Pictures of the Week: Sept. 23-29

Although the images that appear in the Pictures of the Week gallery are the best news images available for a given week, I didn't think that there was one, single image that stood out this week. It's like that sometimes.That said, there were elements in the gallery that are worth noting:

 

The combination of symmetry with the shock of red made the picture of the ostrich chicks stand out.

 

The student dressed as a penguin on the ground in front of a line of Chilean riot police made me curious. Why was that penguin on the ground? Was he attacked by riot police with a disdain for flightless birds?  

 

The photo of the DC-10 jet dropping fire retardant caught my eye -- perhaps because I saw the video on CNN and thought it was an unusual sight. A big aircraft that close to the flames. Scary.

 

I like the fact that the photographer chose to include the red carpet in the photo of people watching as the opera "Madame Butterfly" is projected live in Times Square. It adds a theatrical element that gives context to the image of the audience.

 

So -- which images moved you or caught your eye? Take a look and vote ... and find out if other  viewers agree with you. Check out all of this week's pictures: Pictures of the Week: Sept. 23-29

 

- Lee

Tags: Pictures of the Week

Wi-Fi Photos

Looks like the next generation of digital photography is here. Check out Nikon's new S7c Coolpix camera that has Wi-Fi capability built into it:

The "c" in the S7c model name stands for connect. And it will email photos right from the camera via a Wi-Fi connection. (You get a free year of T-Mobile Wi-Fi service with it when you buy the camera.) Cost is about $350. Kodak also has come out with a Wi-Fi camera called the EasyShare-one, which is priced below the Coolpix model. A Wall Street Journal article gives more details: Personal Technology

- Gary

Tags: digital photos, Nikon, Kodak

Photokina

Trying to figure out what to do with your old 35mm slides? Here's an interesting option ...

A woman wears a skirt made from 35mm slides during a media preview for the Photokina 2006 imaging fair in Cologne, Germany, which opened today, Sept. 25.  About 1,600 suppliers from 45 countries exhibit at Photokina 2006. They will present the global imaging sector's top new products.

Hey -- watch how you're adjusting that lens, buddy!

The fair is open from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 in Cologne. For some great tips on digital photography or to see the latest info on digital photography, please check out The Digital World of Photos.

- Gary

Tags: Photokina, digital photos

Fotofestivus

We said our blog would be about chronicling what we do here as photo editors at AOL -- highlighting and discussing great images, bringing you useful information, and having some fun, too. Well, here's the fun part: Fotofestivus.

 

It's an idea we came up with as a staff a while ago. It's pretty simple: each month or so, we'll identify a theme and shoot a photo for it. Some themes will be wacky, some straightforward. We'd like to invite you to join in, too. The first theme: Lost. A few photos worked up by some of the AOL photo editors, just for a little inspiration:

 

 

 

 

Interpret the theme as you choose, and send us links to the photos you created around the theme. Have fun and be creative! We look forward to seeing how the theme inspires you.

 

- Gary

Tags: Lost, maps, directions

Pictures of the Week: Sept. 16-22

At first I thought that the photo of the Autumn leaves moving in the foamy pond was an abstract painting, but after I read the caption, I fell in love with this image. I appreciate the fact that it's a photo, but it look's like it was painted by artist Jackson Pollock. Perhaps this photographer chose the wrong profession. Or perhaps he chose the perfect profession. Check out all the photographs in the gallery: Pictures of the Week

- Lee

Tags: Pictures of the Week

The Clinton Global Initiative

I'm an AOL photo editor based in New York City and was assigned to cover the Clinton Global Initiative, a non-partisan group that is a catalyst for action. The annual event brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions for global problems.

Covering the CGI was exciting, grueling, and challenging all at the same time. With much of the open press events occurring onstage with fairly few photo positions, it's a mix of positioning, composition, and a little luck to create memorable images that stand out.  Much of our coverage was based around Thursday night's event. AOL News' The Daily Pulse has in-depth coverage where you can read, vote, comment, and see photos and video.

I think AOL News went far beyond other online news coverage of this important initiative, and I was happy to play a part.

- Sam

Tags: Clinton Global Initiative

Pictures of the Week: Sept. 9-15

The value of a great photo is often worth more than a thousand words. Good photography is unique in that it can communicate in an instant -- far quicker than those 1,000 words. Over time it can become a visual marker of the week's events.  With great photojournalism the photo becomes the iconic representation of the event.

In selecting the images for the Sept. 9-15 gallery, this image of the Tribute in Lights from Ground Zero in New York City hit me immediately with it's striking composition and colors. The lights shine as a reminder of what we lost and appear as a ghost-like reminder of what once was. It was shot during ceremonies around the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11. It's one of several photos from the anniversary that are in this week's gallery. Check out all the photos from this week: Pictures of the Week: Sept. 9-15

- Lee

Tags: Pictures of the Week, Sept. 11, Ground Zero