“Theyyam”. Preparation for the Theyyam performance in the surroundings of Kasaragod city. Theyyam is a popular ritual dance form of North Kerala, particularly in Kannur and Kasargod districts. The Theyyam represents a mythological, divine or heroic character. Make up of Theyyams is done by specialist. There are different types of face painting for which primarily and secondary colours are used. Therefore it is essential that the makeup man should have perfect knowledge of primary and secondary colour combinations. Sometimes, it takes several hours to paint each face. Photo location: Kasaragod, India. (Photo and caption by Rafal Ziejewski/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Thai residents party after sunset in the water on a flooded street along the swollen Yom river August 24, 2011 Phinchit, Thailand. The death toll has climbed to over 37 as 13 provinces remain flooded with 1.5 million affected. In Phinchit 110,000 people's homes have been flooded by nearby overflowing rivers. (Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images)

Victorian stuffed animals created by taxidermist Walter Potter at Potter's Museum of Curiosity in Bolventor, Cornwall. Potter created tableaux based on nursery rhymes, among them, “The House That Jack Built”, “The Guinea Pigs Cricket Match”, and “The Death and Burial of Cock Robin”. (Photo by Graham French/BIPs/Getty Images). 5th April 1973

Participants sit on a cable chair as they take part in the 30th edition of the Belalp Witches Ski Race on January 14, 2012 in Belalp, Switzerland. The race is inspired by a legend dating back to the middle ages, of a witch who tormented villagers in the area until she was burnt to death. (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

A coffin in the shape of a skip is displayed at the South bank Centre on January 20, 2012 in London, England. A collection of bespoke coffins by “Crazy Coffins” in Nottingham and the famous “Pa Joe” workshop in Ghana are currently on display at the South Bank centre, who are currently running a festival celebrating life and death. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

In this handout photo provided by the Helmholtz Center for Research on Infectious Diseases an EHEC bacteria is visible on May 30, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. German health authorities have attributed at least 14 deaths within the last two weeks to an outbreak of enterohemorrhagic E. coli, also known as the EHEC bacteria. (Photo Courtesay Manfred Rohde, Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Infektionsforschung (HZI)/Getty Images)

“They’ve been obsessing me for years. I searched and found them in Benares, on the banks of the river Gange (India). They arrive here to get rid of everything and to wait for death. This existence can last for years, sometimes decades, almost a life. Opposite to mine, well organised and filled as a human life can be, to try in vain to push the limits of its end”. – Denis Rouvre. (Photo by Denis Rouvre)