The death of the boring blog post?
| November 19th, 2009 |
Let’s face it: the classic blog post is boring.
Barring the text and images, each one generally has the exact same layout. We see little originality from one post to the next. Of course, consistency and branding are extremely important to consider when designing a website or blog, but what about individuality? Does a blog post about kittens deserve the same layout as one about CSS hacks?
Because installing a WordPress theme is so easy, anyone can have a blog up and running in minutes. While this is great, and we now have a wealth of blogs on countless topics, perhaps it’s too easy? Just thinking about the endless hours of effort that a print designer puts into creating the custom layout of a magazine article makes one respect the finished product so much more.
A few individuals out there, though, are really breaking the mold of the blogosphere.
These guys aren’t using standard WordPress themes or cutting corners to make their lives easier. Rather, they are challenging themselves and producing some fantastic content.
Pushing yourself to create original layouts and designs customized to the content of each post is a fascinating and entertaining way to build a blog.
The &cringe&Trend&/cringe& with a difference
Hearing the word “trend” makes us designers shudder because we picture overused glossy buttons, drop-shadows and reflections. But the blogazine trend could be unlike other trends for a few special reasons. Designing a creative layout for each new blog post, based on the content itself, requires skill, patience, dedication to the content and, most of all, effort on the part of the designer!
Let’s now look at three people who exhibit all four qualities:
The Pioneers
is one of the early innovators of this style of blogging and has been creating custom blog post designs since June 2008. With a background in print design, Jason had a vision to create a blog more in the style of a magazine, rather than obey the established rules of blog design.
While, yes, this is a redesign of sorts, I consider it much more a rethinking.
~ Jason Santa Maria
Jason’s blog posts are fascinating and cover a wide range of topics, including design, typography, books, photography and film.
The differences in the designs are sometimes just subtle changes in background or typography, but each conveys an entirely distinct message that it couldn’t if it was uniform with the rest.
Sometimes the changes are radical, but every one still has an element of “Jason-ness.”
The header and footer are usually consistent, but even without them, you can still tell a Jason Santa Maria post from a quick glace.
We’ve made so many advancements in how we publish content that we haven’t looked back to what it is we’re actually creating. Many of us see the clear separation between things like print design and web design, but I’ve really been questioning the reality of why things are this way.
~ Jason Santa Maria
We Web designers don’t want to be regarded as lazy. Do we?
We have some of the
most creative and inspiring designers
in our profession, so why don’t we show our true potential in our blog articles?
got a lot of publicity with his , in which he suggests a dramatic redesign and rethinking of its online customer experience. The articles on Dustin’s blog are incredibly fascinating, and this user experience designer has clearly put serious thought into each one.
I got the chance to speak with Dustin about his work:
What prompted you to create a “blogazine” instead of a traditional blog?
I’m never satisfied with my work. Invariably, two weeks after finishing a design, I feel like I can do better. When I originally tried to design my blog, I kept finishing a design, hating it and starting over. This happened ten or twelve times until I finally gave up. Eventually, I realized that each post could stand on its own and be its own design that fit the content. Despite the holdbacks of HTML and CSS, it has worked much better than I had even anticipated.
Does having a blogazine really boost your creativity when it comes to creating a post?
The blogazine style does seem to boost creativity, and by a huge amount. I feel an intense amount of freedom when I’m not constrained by the box of a pre-formed design. I can open Photoshop and use it as a word processor with design functionality. The design really does complement & and become & the content, because they are built simultaneously, without regard for any of the other stuff on the website.
I feel an intense amount of freedom when I’m not constrained by the box of pre-formed design.
Where do you get your inspiration for your blog articles?
I get inspiration from everywhere. I’m fascinated by medicine and the human brain. So many of my articles center on interesting things that I’ve learned while studying neuroscience. Sometimes I’ll start with a single word, like “sleep,” and develop it into a whole article as I research the fringes of the field. There’s really no set source of inspiration.
Advantages?
Disadvantages?
The main advantage is one I didn’t anticipate. Doing a blogazine article requires a lot more work than a traditional blog post, and that has kept me on my toes; because such a large investment is required, I publish only what I feel are my best articles.
The biggest disadvantage is that CSS and HTML are terrible technologies that weren’t designed for page layout. They were designed for structured content presentation, like for a newspaper, where all the elements throughout the website are the same and are re-used. But I’m trying to make a magazine, where the content and presentation are inextricably mixed and unique. The way presentation CSS is supposed to be decoupled from the content HTML is totally counter to the mission I am trying to accomplish, and it makes coding the articles frustrating, messy and time-consuming.
This seems to keep the quality fairly high. I start four or five articles for every one I publish. If I had a normal blog, that wouldn’t be the case & the other four articles would be published too, even though they wouldn’t be as good as the ones I do end up publishing.
My solution to this problem has basically been to ignore convention and use inline styling for most of the presentation code and extract the website-wide presentation layer into a separate CSS document. This takes forever and is not ideal. To put it lightly, I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with CSS.
What if a print magazine
used the same template for every article?
It would be pretty boring, no?
is a website designer at
and has created his website as an experiment in art direction. Not allowing himself to use the same old templates, Greg has created a fascinating website, with custom designs for each blog post.
Here’s what Greg had to say when I spoke with him:
What prompted you to create a blogazine instead of a traditional blog?
Well, I’ve had a blog for ages and have always been bad at keeping it regularly updated, until I custom-designed a few of the posts sometime last year. I generally hate writing about Web-related stuff (I find it all a little boring), and I love designing, so I wrote about what I wanted (music and zombies) and designed each post around the content, although still housed in my old blog layout. The reception to the posts was really nice, and I enjoyed creating them, so for my latest website I set out to cater to that same audience and keep myself happily occupied at the same time.
Does having a blogazine really boost your creativity when it comes to creating a post?
I wouldn’t say it
the website is more of an outlet for it. Despite spending all week being creative at , it’s still quite liberating to design whatever you want, however you want, with no external influence.
Because it’s all nicely designed, readers are drawn in and end up reading more than one post.
Where do you get your inspiration for your blog articles?
Usually I think of my best ideas when cycling or sitting on a tram or bus. It’s been a big thing on the Web over the years, where you get your inspiration from, and I’ve never really understood it. I think that looking at other people’s work all the time for inspiration is massively constricting. I find staring out a window for a while usually helps.
Advantages?
Disadvantages?
The obvious advantage is that it looks better. But the content is infinitely more captivating as well. I’m not a great writer, and I probably write a lot of bullshit, but because it’s all nicely designed, readers are drawn in and end up reading more than one post. It’s also very fun to create and helps me grow as a designer.
I guess some would say the time factor is a disadvantage, but if you love doing something, spending a lot of time doing it is justified.
I can’t think of any disadvantages.
The Microblogging Revolution
, , , , the
and countless other services make it incredibly easy for us to instantly post short musings, photos, video, thoughts and creations, which in turn has created a big gap between the micro post and the macro post.
Time for the macro post to shine
Longer blog posts with valuable content might not get the recognition they deserve, because the 140-character mindset turns people off of reading several pages of text. One way to combat this and make your content more appealing is by creatively altering the layout, using the blogazine technique.
Bridging the gap
We don’t know exactly where the world of blogging is headed in the next few years, but the increase in micro-blogging will definitely be a strong influence. Shorter attention spans call for drastic changes to the length of blog posts.
Blogazines could cater to a generation accustomed to the longer articles of newspapers and magazines, becoming a bridge between the traditional article and the TwitPic.
Forces you to think more creatively
Slipping into the habit of typing up your thoughts and clicking “Post,” without thinking about the layout of each article, is easy.
By taking a little extra time for the art of blogging, your creativity will increase with your efforts.
Something different and exciting for your readers
printed every article with the same layout, every month, would you still subscribe? Your readers would more likely return for new articles if they anticipate something new and rewarding.
Reduces the number of short simple posts
Your blog posts will have much more weight if you take the time to create a full article, rather than knock of a rushed post.
Makes wordy posts more readable
If all you have is text, text, text, then people will be less likely to read it.
Put a little effort into styling the content, and your post will become much more readable.
It takes serious effort
Hand-crafting each blog post won’t be easy, but the rewards will be well worth it.
You need CSS and HTML experience
Anyone can download a WordPress theme and merrily post an article. But building a custom layout requires some experience with CSS and HTML.
Inconsistency
The layout of your blog will change dramatically from post to post and, if not done right, may strike your readers as being awkwardly inconsistent. Just look at Jason Santa Maria’s work. Every post is radically different for a reason, but a consistent vein runs through the posts.
No print layout experience
Because this style borrows many elements from print design, anyone who has worked only in Web design may find it difficult to change their way of thinking.
Rules of typography and white space, for example, may throw you off. But practice makes perfect, and an endless supply of inspiration can be found in creative magazines.
Obviously this style isn’t suitable for every website. It wouldn’t be practical for blogs that pump out three or four articles a day, but certain types of websites could benefit from it especially.
Portfolios
We have a habit of following trends very easily, especially in our portfolios. Instead of following the tired old practice of positioning screenshots of your work in a nice grid one after the other, why not use the blogazine technique and design a fresh page for each project according to the subject, client and color scheme?
Online Shops
Many online shops suffer from a certain blandness, following the pattern of: thumbnail grid, name, short description and then pagination.
This layout may be good for usability, but there is a middle ground between scannability and visual appeal.
The design changes do not have to be dramatic. In fact, drastically changing the layout would not be advisable for online stores.
But perhaps even subtle changes to design elements could give your online shop the distinction that makes it more noticeable?
CSS Galleries
A new CSS gallery seems to pop up every day, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between all of them.
While some of the higher-profile examples like
are fantastic for gaining inspiration, the constant influx of CSS galleries makes the inclusion of your own design in one of them somewhat less of an achievement.
It would be interesting to see a really high-class CSS gallery adopt the blogazine technique, with a custom page made for each worthy website, using large high-quality images instead of the typical screenshots.
The websites in a CSS gallery are not all about the same topic and do not have the same style or same content, so why should they receive the same treatment and same type of screenshot?
Merely for consistency?
Think about a painting that is worthy of being displayed in an art gallery.
Should it be given the same treatment, cut to the same size, positioned the same way?
Why do we treat gallery-worthy websites this way, then?
Quiet Blogs
Bloggers often lack the motivation to keep their blog running.
Many of them feel they have to keep it fresh by updating it every day, and failing to meet their own expectations results in both frustration and a neglected blog.
Updating a blog daily isn’t ideal, and more often than not…
seven half-hearted articles a week does not equal one very polished, interesting article.
RSS readers are jam-packed with articles every day, and chances are, the articles that don’t get your full attention will get lost in the crowd.
Keep your short musings and thoughts for Posterous and Twitter, and spend some real time hand-crafting well-thought-out articles. You’ll satisfy both yourself and your readers.
and . They do not blog that often: sometimes once a week, sometimes once a month. But the quality is always stellar.
You have endless possibilities to be more creative with your blog.
Why stay tied down to one theme and one layout when you can experiment with your skills and push your creativity to its limit with a blogazine? With the Internet suffocating with blogs, people have developed incredibly short attention spans, and they probably won’t stop for your content if you have “just another blog.”
Why not throw away the blogging rule book and make your articles stand out from the crowd?
is an irish UX designer,
living in Belgium. He’s currently working on his own
and you can
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Note: Our rating-system has caused errors, so it's disabled at the moment. It will be back the moment the problem has been resolved. We're very sorry. Happy Holidays!
Okay, I get what you’re doing. I’lle cho what’s being said:
This is not usable. It alienates. It’s TOO different. It’s creative. It’s not thinking about the end user, it’s trying to be as visually appealing, while ignoring accessibility, readability for the masses. This is GREAT for designers. BAD for consistent offerings.
I agree – e-commerce stores are boring to the point of being cookie-cutter sites, for “usability” and “familiarity.” But reinventing the wheel would do more to turn people AWAY then causing people to go “gee, I no longer know how to use this site, I should figure it out instead of going somewhere else to buy it quickly and easilly!” It’s like making someone solve a rubik’s cube before they can order lunch. Some people will try, most people will skip it *because they are hungry.*
This creates obstacles and barriers between a user and the site. *This has its place* and I’m really interested in how this grows and gets integrated with the mainstream. I know this article is an extreme example, but I look forward to seeing how people run with the concept in the long run.
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The 52 Most Breathtaking Photos From Around The World This Year
Welcome to our special edition of "Moving Image," a roundup of the best photos from around the world this year.The following images tell the story of the past 365 days' most compelling events, capturing happenstance moments and monumental occurrences all over the globe.Our picks for 2013 are:
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Andoni Lubacki/AP
A Syrian rebel plays football in the Saif al-Dawlah neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. The United Nations estimated Wednesday that more than 60,000 people have been killed in Syria's 21-month-old uprising against authoritarian rule, a toll one-third higher than what anti-regime activists had counted. The U.N. human rights chief called the toll "truly shocking." (Andoni Lubacki/AP)
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Anglers cast lines through holes into a frozen river during an ice fishing competition at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival on January 5, 2013 in Hwacheon-gun, South Korea. The annual event attracts thousands of visitors and features a mountain trout ice fishing competition in which participants compete with tradition lures or with bare hands.
(Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Jan. 12 - Jan. 18)
Jody Amiet, AFP / Getty Images
Waves hit the road along the sea near Cayenne on January 15, 2013. The coast of Guyana switched to "red alert" today as several houses of R?mire-Montjoly (10 km from Cayenne) have been "damaged" due to high tides,
the prefecture of Guyana said in a statement. (Jody Amiet, AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Jan. 19 - Jan. 25)
Ulet Ifansasti, Getty Images
Local resident Syamsuri is evacuated by Indonesian Army as major floods hit North Jakarta on January 20, 2013 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The death toll has risen to at least 21since severe flooding struck the city on July 17. (Ulet Ifansasti, Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Jan. 26 - Feb. 1)
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Young dancer attend the Contemporary Classes at the 41th International Ballet Competition "Prix de Lausanne" on January 28, 2013 in Lausanne. The Prix de Lausanne is an international competition open to young dancers aged 15 to 18 who are not yet professionals. The best finalists win scholarships granting free tuition in a world renowned dance school or dance company. (Fabrice Coffrini, AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Feb. 2 - Feb. 8)
ChinaFotoPress / Getty Images
A military regiment takes part in a morning exercise on January 29, 2013 in Heilongjiang Province of China. The temperature dipped to minus 30 degrees Celsius. (ChinaFotoPress / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Feb. 9 - Feb. 15)
Barry Chin, The Boston Globe / Getty Images
While the walkways were clear, ice still covered the facades of business storefronts on Nantasket Avenue in Hull on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, after a blizzard hit New England. (Barry Chin, The Boston Globe / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Feb. 16 - Feb. 22)
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Children react as a carnivorous theropod known as the Australovenator dinosaur walks through crowds along the Southbank, in London, Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. The dinosaur is one of many that can be visited at the Erth's Dinosaur Petting Zoo, visiting from Australia, the creatures can be touched and fed at the Southbank Centre. (Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Feb. 23 - Mar. 1)
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Pakistani Kushti wrestlers warm up before attending their daily training session, at a wrestling club in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. Kushti, an Indo-Pakistani form of wrestling, is several thousand years old and is a national sport in Pakistan. (Muhammed Muheisen / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Mar. 2 - Mar. 8)
Robin Utrecht / AFP / Getty Images
Dutch Queen Beatrix visits on March 2, 2013 the "Beeld van Beatrix" (Images of Beatrix) exhibition at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. Portraits of the Queen, made on the occasion of her 75th birthday on 31 January, are exhibited until May 20, 2013. (Robin Utrecht / AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Mar. 9 - Mar. 15)
Wong Maye-E / AP
Three 2-month old Oriental Pied Hornbills are displayed at the Jurong Bird Park's Breeding and Research Center in Singapore, Friday March 8, 2013. These three birds were hatched after successful artificial incubation at the bird park when their eggs were rescued on an off-shore island in Singapore. This is all part of the park's efforts in preserving and educating the public about its wildlife and wildlife reserves. (Wong Maye-E / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Mar. 16 - Mar. 22)
Burhaan Kinu / Hindustan Times / Getty Images
Students at Design and Innovation Academy (DIA) celebrating Holi ahead of the festival which will be celebrated across country on March 27, at Sector 62, on March 21, 2013 in Noida, India. Holi marks the arrival of spring & end of the winter season. (Burhaan Kinu / Hindustan Times / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Mar. 23 - Mar. 29)
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Myanmar refugees cover their mouths as a Thai army helicopter (not pictured) takes off at the Mae Surin camp in Mae Hong Son province on March 24, 2013. Thai rescue workers picked through the ashes of hundreds of shelters for Myanmar refugees, after a ferocious blaze swept through a camp in northern Thailand killing 35 people. (Nicolas Asfouri / AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Mar. 30 - Apr. 5)
Sebastian Scheiner/AP
Nuns walk during the Sunday Easter mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, traditionally believed to be the site of the crucifixion of Christ, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, March 31, 2013. (Sebastian Scheiner/AP
MOVING IMAGE (Apr. 6 - Apr. 12)
Amr Nabil / AP
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MOVING IMAGE (Apr. 13 - Apr. 19)
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MOVING IMAGE (Apr. 20 - Apr. 26)
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Apartment towers and the International Commerce Centre, tower at center, are seen through a work of art entitled "Poetic Cosmos of the Breath"
by Argentine artist Tomas Saraceno,
which is part of an exhibition called "Mobile M+: Inflation!" at the waterfront of West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong Wednesday, April 24, 2013. (Vincent Yu / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Apr. 27 - May 3)
Leon Sadiki / City Press / Gallo Images / Getty Images
A M23 rebel on April 27, 2013, in Rutshuru, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The group is strengthening its tactics, following a resolution by the UN to deploy the intervention brigade in the area that will include the South African defence force. (Leon Sadiki / City Press / Gallo Images / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (May 4 - May 10)
Steve Russell / Toronto Star / Getty Images
James Reimer makes a stop
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May 8, 2013. (Steve Russell / Toronto Star / Getty Images)
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Mario Tama / Getty Images
Visitors gather in the new 'Rain Room' installation at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan on May 15, 2013 in New York City. The 5,000 square-foot installation creates a field of falling water that stops in the area where people walk through, allowing them to remain dry. The piece, created by Random International, releases a 260-gallon per minute shower around visitors. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (May 18 - May 24)
Miguel Angel Morenatti / AP
Rocio's Virgin sculpture is carried through the streets during a procession on Monday, May 20, 2013 in the village El Rocio, Huelva, southern Spain. Nearly a million people from all over Spain and Andalucia make the long journey to gather for a festival in a small hamlet of El Rocio in the marshland of the Guadalquivir River delta, where the statue of the 'Madonna of the Dew' has been worshipped since 1280. (Miguel Angel Morenatti / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (May 25 - May 31)
Vadim Ghirda / AP
A man holding a Romanian flag stands on a record breaking version of the flag, on the Clinceni Airfield, south of Bucharest,
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MOVING IMAGE (June 1 - June 7)
Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
A protester is arrested after skirmishes with police on June 1, 2013 in London, England. Dozens of police officers attended a protest by the British National Party (BNP) and anti-fascist counter-protestors believed to be a part of (UAF) United against Fascism in Central London today. The BNP had planned to march from Woolwich Barracks but this was banned by Scotland Yard amid concerns over violent disorder. The protests follow the suspected terror attack in Woolwich on Wednesday 22, 2012 in which Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was brutally murdered.
MOVING IMAGE (June 8 - June 14)
Scott Olson / Getty Images
Lightning strikes the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) in downtown on June 12, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. A massive storm system with heavy rain, high winds, hail and possible tornadoes is expected to move into Illinois and much of the central part of the Midwest today.
(Scott Olson / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (June 15 - June 21)
Yawar Nazir / Getty Images
Stunt driver and motorcyclists
perform in the well of death on June 20, 2013 in
Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian administered Kashmir, India. The barrel-shaped wooden cylinder popularly referred to as 'mout ka kuwan' ('Well of Death' is a major attraction at circus events as
stunt drivers and motorcyclists virtually defy death to perform tricks. (Yawar Nazir / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (June 22 - June 28)
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
South Korean soldiers wear North Korea's military uniforms, acting as North Korean soldiers, as they take part in a re-enactment the battle of the Korean war during a commemorative war victory event to mark the 63rd anniversary of the the Korean war on June 22, 2013 in Chuncheon, South Korea. Korean soldiers participated in the event alongside the Korean war veterans.
(Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (June 29 - July 5)
Hassan Ammar / AP
Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi hold a large Egyptian national flag during a protest outside the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Egypt was on edge Tuesday following a "last-chance" ultimatum the military issued to Mohammed Morsi, giving the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve the crisis in the country or have the army step in with its own plan. (Hassan Ammar / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (July 6 - July 12)
Sergei Supinsky / AFP / Getty Images
A girl jumps over a campfire while celebrating Ivan Kupala Night, a traditional Slavic holiday not far from Kiev on July 6, 2013. During the celebration, originating in pagan times, people plait wreaths, jump over fires, and swim naked. (Sergei Supinsky / AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (July 13 - July 19)
Arindam Dey / AFP / Getty Images
An Indian 'sadhu' - holy man' blows a buffalo horn on the eve of the traditional Kharchi Puja festival at Agartala, the capital of northeastern state of Tripura on July, 15, 2013.
Kharchi Puja is one of the most important festivals of Tripura and is a week-long festival during which 14 gods are worshiped. (Arindam Dey / AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (July 20 - July 26)
Adam Pretty / Getty Images
Dimitry Prosvirnin and Dmitry Sorokin of Azerbaijan compete in the Men's 3m Synchro Springboard Diving preliminary round on day four of the 15th FINA World Championships at Piscina Municipal de Montjuic on July 23, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain.
(Adam Pretty / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (July 27 - Aug 2)
Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP / Getty Images
Two Polish nuns look at people bathing as hundreds of thousands of young Catholic pilgrims attending World Youth Day (WYD) start gathering at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro for a prayer vigil with Pope Francis, on July 27, 2013. In a speech to Brazil's political, religious and civil society leaders earlier, Pope Francis said a "constructive dialogue" was needed to confront the country's social turmoil, referring to the massive street protests that rocked Brazil last month to demand an end to corruption and better public services. (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Aug 3 - Aug 9)
Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Elaia (C), 6, and her sister Lusitta, 4, play among 1,600 styrofoam panda bear sculptures displayed in front of Hauptbahnhof main railway station by the World Wildlife Fund on August 5, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. The WWF is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is drawing attention to the fact that only 1,600 panda bears remain in the wild. The display will soon travel to 25 other cities in Germny.
(Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Aug 10 - Aug 16)
Manu Fernandez/AP
People enjoy the water park day during an international gay and lesbian event in Vilassar de Mar, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013.
The special international event has attracted many thousands of visitors. (Manu Fernandez/AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Aug 17 - Aug 23)
Maddie Meyer / The Washington Post / Getty Images
Mee-ha, a Pit bull mix, jumps into a pool of water catching a ball in midair, as part of The Marvelous Mutts traveling show at the Prince William County Fair in Manassas, VA, on August 17, 2013. The show features rescued dogs and travels to fairs all over the United States. (Maddie Meyer / The Washington Post / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Aug 24 - Aug 30)
Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg / Getty Images
Employees stand near mining machinery inside a potash mine operated by OAO Uralkali in Berezniki, Russia, on Friday, Aug. 23, 2013. Russia pressured Belarus to free Vladislav Baumgertner, the head of OAO Uralkali, the world's biggest potash producer, saying a refusal may harm relations as the smaller nation faces a funding crunch. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Aug 31 - Sep 6)
Wong Maye-E/AP
Nick Vujicic, right, is accompanied by a life guard as he treads water in an acrylic enclosure keeping safe while diving among sharks, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 in Singapore. Vujicic, a Serbian Australian evangelist and motivational speaker born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs, is in the city-state to give a motivational talk and was visiting "The Shark Encounter at Marine Life Park" at one of Singapore's main tourist attractions in Resorts World Sentosa. (Wong Maye-E/AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Sep 7 - Sep 13)
Chris Pedota/Pool/Getty Images
Carrie Bergonia of Pennsylvania looks over the name of her fiance, firefighter Joseph Ogren at the 9/11 Memorial during ceremonies for the twelfth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2013 in New York City. The nation is commemorating the anniversary of the 2001 attacks which resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people after two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and one crash landed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Following the attacks in New York, the former location of the Twin Towers has been turned into the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
(Chris Pedota/Pool/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Sep 14 - Sep 20)
Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images
A child walks in the grandstand during the doubles Spain vs Ukraine as part of the World Group Play-offs 2013 at the Caja Magica sports complex in Madrid on September 14, 2013. (Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Sep 21 - Sep 27)
Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images
A Malaysian special soldier sweats during the 80th Army Day parade in Kuala Lumpur on September 21, 2013. The Malaysian army celebrated its 80th anniversary with a grand military parade and a display of military gear at the historical Independence Square. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Sep 28 - Oct 4)
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Jung Ha-yoon, 2, appears to be stuck inside a ceramic container while playing with other children at the traditional sports square during the "Taste Korea! Korean Royal Cuisine Festival" held at Unhyeon Palace, also known as Unhyeongung Royal Residence, in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, Oct. 1 2013. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Oct. 5 - Oct. 11)
Sanjeev Syal / AP
A Sikh youth performs an act of fire as he displays martial art skills during a religious procession on the eve of birth anniversary of Guru Ram Das in Amritsar, India, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013. Ram Das was the fourth of the ten gurus of Sikhism. (Sanjeev Syal / AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Oct. 12 - Oct. 18)
Matt Dunham/AP
The tail of a dinosaur costume sticks out as the person wearing it boards a bus they had to promote their exhibit, near the Houses of Parliament in London, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013.
The man leading the costume wearer said they were walking around to promote their dinosaur experience exhibit at Blackgang Chine theme park on the Isle of Wight. (Matt Dunham/AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Oct. 19 - Oct. 25)
Daniel Born/The Times/Gallo Images/Getty Images
A rhino at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve on October 23, 2013, in Pilanesberg, South Africa. Rhino were tagged and DNA collected to form part of the park's anti-rhino poaching initiative. The project is sponsored by the SAB Boucher foundation. (Daniel Born/The Times/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Oct. 26 - Nov. 1)
Prabhjot Gill/AP
An Indian potter paints earthen lamps ahead of Diwali, or the Hindu festival of lights, in Amritsar, India, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013. Hindus light lamps, wear new clothes, exchange sweets and gifts and pray to goddess Lakshmi during the festival which will be celebrated on Nov. 3. (Prabhjot Gill/AP)
MOVING IMAGE (Nov. 2 - Nov. 8)
Oliver Morin/AFP/Getty Images
A pigeon lands on a boy's head in the flooded Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square) on November 4, 2013 in Venice. Saint Mark's Square, as the lowest point of Venice, is always the first place to be flooded. (Oliver Morin/AFP/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Nov. 9 - Nov. 15)
Nigel Roddis / AFP / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II (R) watches a youth working out during boxing training during her visit to The Factory Youth Zone in Manchester on November 14, 2013.
MOVING IMAGE (Nov. 16 - Nov. 22)
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Robotic jockeys control camels during a race at Dubai Camel Racing Club during the Al Marmoum camel racing season on November 17, 2013 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Camel racing is one of the oldest sports in the Middle East. Historically children from India were used as jockeys on the camels until it was outlawed in 2002. Today robot jockeys are used and include shock absorbers and GPS tracking systems. The camel's owners control the robot's whips from their speeding four wheel drives at the side of the track. Thoroughbred racing camels can be as valuable as one million US dollars.
(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Nov. 23 - Nov. 29)
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty
Donna Auchinvole with Duke and Lorraine Clark with Barron, Clydesdale Horses, attend a topping out ceremony at The Kelpies on November 27, 2013 in Falkirk, Scotland. Construction work has been completed on Andy Scott's Kelpies, the world's largest pair of equine sculptures and one of the UK’s tallest pieces of public art. The 30 metre tall Kelpies have cost ?5million to complete and play a central role in the ?43 million, 350-hectare Helix land transformational project between Falkirk and Grangemouth. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Nov. 30 - Dec. 6)
Noorullah Shirzada / AFP / Getty Images
Afghan schoolchildren take lessons in an open classroom at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Jalalabad, Nangarhar province on December 1, 2013.
Afghanistan has had only rare moments of peace over the past 30 years, its education system being undermined by the Soviet invasion of 1979, a civil war in the 1990s and five years of Taliban rule. (Noorullah Shirzada / AFP / Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Dec. 7 - Dec. 13)
Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images
Turkish riot police officers take cover as Kurdish protesters shoot fireworks at them during clashes in central Istanbul on December 7, 2013. Two protesters were killed on December 6 in armed clashes with Turkish police that erupted over claims that Kurdish rebel cemeteries had been destroyed, local media reported. Some 30 masked men in a group of around 150 demonstrators hurled Molotov cocktails and hand grenades at security forces in the Yuksekova district of Kurdish-dominated southeastern Turkey, the Dogan News Agency said. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Dec. 14 - Dec. 20)
Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images
A sulfur miner carries a goats head in a white bag as he climbs to bury the head in the crater as part of an annual offering ceremony on the Ijen volcano on December 17, 2013 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The ritual is performed by the sulfur miners of Mount Ijen who slaughter a goat and then bury the head in the crater of mount Ijenn. The sacrifice is performed to ward off potential disasters for the next year. The Ijen crater rises to 2,386m, with a depth of over 175m, making it one of the world's largest craters. Sulphur mining is a major industry in the region, made possible by an active vent at the edge of a lake, but the work is not without risks as the acidity of the water in the crater is high enough to dissolve clothing and cause breathing problems. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
MOVING IMAGE (Dec. 21 - Dec. 31)
Ibrahim Zayed / AP
A tourist makes a sunrise visit to the temple of Karnak on the day of the winter solstice in Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. Tourism, which accounts for nearly 20 percent of Egypt's foreign currency revenues, has been hard hit by the past three years of turmoil. Government officials have been campaigning to regain some of the European, American and Asian tourism that was suspended following violence this summer. (Ibrahim Zayed / AP)
CORRECTION: A previous version of an Associated Press caption incorrectly referred to the Isle of Wight as the Isle of White. We regret the error.
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