Photos can add life to your blog and be the catalyst for getting a message across to your readers. Today, we launched new options for our WordPress.com galleries that allow you to create elegant magazine-style mosaic layouts for your photos–without having to use an external graphic editor.

When adding a gallery to your post, you now have the option to select a layout style for your images. We’ve added support for Rectangular, Square, and Circular galleries (take a look at the screenshots below for examples). By default, galleries will continue to display using the standard thumbnail grid layout. To switch to one of the new layouts, head over to Settings –> Media in your blog’s dashboard, scroll down to “Image Gallery Carousel,” and select the box next to “Display all your gallery pictures in a cool mosaic.”

Choosing this option makes the new look the default for all your blog’s…

Happy Themeday, all! Today we have two brand-spankin’-new themes for your visual enjoyment.

First up is Gridspace, a classic, elegant premium theme by Graph Paper Press.

Gridspace lets you show your work in style. Designed as a portfolio for photographers, its slick features include light and dark color schemes, multiple thumbnail sizes, a responsive design, and a convenient space for your logo. Your readers can easily switch between two blog layouts on the fly – grid view and list view – while large featured images and an elegant overall design make your work the focus.

Live on the grid, and check out Gridspace on the Theme Showcase!

Next up is Ascetica, a beautiful theme from AlienWP, designed by Galin Simeonov.

Get rid of the clutter and concentrate on your content. Ascetica prefers subtle details over flashy gimmicks and provides the perfect balance of minimalism, white-space, responsiveness, and customization to allow you to focus…