Pictures We Love: Best of August

Fires of War

Photograph by Philippe de Poulpiquet, Archive/MAXPPP/ZUMA

An armed rebel kicks a soccer ball as flames engulf Muammar Qaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli on August 23. Libyan rebels captured the palace after days of fighting for control of the capital city.

For months NATO air strikes had targeted the heavily fortified complex, which served as the disputed leader's home and office as well as a military barracks, according to the Associated Press. (Read a Q&A with Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan as he reports live from Tripoli.)

Why We Love It

"By waiting for a moment of idleness rather than action, the photographer captured a very human side of this fighter-a rarity in war photography."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published September 1, 2011

Sardine Storm

Photograph by Alexey Stoyda, Fame Pictures/Barcroft Media

A "storm cloud" of sardines masses near a diver off Pescador Island in the Philippines in a picture released August 22.

Though the phenomenon is well documented off South Africa, the annual sardine gathering was first spotted off the Philippines in March 2009, according to underwater photographer Alexey Stoyda. The sight has since attracted divers from all over the world.

Why We Love It

"Is it a reef? A sculpture? When you realize that the shadowy mass next to the diver is actually a school of sardines, the scale becomes apparent."—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor

"Although many pictures of sardine shoals exist, photographer Alexey Stoyda set this photograph apart by taking a wider look at the shapes formed by the fish."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published September 1, 2011

Irene Erases History

Photograph by Scott Olson, Getty Images

Steps are all that remain of a cottage owned by Billy Stinson—seen comforting daughter Erin Stinson on August 28—after Hurricane Irene destroyed their Nags Head, North Carolina, home. Built in 1903, the cottage was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Stinson bought the home in 1963.

"We were pretending, just for a moment, that the cottage was still behind us, and we were just sitting there watching the sunset," Erin said. (See more pictures of Hurricane Irene's aftermath.)

Why We Love It

"The family is literally 'at sea' in this image, and the viewer feels their great sense of loss."—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor

"A sensitive eye and care in composition—particularly in choosing an angle with a minimal background [see an alternative angle]—help this photograph speak volumes about the human impact of Hurricane Irene."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published September 1, 2011

Masked Men

Photograph by Xiao Chun, Imaginechina/AP

Workers wear makeshift welding masks at a construction site in Tianjin, China, on August 23. Migrant workers from rural areas have flooded China's cities, with many working in construction as urban development flourishes, according to National Geographic magazine.

Why We Love It

"Sometimes it's best to play it straight: By using a straightforward composition and simple posing for this group portrait, photographer Xiao Chun accentuates the primitive safeguards that these welders are using."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published September 1, 2011

Swiss Daredevil

Photograph by Arno Balzarini, European Pressphoto Agency

Swiss tightrope walker Freddy Nock takes the scenic route to the cable car station on the summit of Diavolezza, or She Devil, a mountain in Switzerland's Upper Engadin region, on August 23. The summit is 9,770 feet (2,978 meters) above sea level.

Nock attempted to set seven world records in seven days with high-wire stunts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The effort failed when high winds forced him to abandon a crossing of Switzerland's Lake Thun on August 27, according to the UPI news service.

(Related: "Woman Climbs 14 Highest Peaks Without Extra Oxygen.")

Why We Love It

"This picture breaks a few compositional rules, such as 'don't center the horizon' or 'don't include too much empty sky,' to great effect: The tightrope walker pops out of the background and into our amygdalae."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"The choice to photograph this scene as a vertical emphasizes the space between the tightrope walker and the ground below-and the daring nature of this feat."—Alexa Keefe, photography producer

Published September 1, 2011

Young Victim

Photograph by John Moore, Getty Images

Halima Hassan holds her severely malnourished seven-month-old son, Abdulrahman Abshir, at Banadir Hospital on August 14 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

The U.S. government estimates that famine and drought have caused the deaths of some 30,000 children in southern Somalia in the last 90 days. (See more pictures of the crisis in Somalia.)

Why We Love It

"It's difficult to photograph mass starvation in a warm and feeling way. By making a close, personal picture of a mother and son, rather than trying to capture the scale of the devastation, photographer John Moore brings the tragedy in Somalia straight to our hearts."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"The focus of this image is not an emaciated skeleton, but the experience of starvation."—Janna Dotschkal, associate photo editor

Published September 1, 2011

Icy Pilgrimage

Photograph by Altaf Qadri, AP

Hindu pilgrims make their way to a shrine in Amarnath Cave on July 27. The cave—which sits at an altitude of 13,500 feet (4,115 meters)—is located over a glacier in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

At least half a million devotees make the annual pilgrimage to worship a stalagmite inside the cave thought to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and regeneration.

Why We Love It

"It seems clear that photographer Altaf Qadri waited for just the right moment to take this picture."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"I love how the elements of tone, texture, and scale work together to reinforce the barrenness of the landscape."—Alexa Keefe, photography producer

Published September 1, 2011

Salty Dip

Photograph from AP

A human-made "sea" provides escape from the summer heat—if not from the crowds—in China's Sichuan Province on August 14.

Known as China's Dead Sea, the saltwater swimming pool is part of an indoor water park that can accommodate up to 10,000. Park officials say that more than a million people have visited the pool so far this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

Why We Love It

"The bright pops of color create a playful, 'candy coated' tone. Simultaneously, the mass of people floating in the pool speaks to the population density in China—and to whether you'd want to share a pool with that many people!"—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor

"The wide-angle view and use of color reinforce the picture's subject—a stimulus-overload view of humanity writ large."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published September 1, 2011

Above Meets Below

Photograph by Ashala Tylor, AP

Seth Altamus stands on his paddleboard as a gray whale swims by in California's Klamath River on August 4. The whale and her calf entered the river in late June during their northward journey to Alaska from breeding grounds off the coast of Mexico.

The stranded whale—which became a local attraction during its nearly two months in the river—died August 16 of unknown causes, according to the Associated Press. Her calf, however, is believed to have found its way to sea in late July, and scientists think the youngster was mature enough to survive a solo journey to Alaska.

Why We Love It

"The scale and size difference in this image is incredible. At first you see only the paddleboarder, but then your eye slowly makes out the massive whale just feet from him."—Janna Dotschkal, associate photo editor

"The photographer's distance and vantage point were key in capturing the divide between man and whale; a water-level view might not have been as successful. Also, waiting for just the right body language in both subjects made for a haunting photograph."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published September 1, 2011

Next: Pictures We Love: July >>

Photograph by Mick Tsikas, Reuters

Published September 1, 2011