Political Figure. ” Republican Congressman Paul Ryan can be seen either as a hero or as a villain, depending on whether you agree with ideas for cutting the federal budget, or President Obama’s. There’s not much middle ground these days in American politics. Photographer Marco Grob went for a neutral interpretation in this portrait, centering Ryan’s ambiguous expression within shades of gray. Nonetheless, one right-leaning magazine called Time’s story a ’hit piece’.” Photo by Marco Grob, Time

Shadow, Part 1. ” This week, the National Football League held its annual college draft, in which pro teams offers huge sums of money to the young athletes who may or may not turn into future superstars. One of the top 2011 prospects is Jake Locker, who quarterbacked for the University of Washington. There is a shadow over this year’s draft, however: There may be no professional football this fall because of a labor dispute between owners and players. ” Photo by Alan Clarke, ESPN The Magazine

Shadow, Part 2. ” A perfect angle and perfect timing led to the wonderful shot of Portuguese tennis play Frederico Gil during a quarterfinal match of the Monte Carlo Tennis tournament.” Photo by Lionel Cironneau/AP, ”Lens”, New York Times

Circus Star. ” Reese Witherspoon, star of the new film Water for Elephants, is a big deal in Hollywood. But she is dwarfed by her co-star in this fashion layout from Peter Lindbergh.” Photo by Peter Lindbergh, Vogue

Rock Star. ” Here, a young man named Dean Potter takes a preposterously dangerous route up a rock wall in Yosemite National Park. Potter is one of several climbers revolutionizing the sport with risky new maneuvers. Note that he is not tethered to a rope. Note also that the photographer who shot this picture was not in a safe place.” Photo by Mikey Schaefer, National Geographic

Weather, Part 1. ” This week saw severe weather crash down in several U.S. states, and The Atlantic’s “In Focus” blog gathered a collection of chilling photos of the destruction. In this existential image, a tornado moves through Colerain, North Carolina on April 16. The photographer snapped the image just before retreating to a closet under the stairs in his house.” Photo by Richard Burkett/AP, ”In Focus”, The Altantic

Weather, Part 2. ” Severe winds tore a mobile home from its lot in Autauga Country, Alabama, leaving nothing but stairs and flowers.” Photo by Amanda Sowards/Montgomery Advertisers/AP, ”In Focus”, The Atlantic

Weather, Part 3. ” Sometimes spring brings wildflowers. This year a spring heat wave has brought wildfires to Texas. This photo, which shows a fire threatening a home in Strawn, Texas, presents the terror vividly.” Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images, New York Times

Rule Britannia. ” Flags were hung over Regent Street in London in preparation for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.” Photo by Carl Court/Press Association/AP, ”Lens”, New York Times

Crowd Sourcing, Part 1. ” Kashmiri people hold cell phones to record a protest against the killing of a prominent Muslim cleric.” Photo by Fayaz Kabli/Reuters, ”Framework”, Los Angeles Times

Crowd Sourcing, Part 2. ”Bees, some loaded with pollen, return to their hive in Frankfurt/Main in Germany.” Photo by Frank Rumpenhorst/AFP/Getty Images, ”In Focus”, The Atlantic