Light is a primal component in photography and when there is light, there has to be a shadow. Sometimes the shadow an object casts tells a story of its own and other times they say much more than the actual subject does. Posted here are a collection of a few interesting shots which prove that 'light, shadow and photography' form a mind-blowing combination.


The shadow of a hot-air balloon appears on a rape field near Jasdorf, northern Germany, as temperatures reach eight degrees Celsius on May 21. (Heribert Proepper, AP)

On May 3, the 'Children Becoming Buddhist Monks' ceremony was held at Chogye temple in Seoul, South Korea. Eight children entered the temple as apprentices to experience the life of a Buddhist Monk for three weeks. What you see here are images from a service held to celebrate Buddha's upcoming birthday. Buddha was born approximately 2,554 years ago, and although the exact date is unknown, Buddha's official birthday is celebrated on the full moon in May in South Korea, which is on May 21 this year. Buddhism has a long history, originating in India over 2,600 years ago. Travelers introduced the religion to Korea around the fourth century A.D. Since that time, Buddhism has greatly influenced Korean society, culture, and the arts.

South Korean Buddhist monks shave the head of Hyun Dong during a service to celebrate Buddha's upcoming birthday on May 21 at Chogye temple in Seoul, May 3. He is one of the eight children who entered the temple to have an experience of monks' life for three weeks. (Lee Jin-man, AP)

Cross-cultural studies have shown that smiling is used as a means of communicating emotions throughout the world. Smiling is a very easy yet very powerful human expression. In some cases, its a sign of relief after grief, sometimes a smile denotes good times and most of the times its just a measure of acknowledgment. It spreads easy and is often symbiotic; spreading equal joy to the giver and the receiver. A warm smile is more like a universal language of kindness and good will. Smile... for it costs nothing, but its value is incalculable!

Pakistani, Sumira Kamal, 3, who lives next to a wood and coal supplier, looks on smiling, while playing with her friends, unseen, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 23. (Muhammed Muheisen, AP)

2010 always had an optimistic tone to it... like it was bottled up and just waiting to be unleashed. We felt a look at the year that culminated to its birth cannot be ignored. Too much happened in 2009 to be ignored. President Obama reached out far and wide for that smile he was looking for, but the King of Pop left without a last song. War and riots marked its territory, promising to return, while the swine flu crept in unnoticed behind masks. China and Germany were lit up with fireworks for their anniversaries, and the volcanoes elsewhere followed shortly. Yes, 2009 was a mixed bag, but all you photography lovers are in for a real treat. Here's our Editor's pick for 2009 Pictures of the Year...

It's time to bid farewell to what could be termed as the most eventful decade, the first of the 21st century (2000-2009). An attempt to visually portray this decade reveals that dreadful wars and natural calamities take center stage. A close look prompts one to think about the growing complexities in the world one lives in. Click through and see for yourself.
NOTE: Some images in this post contain graphic content.


A Kenyan boy screams as he sees Kenyan policeman with a baton approach the door of his home in the Kibera slum of Nairobi 17 Jan. 2008. Hundreds of police who had earlier clashed with supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga at the entrance of the slum moved into the shantytown and did a house to house search for protesters. (Walter Astrada, AFP / Getty Images)