korea part of an "axis of evil," primarily due to its aggressive military posture but also because of its abysmal human rights record. North Korea has long maintained close relations with the People's Republic of China and Russia. In an attempt to ameliorate the loss of investments due to international sanctions over its weapons program, North Korean officials have initiated a tourism push, focused on Chinese visitors. Still, every travel group or individual visitor is constantly accompanied by one or two "guides" who normally speak the mother language of the tourist. While some tourism has increased over the last few years, Western visitors remain scarce. The last several photos in this post are by Associated Press photographer David Guttenfelder, who offers rare glimpses of life in the shuttered country. -- Paula Nelson (54 photos total)

Rolling out the red carpet for tourists is not commonly associated with the reclusive North Korean government, but that is what workers did for the departure ceremony of Mangyongbyong cruise ship in Rason City on Aug. 30. About 130 passengers departed the rundown port of Rajin, near the China-Russia border, for the scenic Mount Kumgang resort near South Korea. North Korea's state tourism bureau has teamed up with a Chinese travel company to run the country's first ever cruise. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Click here for more

Student protests in Chile

The ongoing student demonstrations in Chile began as a protest over the costs, profits, and fairness of higher education there. They have since attracted other segments of Chilean society venting frustration over wages, health care, and other issues. Uniting the protesters is common dissatisfaction with hugely unpopular President Sebastian Pinera and social inequality. Workers joined a 48-hour general strike in August which, like many demonstrations during the course of the protests, was met with police using tear gas and water cannons on the participants. With changes in the education system still unsettled, the student protests are likely to continue. Chileans yesterday celebrated their national independence day. -- Lane Turner (34 photos total)

Students are hit by water cannons during a rally to demand changes in the public state education system in Santiago July 28, 2011. (Carlos Vera/Reuters)

Click here for more

38 shades of green

A turtle keeps cool in a pool in an Athens zoo June 26, 2007 as temperatures soared to 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 Fahrenheit) in parts of southeast Europe. Greece, which has seen some of the highest temperatures, is set to record its hottest ever June. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

Click here for more

In the picture alexander tromp

My name is Alexander Tromp, I am 33 years old and live near Amsterdam in The Netherlands. I started taking photography more seriously when my wife and I were expecting our first child in 2007. I went quickly from photographing our new born daughter to anyting interesting to me really. I am now a semi-professional photographer next to my dayjob in Amsterdam. I specialize in weddings and portraiture, but still like to explore other subjects as well. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of cityscape and landscape work and digital black and white photography.
We’d like to thank Alexander for sharing his photos. For more of his work please visit his website.

Photo By Alexander Tromp

Click here for more

New World Record: The Man With The Most Piercings

After reading this news today, I’m sitting here thinking about how boring my body is. I have no tattoos and nopiercings. Well, my ears are pierced, but that doesn’t really count. I wish I could tell you that some Saturday night I’m going to go out, get wasted, and stumble home with some new tattoos and piercings, but that’s a bit unlikely. So, for now, I’ll just keep celebrating the tattoo and piercing experiences of others. Besides, after looking at these pictures, my boring body doesn’t seem so bad after all.

Click here for more

People without Eyebrows

 People without eyebrows, Eyebrows are very important part of our beauty, 17 more images after the break...

Click here for more

World coolest pix of week 37

A combination picture shows Wang Gengxiang (R) on Children's Day on June 1, 2010, and another picture of him after he was severely burned in an accident, at Mijiazhuang village on the outskirts of Fenyang, North China's Shanxi province on September 9, 2011. Gengxiang, age 6 and known as Masked Boy,

Click here for more

In the picture thomas margelist

If you love old cars you should definitely visit the Autrofriedhof (car cemetery) of Gurbetal in Switzerland. This immense site is the final resting place of over 400 motorbikes and 1000 cars. It will make for great photos as Thomas Margelist’s work will show you.
We’d like to thank Thomas for sharing his photos. For more of his work please check out his website.

Photo By Thomas Margelist

Click here for more

Porsche CAR

Yesterday Porsche presented the new 911 Carrera to the world at the Frankfurt Motorshow. The 911 is a legend in the automotive world and the brand Porsche an iconic one. I thought it time to honour the brand in the only way we can. With images.

A Porsche Cayenne S 3.0 V6 Hybrid car of German car manufacturer Porsche is shown during the first media day of the 80th Geneva Car Show at the Palexpo in Geneva March 2, 2010. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Click here for more

In the picture debunk

Well, what can is say about our next contributor? He’s been a loyal fan of whatever we’ve done for a long time, so I thought it only right to reward his love, care and attention with some home page love of our own. Take your bow DB.
We’d like to thank DeBunk for sharing his photos. If you like the photographer’s work please give a comment or a like to show your appreciation.

Photo By DeBunk

Click here for more

2011 NFL season kicks off

Seven weeks ago, a labor dispute threatened to push the NFL season to the sidelines. Instead, the goliaths of gridiron made a glorious return this past week, from the last-second goalstand by the Super Bowl champs Green Bay Packers to Tom Brady’s second-to-no-other-Patriot’s 517 yards passing. The games also paused to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks. Though the season is just one week old, fans across the globe are hoping their teams will play in the grand finale next Feb. 5, held for the first time in Indianapolis. -- Lloyd Young
(34 photos total)

Miami Dolphins Brandon Marshall (19) dives over New England Patriots Devin McCourty after catching a pass during the third quarter of their NFL football game in Miami Sept. 12. Hans Deryk/Reuters)

Click here for more

drug rehab in venezuela

Someone in a very famous cartoon series kept telling us Drugs Are Bad. If you didn’t believe him, maybe you’ll change your mind after seeing these pictures of a drug rehab center in Caracas, Venezuela.

Click here for more

in the picture andy gallen

My name is Andy Gallen, I am a 19 year old from Telluride, Colorado. I am currently about to start my freshman year at Fort Lewis College in Durango Co. Growing up in the mountains i have always had a love of landscape. I first got into photography at the age of 15 and have never stopped!
We’d like to thank Andy for sharing his photos. If you like the photographer’s work please give a comment or a like to show your appreciation and if you want your work featured please contact us.

Photo By Andy Gallen

Click here for more

in the picture debunk

Well, what can is say about our next contributor? He’s been a loyal fan of whatever we’ve done for a long time, so I thought it only right to reward his love, care and attention with some home page love of our own. Take your bow DB.
We’d like to thank DeBunk for sharing his photos. If you like the photographer’s work please give a comment or a like to show your appreciation and if you want your work featured please contact us.

Click here for more

Tragic Russian plane crash

Rescuers work at the crash site of a Russian Yak-42 jet near the city of Yaroslavl, on the Volga River about 150 miles northeast of Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011.The aircraft, carrying the Lokomotiv ice hockey team, crashed while taking off Wednesday in western Russia. Josef Vasicek, who played for the Carolina Hurricanes from 2000-2007, was among the dead.

Click here for more

Soldiers from Around the World

South Korea

The soldiers in different parts of the world, 44 more after the break...

Click here for more

One Of The World’s Most Magical Places

 

Reed Flute Cave, Guilin, Guangxi, China

The cave got its name from the verdant  reeds growing outside it, with which people make flutes. Inside this  water-eroded cave is a spectacular world of various stalactites, stone  pillars and rock formations created by carbonate deposition. Illuminated  by colored lighting, the fantastic spectacle is found in many  variations along this 240-meter-long cave.

Click here for more

japan tsunami 6 months later then and now

6 Months ago Japan was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami. Thousands were killed and whole towns were destroyed. These are some then and now combination images.

A combination photo shows vehicle travelling past the Asia Symphony cargo ship swept by ashore by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, at a fishing port in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, on April 11, 2011, and the same scene on September 9, 2011, some six months since the disaster. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Click here for more

remembering 9 11 the tenth anniversary

It is my JFK moment. I know exactly where I was when I first heard the news that a (small) plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. That small plane quickly turned into a passenger jet. Quickly followed by another one. The world stopped turning and looked on in amazement. This was no longer a tragic accident, but a well thought out attack on the United States. When reports came in that a thrid plane had crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth plane had crashed into fields in Pennsylvania it became clear this attack had taken months if not years of planning. The question was by whom. The answer to this question depended on who was speaking at the time. Iraq, Afghanistan, the Taliban, the PLO, Libya, all rolled over tongues of people who we thought had the knowledge. We now know that it was Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaeada terrorist group.

The 9/11 attacks were directly responsible for nearly 3,000 deaths and indirectly for hundreds of thousands more through two wars against terrorism (Iraq and Afghanistan) and through different illnesses such as cancer and depression which hit rescue workers and people who helped with the clean up at Ground Zero.

The 9/11 attacks changed the world we live in, a change we still feel today when we board a plane, attend a large sporting or musical event and even when we open a newspaper or turn on the TV news. May it never happen again.

Rescue crews congregate near a U.S. flag amidst the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York in this September 13, 2001 file photo. September 11th marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks where nearly 3,000 people died when four hijacked airliners were used in coordinated strikes on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers. The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. REUTERS/Files

Click here for more

Ground Zero: September 11, 2001 - September 11, 2011

One of the most indelible memories in the collective psyche of Americans - and the world - comes from the images of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on the United States, September 11, 2001. Yesterday, Americans and the world collectively remembered those who lost their lives in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania ten years after that unforgettable day. This post (edited by Leanne Burden) shows the transformation, of what became known as Ground Zero, over the last ten years. A memorial rises from the ashes of that day on September 11, 2011. -- Paula Nelson (41 photos total)

Photos by Space Imaging’s IKONOS satellite showing the World Trade Center complex in Manhattan, New York, collected on June 30, 2011 showing the 110-stories twin towers; on September 15, 2001 showing the remains of the 1,350-foot (411.48-meter) twin towers of the World Trade Center, and the debris and dust that have settled in Ground Zero, four days after the terrorist attacks; and June 8, 2002, showing the progress in the reclamation of Ground Zero where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. AFP/Space Imaging

Click here for more

formula-1 2011 italian Grand pix

It was Italy’s turn to host the world of Formula One this weekend and the Monza circuit near Milan was the venue. Monza is one of the fastest F1 tracks in the world and it showed. It was a fast race with some duels fought out at over 200mph. Vettel vs Alonso, Schumacher vs Hamilton and Button vs Alonso. All that racing resulted in a win for Vettel, a second place for Button and thrid place for Ferrari driver Alonso.

Members of Mercedes team work on tyres in the paddock at the Monza circuit September 8, 2011 ahead of the Italian F1 grand prix. REUTERS/ Giampiero Sposito

Click here for more

Nexus images world funny images, 54 Pics

Nexus images world funny images, 

Click here for more

World coolest pix of week 36

We’ve already showed you some of this week’s highlights in major galleries such as The Texas Wildfires, Burning Man 2011 and that lovely looking North Korean Cruise. This week’s coolest pix are a pick and mix from across the globe. A bomb attack in Pakistan, a runner attacked by a moose, Libyan rebels still fighting, the start of the Rugby World Cup and of course the Russian air crash which killed en entire top class ice hockey team.

Hurricane Katia is seen from the International Space Station in this NASA handout picture taken August 31, 2011 and released on September 1, 2011. Katia, a Category 1 Hurricane, has weakened to a tropical storm but some restrengthening was forecast during the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest report on Thursday. Picture taken August 31, 2011. REUTERS/NASA/Handout

Click here for more

Texas drought and wildfires

Wildfires have blazed across Texas for several days, but the drought conditions that fed the flames have been building for many months. The ten-month period through July was the driest in Texas state history. Entire lakes have dried up. Since last November, almost 1,500 homes have burned in nearly 21,000 fires across the state. Two deaths so far have been attributed to the fires, which have forced the evacuations of thousands of residents. The Texas drought and wildfires come on the heels of the Arizona wildfire, the largest in that state's history. -- Lane Turner (45 photos total)

Two firefighters break from battling a wildfire off Foster School Road near Needville, Texas on September 7, 2011. (Patric Schneider/The Courier/AP)

Click here for more

In the picture evgeny feldman

Our next In The Picture is about Evgeny Feldman. This young man from Mother Russia sent me his picture a long time ago and I forgot about them. Shame on me. Evgeny’s initial passion for photogrpahy was focussed on rock concerts, but over time he also gained in interest in political rallies and sports games. He likes to travel all over Russia and Europe to visit concerts, see the sights, meet interesting people and take photographs.

Photo By Evgeny Feldman

Click here for more

The texas wildfires

While the tennis in New York gets called off because of rain and other parts of the world are dealing with stormy weather, the state of Texas is experiencing record temperatures, extreme drought and dangerous wildfires.

Flames and smoke rise from above the trees as a wildfire burns near Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas September 1, 2011. Wildfires raged through Texas and Oklahoma threatening homes, buildings and charring thousands of acres of parched, dry land. REUTERS/Mike Stone

Click here for more

Burning Man at 25 years

The 25th Burning Man festival, with a theme of "Rites of Passage," took place Aug. 29 to Sept. 5, 2011, 120 miles outside Reno, Nev., in the Black Rock Desert, its home since 1600. Some 50,000 people attended the week-long celebration, which is billed as "an annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance." The event, which is more a temporary city than a traditional festival, arose from a bonfire held on the Summer Solstice at Baker Beach in San Francisco in which a wooden man a dog were burned in a spontaneous act of self-expression by local artists and their friends. -- Lloyd Young (29 photos total)

Cooper Brawn dances as the Temple of Transition burns during the Burning Man 2011 "Rites of Passage" arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nev., Sept. 4. More than 50,000 people from all over the world have gathered at the sold out festival which is celebrating its 25th year. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

Click here for more

taking a cruise in north korea

This cruise from China to North korea is sure to become a serious rival for cruises around the Caribbean islands very soon.

A visitor posses with a cruise ship at the port of Rason, the North Korean especial economic zone, northeast of Pyongyang August 30, 2011. Destitute North Korea's push to breathe new life into its economic relationships with China and Russia appears to be bearing fruit in the far north of the country where foreigners are busily helping to rebuild the region's creaking infrastructure.

Click here for more

Nexus Images FunTime --- 64 Pics

Nexus Images Picdump, 62 more images after the break...

Click here for more

Photos taken at the appropriate time

Click here for more

burning man 2011

Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening. The event is described by many participants as an experiment in community, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance. It sure makes from some great pictures.

Participant Donna Carter of Boise, Idaho, looks at The Temple of Transition during the Burning Man 2011 Rites of Passage arts and music festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, August 31, 2011. More than 50,000 people from all over the world have gathered at the 25th edition of the sold-out festival REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Click here for more

78 pictures of the iaaf athletics world championships

Runners, jumpers, throwers and all-rounders lived by the credo sweat, blood and tears to try and get a medal around their neck at the 2011 IAAF Athletic World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Some great performances were captured in these images with the highlight being the amazing 4x100m race run by the Jamaicans.

Ryan Harlan of the U.S. competes in the shot put event of the men's decathlon at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu August 27, 2011. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Click here for more

Food Fight: Tomatina festival 2011

Tons of overripe tomatoes were hurled for an hour in a massive red food fight in town of Bunol, Spain, on Aug. 31. The La Tomatina festival -- held each year on the last Wednesday of August -- evolved from a street fight in the 1940s when a group of young men who wanted to participate in the "gigantes y cabezudos" parade used tomatoes from a vegetable stand as weapons. An estimated 40,000 people showed up this year for the food fight. -- Lloyd Young (19 photos total)

A reveler gives the thumbs-up as he is covered with tomato pulp after the annual Tomatina (tomato fight) in the Mediterranean village of Bunol, near Valencia, Aug. 31. (Heino Kalis/Reuters)

Click here for more

Libya: Khadafy family life revealed in the aftermath

Algeria said this week that it had allowed a two-vehicle caravan of Col. Muammar Khadafi's relatives, including his second wife and three of his children, into the country. The flight of his relatives provides new evidence of surrender by the Khadafi clan as rebels tighten their hold on Tripoli, the capital. Khadafi's wife, Safiya, daughter Aisha and two of his sons, Mohammed and Hannibal, all crossed into Algeria. The spouses of Khadafi's children and their children arrived as well. This post gives us a glimpse of how those family members lived while in power in Libya. The value of these images isn't in their artistry or aesthetic, but in their storytelling information as we seek to uncover more behind the scenes of the Khadafi regime that spanned forty-two years. --Paula Nelson (NOTE: Monday is a holiday. See you again on Wednesday.)(31 photos total)

As rebels, looters, and simply the curious rifled through what's left of the estates of Moammar Khadafy and his sons, most were struck by the rather mundane furnishings and peculiar habits they accumulated. In Hannibal Khadafy's home, a torn image of the son was discovered. (Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)

Click here for more

coolest pix of week 35

A bit later then usual but not less impressive. The IAAF World Championships, more drama in Libya, the enmd of Ramadan and some greats sports pix.

A man sleeps outside Pasar Senen train station while waiting for a train that will take him back to his hometown, in Jakarta August 26, 2011. Millions of Indonesian Muslims are leaving the capital to return to their hometowns for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations with their families and to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Enny Nuraheni

Click here for more

in the picture peter luxem

In the late eighties my passion for photography started with the manual camera from my dad, I tried different subjects but landscapes was the thing I loved most, but this passion disappeared early 2000 for some reason. As a old love the passion for photography came back with a vengeance in 2008 when I saw the first real quality HDR’s and I was fascinated again and bought some new gear and software. This was what I missed in the analog days: control of the post-processing.

Since then I never looked back and mastered myself into natural looking HDR landscapes pictures, the newly discovered passion of photography has a nice side effect: I want to travel the world to capture the beauty of the countries I visit. Here you can find a collection of landscapes from New Zealand, Scotland and Belgium (my home country).BLOG TEKST
We’d like to thank Peter for sharing his photos. For more of his work please visit his website.

Sunset at the jetty, Mol, Belgium. Photo By Peter Luxem

Click here for more