Year in Review: Presenting Brian Eden’s Best Photos of 2024
Read MoreBest Photos of 2024
Best Photos of 2023
in Photography
It's time once again for my annual photography year-in-review. A chance to pause for reflection. To look back at an entire year's worth of fractions of seconds and discover what themes emerge.
Then take those random moments, psychoanalyze them like an armchair therapist, and try to conflate their meaning into something profound.
This year's selection does not disappoint.
They say photography holds up a mirror to both the photographer and the subject. Given the less-and-less-hinged state of 2023, it's fitting that this year's collection of images reflects that.
In January, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease—an autoimmune disorder that makes it dangerous to eat even trace amounts of gluten (wheat, barley or rye). And, therefore, dangerous to eat in most restaurants due to cross-contact.
As a man whose diet consisted mainly of gluten on gluten with a side of gluten, who arranges entire travel itineraries around rumor of a particularly promising bagel, this diagnosis was a very bitter gluten-free pill to swallow.
It would be melodramatic to say that it turned my life upside down. But it certainly turned my lifestyle.
Between this personal lifequake and the *waves-hand-at-the-state-of-the-world*, it's not a huge stretch to read meaning into this year's photographs:
Disorienting images that raise more questions than answers.
Photos that grasp for different angles, perspectives and ways of seeing to try to make sense of it all.
A search for tranquility.
Let’s break down the threads.
Late last year I started an ongoing New York project called Post No Bills. The images are unintentional artist collaborations between Advertisers and New Yorkers. The construction wall is their canvas and the layers of peeled-off posters create serendipitous art through reduction. A collage in reverse.
Looking at this year's photos, there are a lot of images that feel inspired by that project.
Last year also marked our ten-year anniversary of living in New York.
Having taken tens of thousands of images of the city, my goal now is to show New York differently.
No longer how it looks, but how it feels.
Chaos and Jazz. Beauty in disorder. A sensory smorgasbord.
(Fortunately, I haven't yet figured out a way to try to capture how New York smells. Although my ongoing Crud project comes close).
In July I converted one of my cameras to infrared. This lets you capture wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye. The raw files look like they've been taken through old-timey 3D movie glasses.
Once you have the image, you have to open it in Photoshop and tell Adobe that the sky is blue. That's when magic happens. On a sunny day, the light reflecting off foliage becomes gold or coral. The pictures are mystical.
Raw infrared file
“The Kennedy Center” Washington, D.C. August 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 35mm, f11, 1/240 ISO 200
After color conversion
Are the infrared shots symbolic of the familiar world feeling more and more foreign? Or an attempt to make sense of it all by literally looking at things in a new light?
The disorienting and otherworldly work is balanced out by the macro nature photography of flowers and frost. There's a quiet tranquility in those images. A deep cleansing breath among the collection.
But more than anything, the theme that stood out most from this year is flying. Birds. Planes. Shots taken from higher vantage points.
Maybe it's because I traveled a lot for work this year and took more shots from airplane windows.
But in the spirit of this annual review being all about reading far too deeply into my photography, flight must be symbolic of something.
At first, I thought it might represent feeling distant. Far away from simpler times and a more familiar life.
But then I googled the symbolism of flying.
In literature and dreams, flight represents freedom from struggle and limitations. Rising above. Finding hope and peace.
That was a lightning bolt.
Like an infrared conversion, it made me go back and see this whole collection in a different light.
When I started putting this post together, I expected this Year in Review to represent conflict, turmoil, and a world, in some ways, that became unrecognizable.
Now I realize that’s not it at all.
This year’s collection is flight.
In the face of everything, it is a celebration of life, resilience, and optimism.
With AI images taking over the world in 2023, and the ability to create literally any of the images you’ll find on this website in just a matter of keystrokes (but with better lighting, sharpness, and composition) it got me thinking more fundamentally about photography and why I love it.
Jay Maisel said, "There are two kinds of photographers - those who like photographs and those who like photographing."
I've always thought the reason I love photography is the way I can capture memories. Time is fleeting, but photography can freeze it. It’s like a superpower.
You can hold onto moments, even if only for a hundredth of a second. To look at old photos is like stepping into a time machine. Some images immediately transport me back to a memory. I can hear the sounds. Feel the breeze. Taste the gluten. Photography is a living museum exhibition of my life and it lets me remember it with vivid fondness.
Capturing memories is why I love photographs.
But if I had to choose between Jay’s options, the truth is I love photographing.
This year I had an epiphany about why.
While listening to an interview on Simon Sinek's podcast, A Bit of Optimism, they said one of the most powerful ways to foster happiness and peace of mind is through acts of gratitude. If you practice gratitude and make it a habit to notice the good and beauty in the world, it forces you to be more present and creates joy.
I realized that's why I love photography.
Photography is an act of gratitude.
Every time I press the shutter, it's a gesture of appreciation for something remarkable on the other side of the lens.
Thanks for indulging me in this year's Year in Review.
I hope you enjoy all of the good that I've noticed.
“New Yorkers” Midtown Manhattan, September 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 56mm, f4, 1/35, ISO 6400
“Oops.” Hardeeville, South Carolina. July 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 14mm, f18, 1/125, ISO 250
My favorite street photography images are the ones that capture a single moment but make your mind fill in a much bigger story. This one plays out like a cartoon.
“Park and 125th” Harlem, New York. June 2023
iPhone 14 Pro
I shot this image from the window of a Metro North train while it was stopped at Harlem-125th Street Station. The elevated perspective made all of the elements line up perfectly in the composition. Lucky I chose this seat on the train and not the one behind it.
“LaGuardia Airport” Queens, New York. July 2023
iPhone 14 Pro
“I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.” – Diane Arbus
“42nd Street Biker” Midtown Manhattan. March 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/11, 1/125, ISO 640
I took this shot as part of my ongoing project called Literal Street Photography. A series that treats the roadway as a canvas for geometric abstract art. It’s similar in spirit to my Post No Bills series, but here the artwork is a collaboration between weather, traffic, and infrastructure repair crews.
The patchwork textures and road markings on this little section of 42nd Street made for a great addition to the Literal Street Photography Series. But then this cyclist rode into my frame and turned it into Just Regular Street Photography.
“Pink and confused” Midtown Manhattan. March 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 23mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 5000
I took this image as part of my New York Chaos series, a project to try to capture the sensory overload feeling of New York by, technically speaking, getting as much crap in the frame as I can.
Objectively this is a bad picture. But as I sat with it, I kept coming back to it. There’s something interesting about all the incomplete body parts. Some hair here, half a face there, a floating head, an elbow, a bunch of legs, and Dwayne Johnson looking on, a bit confused by it all.
“Chrysler Building” 42nd St, New York, July 2023.
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f/8, 1/950, ISO 125
“Brick and glass” 42nd St, New York. April 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 400
“Zebra windows” 42nd St, New York. March 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f13, 1/125, ISO 640
In the spring my company moved offices from Chelsea to 42nd Street. On a sunny day, the light changes constantly, reflecting the most amazing patterns in all of the windows. That’s my office building in the first image, mirrored in the windows of the Chrysler building.
“Morning Rush” Grand Central Station, New York. March 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 23mm, f16, 1s, ISO 320
Everyone who visits Grand Central takes this same picture. I’ve taken this same picture dozens of times. If you go to Grand Central right this very moment, there will be at least five people standing on this same staircase taking this same picture.
But it will never stop being extraordinary.
It’s one of those iconic, timeless New York scenes that you just can’t help but stop and appreciate, no matter how many people have shot the same thing, or how fast AI could spin up something better.
Gratitude.
Here I used a slower shutter speed to capture the feeling of the morning rush.
Of the five photographers taking this photo right now, I bet only one or two of them did that.
"Traffic” 14th Street, New York. November 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 55-200mm, f16, 1/125, ISO 4000
As I was putting this collection together, I kept coming back to this picture. It might be my favorite shot from the whole year. I’m not sure why. Technically speaking it’s terrible - it’s not in focus, it’s crooked, there’s a weird pole sticking out of the wall that leads the eye out of frame.
I have a few other shots from this series that are in focus and have better compositions, but this is the only one that stopped me in my tracks. It’s just visceral.
It feels like you’re flying with them.
I didn’t notice it until I was putting this post together, but the molding above the windows mirrors the shape of the pigeons.
“Wabash Avenue” Chicago, Illinois. October 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 55-200mm, f4.5, 1/125, ISO 160
I created this bizarre in-camera collage from the window of my hotel room along the Chicago River. I noticed the Marina City buildings reflected in the glass top of the hotel room coffee table. When I kneeled down, I could line the reflection up with the Wabash Avenue Bridge.
“Reflection collage” 34th Street, New York. March 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f11, 1/125, ISO 2500
This is another of my favorite images from the year. It’s so weird and disorienting. There are so many details in the reflections.
This image especially feels inspired by the Post No Bills project
“Construction Zone” 42nd Street, New York. March 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f13, 1/125, ISO 1000
I love the contrast between the chaos of the construction zone and this guy seemingly lost in thought, unfazed by it all.
“Cleaners” Beacon, New York. May 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f16, 1/125, ISO 320
“Models over Houston Street” SoHo, New York. February 2023.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, f2.5, 1/125, ISO 1000
Apparently, I was drawn to the shapes, angles, and perspective of this composition in 2023—the next two images share the same visual structure.
“Government Place” Cincinnati, Ohio. October 2023
iPhone 14 Pro
This street corner in Cincinnati is a study in lines. So very, very, very, many lines.
“To New Jersey” West Side Highway, New York. August, 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 Infrared conversion (590nm), 35mm, f11, 1/200, ISO 200
I took this image of the GW Bridge while driving. For once I was happy to be stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
“Chrysler Building Spire” 42nd Street, New York. April 2023.
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f8, 1/2200, ISO 125
“It’s corn!” Chicago, Illinois, October 2023.
Fujifilm X-T5, 55-200mm, f 5.6, 1/300, ISO 800
“Central Park” New York, New York. October 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 55-200mm, f6.4, 1/450, ISO 125
I was on the fence about whether this image would be better if I cropped out the airplane wing, but I decided to keep it in. The city grid and buildings were all so crisp and perfect, there’s something I like about including the imperfection.
“Chance of rainbows” Washington, D.C. August 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 55-200mm, f5.6, 1/750, ISO 125
“Bouquet” Oakland Beach. Rye, New York. July 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 35mm, f/11, 5s, ISO 125
“Japanese Andromeda.” Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. April 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f5.6, 1/125, ISO 640
“Yellow Frittilary” Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. April 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f5.6, 1/240, ISO 125
“Daffodils” Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. April 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f18, 1/4, ISO 125
On this windy morning at Brookside Gardens, the daffodils were getting whipped around in the breeze. I left the shutter open longer to try to capture the motion. I think it feels like an impressionist painting.
“Coming attractions” New York Botanical Gardens. Bronx, New York. April 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f5.6, 1/125, ISO 125
“Gentle touch” New York Botanical Gardens. Bronx, New York. April 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f13, 1/125, ISO 3200
I love the gesture of these fern leaves. It feels like they’re comforting one another.
“Dahlia” Rye, New York. May 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, vintage Helios 44mm lens
Sometimes you don’t have to look far for a beautiful photo. This dahlia was in a flower pot on my front step.
“Panama Pacific Waterlily” NY Botanical Gardens. Bronx, New York. April 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f5.6, 1/125, ISO 250
Don’t be fooled by the botanical name. This flower is Italian. 🤌
“American Goldfinch” Rye, New York, June 2023.
Fujifilm X-T5, 70-300mm, f5.6 ISO 400
This female Goldfinch stopped on a stem of Russian Sage in our front garden to snack on the flowers. The dreamy look is from shooting it through the window screen in my home office.
“No Picknicking” Rye, New York. October 2023.
iPhone 14 Pro
Tree, 1. Picnic Police, 0.
“Frost on windshield” Rye, New York. February 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200, f16, 1/125, ISO 2000
During winter, the morning frost creates some incredible patterns on our car. Depending on the conditions overnight, the ice formations always look a bit different. This particular morning was spectacular. This is the windshield.
“Ring of fire” Grand Central Station, New York. March 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f5.6, 1/500, ISO 1000
I took this image of the underbelly of a chandelier hanging from the ceiling of Grand Central Station. The filigree looks a bit like the frost in the previous image.
“Snowflakes” Rye, New York. February 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens
Different morning. Different frost.
“Sea Pines sunrise” Hilton Head, South Carolina. July 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 14mm, f11, 1/70, ISO 200
When I noticed the reflection of this stunning sunrise in the water, I crouched down and took a bunch of shots.
I looked down at the 2nd camera hanging from my shoulder and realized my brand new 70-300mm telephoto lens had been half-submerged underwater the entire time.
Very Expensive Facepalm.
R.I.P. 70-300 lens.
“Harbour Town Sunset” Hilton Head, South Carolina. July 2023
iPhone 14 Pro
It’s a photography cliche that “the best camera is the one you have with you.”
This is the first year that the iPhone camera quality has gotten so good that sometimes I left my Fujis home on the shelf. The ultra-wide lens is something special, as you can see in these three images.
“Fish Haul Beach” Hilton Head, South Carolina. July 2023
iPhone 14 Pro
I loved the way the clouds created a mirror image of the shoreline. Just a bit further up the beach, we came across a newborn baby sea turtle making its way to the ocean.
“Gilder Center” American Museum of Natural History, New York September 2023.
iPhone 14 Pro
This is the atrium of the newly opened Gilder Center at New York’s Natural History Museum. I realized while putting this collection together that this composition and the previous one from Hilton Head mirror one another. The shapes are almost identical.
“Sunrise jog” Hilton Head, South Carolina. July 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 23mm, f7.1, 1/5, ISO 125
The storm clouds rolling in on this morning in Hilton Head made for a dramatic sunrise. A few minutes after taking this photo, everyone pictured here got very, very wet.
“Constellation” Upper East Side, New York. February 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, f8, 1/480, ISO 200
“Above Below Canal Street” Lower Manhattan, New York. July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 35mm, f8, 1/500 ISO 200
“LaGuardia Airport” Queens, New York July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 35mm, f8, 1/680 ISO 200
“Three Boroughs, One Photo” New York City, October 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, f6.4, 1/550, ISO 125
“Central Park” New York, July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 70-300mm, f5, 1/1900 ISO 200
This shot of Central Park is one of the first infrared images I took. When I converted the file in Photoshop, my jaw hit the desk.
“George Washington Bridge” New York, July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 70-300mm, f5, 1/1600 ISO 200
“Talmadge Memorial Bridge” Savannah, Georgia. July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 70-300mm, f8, 1/850, ISO 200
“American” Reagan National Airport, Washington, DC. August 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, f3.5, 1/50, ISO 6400
This shot was lucky timing. My flight was taxiing to the gate and I just managed to get off two shots of this American Airlines jet with the Washington Monument as we drove past. The red signal lights came on for just a moment, illuminating the tarmac.
“18 Holes” Somewhere over Westchester, New York.
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 55-200mm, f3.5, 1/2000 ISO 200
“Arlington National Cemetery” Arlington, Virginia. August 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, f4.4, 1/1000, ISO 800
“Spanish Moss” Hilton Head, South Carolina. July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 14mm, f5.6, 1/240, ISO 200
“Coral & blue” Westchester, New York, August 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 55-200mm, f3.9, 1/2000, ISO 200
I took this infrared shot near Westchester County Airport. I think it’s Kenisco Reservoir.
“Lowcountry in gold” South Carolina. July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 70-300mm, f8, 1/640, ISO 200
“Lowcountry in coral” South Carolina. July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 70-300mm, f8, 1/480, ISO 200
“Edith Read Wildlife Preserve” Rye, New York. August 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 14mm, f14, 1/500, ISO 200
“Hilton Head Sunrise” South Carolina. July 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro1 590nm Infrared Conversion, 23mm, f2.8, 1/80, ISO 200
“Stuytown Sunrise” Lower East Side, Manhattan. February 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f5.6, 1/140, ISO 200
“Good morning New York” Lower East Side, Manhattan. February 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f11, 1/2, ISO 200
Sometimes at sunrise in New York, the angle is just right for individual buildings to light up while the rest of the city is still in darkness.
“Shine bright” Lower Manhattan. February 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f16, 15s, ISO 200
“Tribute in Light 2023” Hudson Yards, Manhattan. September 11, 2023
Fujifilm X-T5, 35mm, f4, 1.9s, ISO 400
I’ve been documenting the September 11th Tribute in light every year since moving to New York in 2012. Having shot the lights from so many different angles around the city, it’s getting more and more challenging to find new perspectives.
Thankfully they built a new 100-story tall observation deck in Hudson Yards called The Edge that gave me a new angle for this year. The detail of all the lights across the city was mind-blowing. If you look closely, you can see the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Verrazano Bridges as well as tens of thousands of pizza slices.
I hope you enjoyed this year’s Year in Review. Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider donating to Beyond Celiac to help find a cure for Celiac Disease.
And if you want to see more, you can check out the other years in review:
2022’s Year in Review
2020’s Year in Review
2019’s Year in Review
2018’s Year in Review
2017’s Year in Review
2016's Year in Review
2105's Year in Review
2014's Year in Review.
Best Photos of 2022
It's been two years since my last photo year-in-review.
In 2021, photography took a back seat to life. We bought a house. We moved. I left my job and started a new one. We successfully (mostly) parented two tiny humans during a global pandemic. Though I did manage to take some pictures in between, editing them was a different story. There are entire folders of photos that I've never touched. Hopefully, someday I'll get around to editing them. Until then, 2021 was The Lost Year.
2022 was a return to form. Or at least form-ish.
My favorite thing about these recaps is discovering what they reveal. Themes emerge. Deep insights are gleaned. I get to find out if I’m getting any better at photography or if I’m getting worse. (It’s debatable!) Sometimes, as in 2020, these collections are a surprisingly good reflection of the state of the world and my place in it.
So what grand lesson did I learn from this year’s recap?
To be honest, I don't know.
This group of images has me a bit stumped.
While I’m proud of this collection, it definitely feels a little less cohesive.
This year, I was drawn to busier, more chaotic, less perfect scenes. In reviewing my contact sheets, some of my favorite images are objectively the worst in the series. But there's something I like better about them, in all their imperfection. They do a better job capturing not just how things look, but how they feel. They have more soul.
Overall, my photos this year tended to be more graphic. The compositions were more about the individual elements than the subject itself – shapes and patterns. Light and shadow. Color. And one color specifically: yellow. So much yellow!
Maybe there’s deeper meaning in that?
I decided to look it up. Here’s what The Internet says about the symbolism of yellow: caution, fear, sensationalism, happiness, optimism, positivity, innocence, cheer, sunshine, enlightenment, creativity, sickness, anxiety, betrayal, impatience, warmth, wisdom, wealth, faith, joy, and mourning.
That's not terribly insightful. But also, pretty accurate.
This fall my 7-year-old daughter Hazel started taking an interest in photography. During a trip to the city she discovered that if she moves fast while taking a picture, the result is something unexpectedly abstract and painterly. In photography, this is a technique called ICM (Intentional Camera Movement). Hazel calls them "blurry-on-purpose-pictures."
Looking back on this year in review, maybe my photography was a little blurry-on-purpose too.
Hazel Eden, October 2022
Hazel Eden, October 2022
Hazel Eden, October 2022
Hazel Eden, October 2022
PET PROJECTS:
Before I get into the best-of images, it’s worth calling out some longer-term projects. This year I added a lot of photos to some of my ongoing Fine Art projects. I also started a few new ones. You can click the images below to visit the galleries for each one.
PET PROJECT: UNMOORED
I started “Unmoored” with my flower photography in 2020, but I've never shared it.
By removing the stems in Photoshop, flowers become gravity-defying otherworldly creatures, full of movement. It's impossible to look at them without your mind trying to fill in the gaps of how they're floating. Some blooms become spinning helicopters. Others pulse like jellyfish. It's a fascinating mind trick.
PET PROJECT: CHAOS
The more I add to this project, the more I come to love it. This collection feels like New York. My approach for these photos is the exact opposite of what I’m usually trying to do. Instead of removing elements to give an image a focal point, this series is about making the frame as full, random, and frenetic as possible.
PET PROJECT: POST NO BILLS
I started this new project this year, featuring images of tattered construction wall wild postings.
It's like creating a collage. But instead of deliberately adding layers, these images are created serendipitously, by what someone has torn away.
PET PROJECT: LITERAL STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
This is one of my oldest ongoing projects, where the street itself is the subject. I love how the textures and color blocking create energy and modern-art-inspired compositions.
AND NOW…THE BEST PHOTOS OF 2022
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite photos from 2022:
“Fly Lanes” Nice, Frace. June, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 200
In Old Nice, the streets are so narrow you could stand in the center of the road, reach out your arms and open two front doors at once.
I was fascinated by the jagged shapes the buildings made out of the sky. I spent a long time using my Jedi mind tricks to try to convince a bird to fly into one of my shots. This pigeon finally cooperated.
“Foothills” Upper East Side, New York, November, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/11, 1/210, ISO 200
For my wife’s birthday gift, she wanted to pick out a ring from a local jewelry designer. As luck would have it, the designer ran her studio out of her apartment on the 33rd floor. This was the view from the balcony. We both left with a gift.
“Little Amal arrives in New York” Grand Central Station, September 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 3200
When I got off the train to go to the office one day, I was greeted by a gospel chorus and a now-famous 12-foot-tall puppet named Little Amal. She had just arrived in the city a few moments before I did.
“Paying Tribute” World Trade Center reflecting pools, New York. September 11th 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 0.5 sec, ISO 3200
I’ve been documenting the September 11th Tribute in Light every year since 2012. This was the first time it rained.
“Tiny March for Democracy” Midtown, New York, November 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/240, ISO 200
“The photo-bombers” Nice, France, June 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200, f/11, 1/1000, ISO 2000
They had no idea.
“Ballerina” Rye, New York, February 2023
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/5.6, 1/350, ISO 200
This is our next-door neighbor’s tree and it’s my favorite one. Which is what happens when you get old and move to the suburbs. You develop tree preferences.
“Choreography” Savannah, Georgia. July, 2022.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 640
I like these trees too.
“Sky on fire” Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, July 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/4.8, 1/25, ISO 200
“Sunrise wave” Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, July 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/10, 1/1250, ISO 200
This is the same beach as above, three days earlier.
“In the spotlight” Downtown Los Angeles, March 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm f/16, 1/125, ISO 4000
“Walking through a Mondrian” Chelsea, New York, October 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 400
“NYC OCT 02” Midtown, New York, November, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 1600
An image from my new project, Post No Bills
“Taxi, yellow and red”, New York, NY May, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/11, 1/500, ISO 200
“Yellow bands” Downtown Los Angeles, March 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/800, ISO 200
Again with the yellow.
“Scribbles” Detroit, Michigan, September 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/5.6, 1/2900, ISO 200
“Wall of taxis” Midtown, New York, November 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 2000
“Lobby in Violet” Midtwon, New York. November 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/2, 1/125, ISO 1000
When I saw this colorful scene in midtown, it reminded me of a great photo by Jay Maisel from his book Light, Gesture & Color.
When I went back to look it up in his book I discovered this was the exact same building. Here’s Jay’s version.
Also worth noting: purple is the complementary color to yellow.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY REPEATING
A few shots from this year had “echoes” - similar scenes and elements from much different times and places. Click on any of them to see them bigger:
“Efficiency” Chelsea, New York, October, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 3200
“Wheelie” Downtown Los Angeles, March 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/9, 1/400, ISO 200
“42nd Street” New York, NY May, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200, f/11, 1/4400, ISO 200
“Shine on” Nice, France, June 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/16, 1/900, ISO 200
“Sea full of stars” Chelsea, New York. October, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200, f/16, 1/2700, ISO 200
“Seeing spots” Chelsea, New York, October 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/9, 1/420, ISO 200
I’ve taken a lot of photos of this Frank Gehry building over the years. But on this day, it stopped me in my tracks. The light reflecting off the windows of the building across the street transformed the facade into a school of luminous jellyfish.
“Mediterranean abstract” Nice, France, June, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200, f/16, 1/800, ISO 1600
On the beaches of Nice, the beach is made of smooth stones instead of sand. I was mesmerized by the shapes and patterns they created in the shallow water. The light created these wobbly rainbows across the surface that appeared and disappeared in fractions of a second.
“LAX” Los Angeles, March 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, f/6.4, 1/1000, ISO 1250
I took this shot from the back seat of an Uber on the way to my hotel from LAX airport. It’s out of focus, the composition is weird, but there’s something that I love about it. It feels like LA.
The two-tone sky effect is created by the window of the car, rolled halfway down.
“Le Palais” Cannes, France, June 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/7.1, 1/125, ISO 1000
“Frost Study 1” Rye, New York, December 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 5000
I went to take the recycling to the curb early one morning in December and noticed the frost covering the car. I ran back inside to get my camera. I have no idea the science behind all the different intricate shapes and patterns the ice crystals created on the surface of my car, but I could have spent all day out there shooting them.
“Frost Study 2” Rye, New York, December 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 1000
“Frost Study 3” Rye, New York, December 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/90, ISO 6400
“Between giants” Rye, New York, February 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/8, 1/160, ISO 200
I took this image during a snowstorm at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye. I was drawn to the single snowy evergreen, dwarfed by its much taller neighbors.
“Geometry” Cannes, France, June 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/350, ISO 800
I took a lot of beautiful, traditional streetscapes in Cannes. But this geometric shot one is one of my favorites. There’s something about the messy imperfection of it all that’s just perfect.
“Rue Haute” Cannes, France. June, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 1000
While I admire that the pigeons pooped on the “no pooping” sign, I love it even more that the street name translates to the High Road.
Apparently, Pigeons have a brilliant sense of humor.
“Flatiron Building” Nice, France. June, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/180, ISO 200
“Carl and friends” Downtown Los Angeles, March, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 200
I liked the way it looks like the men and the scooters are all waiting patiently for Carl’s to open.
“Side eye pig” Gratiot Central Meat Market, Detroit, Michigan, September, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 2000
“Breakfast” Southampton, New York, November 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200, f/8, 1/125, ISO 2500
I took this shot at a diner in Southampton, Long Island. I was drawn to the way the Breakfast sign reflected correctly in the picture frames along the diner wall. I took a few other shots of this scene. The others were “cleaner” compositions, but I like the imperfection of the messy foreground and the sense of place the salt and pepper shakers give it.
“Wash day” Nice, France, June 2022
Fujifilm x100s, 23mm, f/16, 1/100, ISO 2500
“THUNK!” La Croisette, Cannes, France, June 2022
Fujifilm x100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/100 ISO 250
I saw this exclamation point shape in the tree trunk and got lucky with the blurred motorcyclist heading right for it. I didn’t realize until I was editing it that the relationship between them created a real-life cartoon.
“Elegant hats” Nice, France, June 2022
Fujifilm x100s, 23mm, f/11, 1/100, ISO 1250
I love the way the man in the sign for the Elegant Hats store is judging the tourists with the decidedly not elegant hats.
“Yellow corner” Cannes, France. June, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/11, 1/400, ISO 200
Much like pigeons, French bicycles and motorcycles also have a blatant disregard for rules.
“Tightrope” Midtown, New York, November, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 500
This is another shot that I’m not entirely sure why I like it. It just feels like New York.
“DINER” Chelsea, New York, October, 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, f/11, 1/210, ISO 200
Messy. Graphic. Yellow.
“Above millions” New York, NY. March 2022
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 200
I hope you enjoyed this year’s Year in Review. Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out the other years in review:
2020’s Year in Review
2019’s Year in Review
2018’s Year in Review
2017’s Year in Review
2016's Year in Review
2105's Year in Review
2014's Year in Review.
Or follow me on Flickr or Instagram.
Happy New Year, all!
Best photos of 2020
in Photography
2020. Oy.
Usually, my year-in-review posts are filled with exciting travel photos, epic landscapes, and vibrant New York street scenes.
I also usually have free time, you know, to take pictures.
But with lockdown/kindergarten-homeschooling/working-from-home/raising a newborn… you can see where I’m going here. My wanderlust these days is to someday be able to go to Costco again.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find that, despite this complete dumpster fire of a year, there were still some good photos to come out of it. I was expecting a D, and am relieved to present you with a solid C+.
The most interesting part of this annual collection is trying to make sense of it all. What does this random collection of fleeting moments say about the whole year?
(Yikes.)
Despite never showing anything overtly related to the pandemic (no facemasks, social distancing, etc.) this collection is a surprisingly and unintentionally good reflection of my year.
Our dog passed away in January. Seven days later, my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter. A few weeks after that was COVID, quarantine, washing bananas in the sink, the end of our lease in Brooklyn, and a new chapter in the New York suburbs.
You don’t need a psych degree to make sense of the themes in these images. Solitude, chaos, tunnel vision. Darkness. A literal rollercoaster. An old life out of focus and disappearing in the rearview mirror. New beginnings. Glimmers of hope.
When shelter-in-place orders were announced in March, we left New York and moved to my in-law’s house in Maryland for three months. Needing to create, but with none of my go-to subjects to work with, I found inspiration in one place I’ve never really looked before: nature.
I’ve frankly never understood the appeal of flower photography. But with a social-distancing-friendly Botanical garden nearby, I put on a macro lens and some extension tubes and dove in, spending nights studying flower photography tutorials on YouTube and early mornings practicing with new blooms around the yard.
I realized, despite the still-life scenes, I could try to approach flowers like street photography. I tried to create images with energy and movement. To find subjects with personality. To capture that elusive quality that Jay Maisel calls “gesture.”
I took hundreds of nice, quiet portraits of single flowers. But it was the frenetic, busy frames that drew my eye the most.
Maybe it was just a symptom of missing the crowds and chaos of New York. A desperate, frustrating longing to recreate the feeling of a rush-hour F train when all I had in front of me was a field full of daisies.
You can take the photographer out of New York, but you can’t take the New York out of the photographer.
Without further ado, here’s a look back at the very best photos of the very worst year.
Click on any of the images below to see them large in Lightbox mode.
“Love above all.” SoHo, NYC. January, 2020.
Hasselblad 500 CM, 80mm 2.8, Kodak Portra 400 120 film
I took this photo in SoHo in early January. I liked the way the geometry of the signs and the buildings lined up perfectly. I also liked the tension of everything pulling you in opposite directions. It felt like a Fred Herzog, Stephen Shore, or Joel Meyerowitz composition.
Now, looking back at this photo, it has something else that I couldn't see when I took it back in January: it feels like foreshadowing.
“Chowdered.” Coney Island, Brooklyn. March, 2020.
Fuji X-pro2, 35mm, f5.6, 1/200, ISO 200
Speaking of foreshadowing, I took this visceral picture on the beach in Coney Island in mid-march. This clam is all of us.
(For the record, I did not step on this clam. That would be cruel. I would’ve steamed it with garlic butter.)
“Thunderbolt.” Coney Island, Brooklyn. March 2020.
Fuji X-pro2, 35mm, f1.4, 1/5400, ISO 200
I took this rollercoaster photo on the same day as the clam. Little did I know how heavy-handed of a metaphor this would be.
“Foiled!” Coney Island, Brooklyn. March, 2020
Pentax LX, 50mm, Kodak Portra 400 35mm film
This image is also from that same day in Coney Island. I’m not sure what this one means. But it still feels like 2020.
“BQE.” Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. January 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, f1.4, 1/125, ISO 400
“To be in a state of pleasant confusion sometimes can be very satisfying. Especially if you're slightly crazy.” -Saul Leiter
I took this shot on a BQE overpass on my way to pick up my daughter from school. I love the energy of this image. It feels like the city.
I tried taking a few shots that focused on the traffic instead of the fence, but it was a lot less interesting. This is the same scene, in focus.
Sometimes photography is more effective when you don’t see the thing you’re seeing.
“Prayer Stop.” Silver Spring, Maryland. June 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 35mm f5.6, 1/2200, ISO 200
I took a few angles of this roadside prayer stop, but I liked this one best - the way the building became 2-dimensional and how the telephone pole shadow formed a cross, pointing to the lawn chair pews. I also like how dark and ominous the rest of the scene feels - the sunlit building a beacon of light for anyone needing to pull over and take a minute.
“Lanterns” Silver Spring, Maryland. April 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, f4.5, 1/140, ISO 200
“Downpour in the woods” Silver Spring, Maryland. April, 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f3.5, 1/125, ISO 800
When shelter-in-place orders were announced at the end of March, we moved to Maryland to live with my in-laws. We set up a temporary work-from-home space by a window in their bedroom, overlooking the woods. This was the view from my desk. It was mesmerizing to watch the forest come to life as winter turned to spring. In the evenings, the sun dipped behind the trees and the new leaves on the tulip poplars lit up like strings of fairy lights.
Woodland glow. Silver Spring, Maryland. April, 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 14mm, f/18, 1/125, ISO 6400
“Rip curl” Peony. Silver Spring, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/240, ISO 200
As I started to find my style in flower photography, I experimented with getting closer and using an extremely shallow depth of field. I liked the way the soft-focus created a sense of movement and a more painterly look. It also turned the process of making images into more of a scavenger hunt - to find and emphasize individual petals, unique details, and tiny graphic elements.
“Lipstick” Peony. Silver Spring, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 500
This bit of hot pink on the tip of this peony petal was the only color variegation on the whole flower.
“Yellow Cosmos” Silver Spring, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 800
Good photos are everywhere. This yellow cosmos flower was growing next to the driveway.
Tadpoles. Silver Spring, Maryland. April 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/105, ISO 6400
One of the unexpected joys of quarantine was taking hikes through the woods with our daughter. It was a whole new world for a city kid. We found morel mushrooms and deer, patches of bluebells and this creek filled with hundreds of tadpoles.
We came back each week to check on the tadpoles and see how much they’d grown. (It was the only proof we had that time was actually passing)
I tried to take a picture to remember the ritual, but with the sky reflecting on the water, it was impossible to see the tadpoles. I held out my had to shade the glare and took this one photo. I ended up liking the image a lot more than I expected.
“Can Can dancer” Pink Peony. Silver Spring, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/40, ISO 6400
This peony is a slow-motion explosion.
“Embracing the rules” Cherry Blossoms. Silver Spring, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 400
“Morning rush” Hay scented fern. Silver Spring, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 35mm f5.6, 1/125, ISO 5000
“Faces in the crowd” Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. June 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f4.8, 1/125, ISO 500
“Allium and dewdrops” Silver Spring, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 640
“Fireworks” Shrubby St. John's Wort. Brookside Gardens, Maryland. June 2020. Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 1000
“Graffiti.” Scentimental rose. Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. May 2020
2020. Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 1600
Brookside Gardens has an amazing rose garden with hundreds of hybrid varietals, including this one, the “scentimental rose.” It looks like a graffiti artist snuck into the park overnight and tagged the petals. The way the stamen orbit around the center of the flower is hypnotizing.
Love-in-a-Mist. Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f4.8, 1/200, ISO 200
Love-in-a-mist is a flower from the Nigella family. I’ve used the seeds for cooking before, but I’d never seen the flower. I must’ve taken 200 pictures of this one small patch. If they ever discover life on other planets, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn that every flower looks like this one.
“Tulip riot” Brookside Gardens. Wheaton Maryland. May, 2020
Fuji X-Pro2,55-200mm, f4.4, 1/1100, ISO 200
With more common flowers like tulips, I had to find interesting ways to shoot them to make it even worth making a picture. After all, how many straight-on tulip photos does the world need? These tulips were growing in a tall planter, so I was able to get much lower and show them from a bug’s eye view.
“The hungry hungry caterpillar.” Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. June 2020
2020. Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens. All of the extension tubes. 1/125, ISO 250
Speaking of bugs, this little guy was weaving his way around the flower petals, munching on those crumb-sized pollen balls. I didn’t stick around, but I assume he went on to eat through one slice of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon.
“Coming up daisies” Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. June 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, f4.8, 1/240, ISO 200
I love the energy in this shot. It feels like the flowers are sprouting before your eyes. To create the effect, I sandwiched the hero flower between blurred ones in both the foreground and the background.
Canadian Anemone. Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, f4.8, 1/250, ISO 200
All of the flowers in this little patch had straight stems except for this one squiggly one. This image feels more like a painting or botanical drawing than a photograph.
“Westchester Autumn” Rockwood Hall Preserve. Sleepy Hollow, NY November, 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 14mm, f3.2, 1/125, ISO 500
At the end of July, we left Brooklyn and moved to Westchester county. When autumn arrived, the fall colors were incredible. After living in cities for the last 20 years, it felt like l’d suddenly relocated to Vermont. There were still some leaves on the trees in mid-November, so we took a trip to Rockwood Hall Preserve, a former Rockefeller family estate along the banks of the Hudson River. I like the way the trail weaves through the forest, disappearing around the bend, way off in the distance. An S-curve that just keeps S-ing.
“Orbit” Pink Lily. Silver Spring, Maryland. June, 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens,1/125, ISO 200
Flowers have both male and female reproductive organs. While looking for keywords to tag this image, I learned that the fuzzy bits are the male organs, called “anther,” which comes from the Greek word for “flowery or blooming.” But the word for the female reproductive organ (seen in-focus in the center here) is the “stigma.” Holy misogyny, botman.
“Eyelashes” Silver Spring, Maryland. June 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f10, 1/105, ISO 400
During early quarantine, I started a little container garden patch with my daughter. We planted cherry tomato seeds on the kitchen counter in April, moved them outside in May and by June they started to bear fruit.
When I realized how the sun shining through the trees created this incredible glittery background, I took about 50 images of this little tomato. I had to make sure I got every little hair on the tomato vine sharp.
“Catch of the day” Great Blue Heron. Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland
Fuji X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f4.5, 1/1000, ISO 800
This great blue heron liked to hang out by the lake at Brookside Gardens. I set my camera to take 8 frames per second, waited and got lucky. The fish, unfortunately, did not. Tough year for seafood.
“Tiny celebration.” Philadelphia Daisy Fleabane. Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. May 2020. Fujifilm X-Pro2, f4.6, 1/450, ISO 200
You can’t hear it, but the little daisy in the bottom left is saying “woohoo!”
“Say Aaaah” Rock Cranesbill. Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. May 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, Legacy Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 lens, 1/125, ISO 500
This Rock Cranesbill belongs on that alien planet with the Love-in-a-mist.
“Shimmer.” Rye, New York. August 2020.
Fuji X100s, 23mm, f11, 1/1100, ISO 200
Two weeks after moving to the suburbs, I bought a kayak and named it The S.S. Midlife Crisis. This was its maiden voyage.
“Autumn Seascape.” Milton Harbor. Marshlands Conservancy. Rye, NY November 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 14mm, f8, 1/125, ISO 500
I took this image during low tide at Marshlands Conservancy, a nature preserve in Rye. I liked the way the rock formations looked like cresting waves and how they mirrored the shape of the coastline.
“Skyscrapers” Marshlands Conservancy. Rye, NY November 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 14mm, f11, 1/125, ISO 320
I took this shot just a few minutes after the one above. These nearly-bare trees made an amazing silhouette against the gray sky. But it’s that one curvy tree among all the perfectly straight ones that makes the image. I don’t know if its trunk curves because it’s a different species of tree, or if it had to grow that way to find the white space among the crowd.
“Cotton Candy Sky” Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary. Rye, NY. December, 2020
Fuji X-Pro2, 14mm, f2.8, 1/100, ISO 200
I took this photo December 13th as the sunset over Rye, our new hometown. This final shot of the year is the closest thing to a return to form of my usual work. Here’s hoping 2021 brings a lot more images like this one, and a lot fewer smashed clams.
I hope you enjoyed this year’s Year in Review. Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out the other years in review:
2019’s Year in Review
2018’s Year in Review
2017’s Year in Review
2016's Year in Review
2105's Year in Review
2014's Year in Review.
Or follow me on Flickr or Instagram.
Happy New Year, all!
Life out of focus
in New York, Photography
I took this abstract city shot on an overpass above the BQE in Brooklyn on my way to pick up my daughter from school one evening in January. I love the energy and chaos of this image.
Sometimes photography is more effective when you don’t show the thing you’re seeing.
I tried taking a few shots focused on the cars instead of the fence too, because the blue hour color in the sky is what caught my eye in the first place. It was a lot less interesting.
25 Best Photos of 2019
in Photography
National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson once said: “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.”
According to my Lightroom catalog, I took 12,173 photos this year. Granted, not all of the things in front of me were interesting. Or even in focus. But still. It was a prolific year.
The process of reviewing a year’s worth of pictures is always interesting, because common themes always emerge. As I looked back over previous recaps (mostly to make sure I’m not getting worse at this), I realize my photography style has changed quite a lot over the decade. I’m becoming much more of a landscape, travel and fine art photographer and much less of a street/people shooter. And I’ve definitely become more technically capable. There are pictures in this year’s list that I simply couldn’t capture just 3 years ago - I didn’t know enough about my camera to get the settings right.
The big themes I was drawn to for 2019 were epic scenes, leading lines, sunset palettes and silhouettes. The collection this year is also strangely bipolar. The images are either totally serene or totally chaotic, with not much in between.
2019 was also a big year for new long-term photography projects. Here are four ongoing projects that kicked off in 2019. You can follow the links below to see the full galleries.
2019 PROJECTS:
Shutter and Grind is a project I’ve had on my “someday” list for a long time. It’s a clothing label of original fine art photography apparel for adults, kids and even babies (What? Babies need cool clothes too!) $1 from every shirt sold goes to help pets at Best Friends Animal Society. Check it out and shop here.
A few years ago, I started a project called “Crud,” a germaphobe’s eye view of the cringe-worthy, yet strangely beautiful “crud formations” in NYC subway stations. It even got a bit of press.
“Chaos” is close, above-ground-relative. It captures another under-appreciated side of NYC life: The Chaos.
Most of the time, photography is about creating focus and reduction. This series is the exact opposite. Each streetscape is a sort-of-still-life, counterintuitively composed to be as sloppy, claustrophobic, and anxiety-inducing as possible. You can see the full Chaos gallery here. For maximum impact, be sure to click into each photo to view them one at a time.
Much to the chagrin of my sleepy airplane seat-mates, I’m not one to take the window seat and just leave the shade down. This is why.
I fell in love with photography in the post-digital era. So even though I grew up with film, I never really learned to shoot it, beyond snapshots and disposable point and shoots. But lately I’ve become more and more intrigued by the look, and the more-considered process of shooting film. This year I finally dove in headfirst, and somehow collected a dozen old film cameras along the way. (Apologies to my wife for completely taking over our closet with my toys.) I’m just getting started, but I’m pretty pleased with the results so far. You can see the new gallery of 35mm and medium format film photography here.
THE 25 BEST PHOTOS OF 2019
Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my 26 best photos of 2019. (I know. It was only supposed to be 25. But I’m bad at math and self-editing).
Click on any image to see it bigger in Lightbox mode.
Muscle Beach. Santa Monica. Los Angeles, California. July, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, ISO 1000, f/4, 1/500
“Free.” Santa Monica. Los Angeles, California. July, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/280
Santa Monica beach is one of my favorite places in the country to shoot. I’ve taken a lot of photos from this location during trips to L.A. over the years. But this was the first time I noticed muscle beach. I realized if I got down low enough, underexposed the image, and got the shutter speed fast enough, I could silhouette the people and freeze the action against the pastel sunset.
Montmorency Falls. Quebec City, Canada. August, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, ISO 200, f/4.8, 1/1000
I hate photographing waterfalls. They always look so epic in person and then you get home, download the photos and it’s always disappointing. The pictures just don’t do them any justice. The problem is there’s never a sense of scale. The waterfalls always feel so much smaller in photos than they are in real life. And so, after spending hours shooting mediocre too-small photos of Montmorency Falls in Quebec City, I finally saw this guy fishing in the river at the foot of the falls. If it were less dangerous and more socially acceptable, I would have hugged him.
DUMBO waterfront. Brooklyn, New York. August, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, ISO 200, f/8, 30s
I love the way long exposures from Brooklyn Bridge Park smooth out the texture of the water and accentuate the reflection of the city lights. The light streaks on the right side of frame are from a tour boat. I’m not sure what hiccup in camera caused the floating lights above the Brooklyn Bridge. It may be the reflection of the lights in the filter I was using in front of the lens. Or UFOs.
Webbed. Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, Los Angeles. July, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, ISO 1600, f/1.4, 1/80
This is why we don’t let Spiderman drink anymore.
Greenport Harbor. North Fork, Long Island. November, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 56mm, ISO 200, f/11, 16s
Sunrise. Greenport Harbor. North Fork, Long Island. November, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/8
Waking up at 4:45 am and getting out a very comfortable, very warm bed to go take sunrise photos on a frosty November morning is the worst thing ever. Until you get out there and it’s the best thing ever.
Swirl. Jamaica Bay, Queens. September, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, ISO 200, 55-200mm, f/5, 1/340
I love flying in and out of JFK airport because the view over Jamaica Bay wildlife refuge changes drastically with the tide, the light, and the time of year. This marsh formation looks like the Caribbean. Hard to believe it’s in Queens.
Mt. Hood. Portland, Oregon.May 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, ISO 200, f/3.5, 1/6400
Another airplane window seat shot. When you land at Portland, Oregon’s PDX airport you get an amazing view of Mt Hood and the Cascades on the descent. Thanks to Delta for providing the 175,000-pound drone.
JFK Airport. Queens, NYC. September, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, ISO 1600, f/5, 1/60
I love how much is happening in the shadows of in this image, and the way the lines on the tarmac make your eye zig-zag all over the frame.
“Leave the light on” Chatham. Cape Cod, Massachusetts. July, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, ISO 1250, f/2, 1/125
I used to work hard to crop out power lines and try to get frames “perfect.” Then I spent more time admiring the work by Joel Meyerowitz, Stephen Shore, Fred Herzog and Todd Hido and realized the error of my ways. This photo is the Cape Cod version of this shot from Cape Town from my 2017 best-of list. Funny how some images repeat themselves over time.
Tribute in Light. September 11th. SoHo, NYC.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, ISO 200, f/11, 10s
I’ve been documenting the September 11th Tribute in Light for eight years now. It’s my longest running photography project. There are a million photos of the light display, and, at this point, I’ve shot it from two states, three boroughs, and a lot of different angles. Each year, it’s a new challenge to try to find a new perspective. This year, I started my photowalk in SoHo. I realized I could use the cobblestone streets for a more interesting foreground, and the curb as a leading-line. Then I left the the shutter open for 10 seconds to create light trails from a passing truck to create an x-axis of light. This is another shot that echoes one from the past - this 2013 mirror image from the West Side Highway in Tribeca.
TriBeCa, NYC. September 11th Tribute In Light. September 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, ISO 200, f/16, 5s
When shooting the Tribute in light, half the battle is finding an interesting foreground. The other half is not getting arrested for kneeling down next to the tire of a police car with a tripod and a bag full of suspicious looking photography equipment.
Handball. Venice Beach. Los Angeles, California. July 2019
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, ISO 400, f/11, 1/1400
Like I said, I had a thing for silhouettes this year. You could spend a whole day taking photos at the handball courts in Venice Beach.
Santa Monica Beach. Los Angeles, California. July 2019.
Fujifilm XPro2, 23mm ISO 200, f/13, 1/140
Another stunner of a sunset from Santa Monica Pier. I like the way the breaking wave and shoreline lead your eye through the crowd of swimmers to the mountains in the distance, and then the reflection of the sunset brings you back around again.
All at Sea. Santa Monica. Los Angeles, California. July 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, ISO 320, f/8 1/125
I took this photo on the pier just a few minutes before the sunset shot above. It’s good in color too, but the Black and White version is much more dramatic. The pattern of the foam almost creates a golden ratio spiral.
Sandwich Boardwalk. Cape Cod, Massachusetts. July 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, ISO 200, f/8, 1/500
Sandwich Boardwalk. Cape Cod, Massachusetts. July 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, ISO 200, f/8, 1/500
In the town of Sandwich on Cape Cod’s north shore (mmm, Sandwich), there’s a 1/4 mile long elevated boardwalk that crosses over the salt marshes on the way to the beach. This raised platform is (unofficially) for local high school and college students to show off their acrobatics. The whole scene felt like something from another time - simple, wholesome summer fun, and not a single smartphone or GoPro to be seen. I love the chaotic energy of the shot on the right. Cropping out the water makes it more mysterious and hard to know what’s even going on.
Public Market. Seattle, Washington. December, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, ISO 1250, f/4.8, 1/125
This is another shot where The Old Me would have definitely cropped out the cable car lines at the top of the frame for a cleaner picture. But I think they make the image more interesting. The stripes make this image all about the horizontal lines - the crosswalk, the horizon line on the street, the river, the tree line, and of course the scaffolding on the famous Public Market sign.
Park Avenue, Kips Bay, NYC. February, 2019.
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, ISO 200, f/11, 1/500
Manhattanhenge gets all the glory, but my favorite NYC natural phenomena is when the sunlight catches the windows of a building and bounces across the street, creating these wobbly pools of light.
I realized after editing this picture that the direction of light falling on Park Avenue below is strikingly similar to one of my favorite photos – Rene Burri’s iconic “Men on a rooftop” shot from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“Photographers sometimes take pictures of each other; occasionally they take pictures of each other at work; more usually they take photographs - or versions - of each other's work. Consciously or not they are constantly in dialogue with their contemporaries and predecessors.”
― Geoff Dyer, The Ongoing Moment
Sunrise. Quebec City, Canada. August, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/8
Old Quebec in Quebec City is a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the oldest cities in North America, and a pretty spectacular place to watch the sun rise (which, for the record, is a lot easier in August than it is in November.) This shot is taken at the foot of the Citadel in Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine. The castle-looking building in the center is the Chateau Fronternac, which is French for “that building on all the postcards.” If I was better at photoshop, there wouldn’t be any scaffolding on it.
Sunrise. Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. Quebec City, Canada. August, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, ISO 200, f/8, 0.3s
Another sunrise from Quebec City, taken two days after the one above. This one also features the Chateau Fronternac, this time from Terrasse Dufferin, the hilltop boardwalk that overlooks the St. Laurence River. I got as low as I could for this photo so I could use the planks on the boardwalk as the leading lines into the distance.
Stage Harbor Lighthouse. Chatham. Cape Cod, Massachusetts. July 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/1400
Before our trip to Cape Cod, I saw this location in a photo online and was determined to find it. The building in the distance is an old, deactivated lighthouse called Stage Harbor Lighthouse. I love the way the pool of early morning light is streaming through the trees behind me and bouncing off the water to illuminate the rowboat.
This scene looks so serene. But it wasn’t. The muddy low-tide shoreline where I set up to take this photo was covered in seaweed and swarming with a billion tiny biting gnats. And they were VERY excited to see me. I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure, as I was smacking my own face over and over again, I heard one of them taunting, “why are you hitting yourself? why are you hitting yourself? why are you hitting yourself?”
Old Quebec. Quebec City, Canada. August, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/125
A photo has an amazing way of capturing time. This photo was only 1/125th of a second. But it captured the this poor guy’s entire morning.
“Beauty and the beach” Santa Monica. Los Angeles, California. July, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, ISO 200, f/14, 1/950
It was a legit struggle to not make this recap 100% photos from Santa Monica beach.
Chinese New Year Firecracker Festival. Chinatown, NYC. February, 2019.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, ISO 200, f/4, 1/450
This year, I finally got to check off one of my New York photography bucket list items - covering the Chinese Lunar New Year Firecracker Festival. After the firecrackers are set off, the celebration spills out through the side-streets of Chinatown, with spontaneous drummers and dragon dancers everywhere. Before long, the whole neighborhood is blanketed with confetti and party poppers. I took a million photos. This one of a young girl joyfully flinging fistfuls of confetti into the air was by far my favorite (and luckiest) capture.
Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out the last five years in review: 2018’s Year in Review, 2017’s Year in Review, 2016's Year in Review, 2105's Year in Review, or 2014's Year in Review. Or follow me on Flickr or Instagram. Happy New Year, all!
19 Best Film Photos of 2019
I fell in love with photography in the post-digital era. So even though I grew up with film, I never really learned to shoot it, beyond snapshots and disposable point and shoots. But lately I’ve become more and more intrigued by the look, and the more-considered process of shooting film. This year I finally dove in headfirst, and somehow collected a dozen old film cameras along the way. (Apologies to my wife for completely taking over our closet with my toys.) I’m just getting started, but I’m pretty pleased with the results so far. Here are my favorite analog photos from 2019. You can also keep up with the new gallery of 35mm and medium format film photography here.
Santa Monica, California. Pentax 67 | Kodak Porta 400
Point Vincente Lighthouse. Los Angeles, California. Pentax 67 | Kodak Porta 400
SoHo, Manhattan. Canon Sure Shot Owl | 35mm Kodak Tri-X 400
Skaket Beach. Cape Cod Massachusetts. Nikon F-801 | 35mm Kodak Ektar 100
Bowery, NYC. Nikon EM | 35mm Ilford Delta 400
Nikon EM | 35mm Ilford XP2
I love the repeating patterns in this image.
SoHo, New York. Nikon L35 AF | 35mm Fomapan 400
Venice Beach. Los Angeles, California. Pentax 67 | Kodak Portra 400
Flatiron, New York City. Pentax 67 | Kodak Portra 400
Canon Sure Shot Owl | 35mm Kodak TMax 400
DUMBO, Brooklyn. Leica MA | 35mm Kodak Portra 400
Sometimes you get this interesting frame burn effect on the first shot of the roll. Sometimes they’re also serendipitous for the composition. This one has very strange apocalyptic vibes.
West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Pentax 67 | Kodak Portra 400
East Broadway, New York. Canon Sure Shot Owl | 35mm Kodak Tri-X 400
23rd Street Station, NYC. Canon Sure Shot Owl | 35mm Kodak TMax 400
Houston Street, NYC. 35mm Ilford XP2
Smith Street. Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Kodak Tri-X 400
Greenport, North Fork, Long Island. Canon Demi ee17 Half Frame Camera | 35mm Kodak Gold 200
The Canon Demi is a half frame camera. Instead of taking one landscape-format image on each frame, it takes two portrait orientation ones. So you get twice as many shots on a roll of film. When you get your scans back from the lab, every frame is a diptych.
Smith Street. Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Voightlander Vito B | 35mm Fujifilm Superia 200
The Cyclone. Coney Island, Brooklyn. Nikon F-801 | Expired 20-year-old 35mm Fujifilm Superia 400
Help keep Flickr going
In a world where our photos are becoming more and more fleeting and disposable, Flickr is, and always has been, the one place on the web that treats photographers' images as a valuable, easily searchable, permanent archive. It houses tens of billions of images, including incredible national historic archives for countries, libraries, organizations and nonprofits around the world. (The Library of Congress, The US National Archives, The National Register of Historic Places, the San Diego Air and Space Museum and the British Library are all fascinating archives to poke around when you have time).
I've been a Flickr member since 2005, and to say it's been the single biggest part of my personal development as a photographer is a drastic understatement.
But last night, the CEO, Don MacAskill, sent a refreshingly transparent email that the service is losing money and struggling to stay in operation, and asked the photography community for help keeping it going.
If you're a photographer, or have an archive of digital family photos that need backing up and organizing in a way that you can easily find them, or you just want to help keep this important service going, you can use this code and link below to become a member. (I’m not affiliated with, or sponsored by Flickr in any way and don’t get a penny from this link)
For just $3 a month you can become a PRO member and back up your entire photo archive, with unlimited storage at full resolution, order prints, photo books, and lots of great discounts from partners like Adobe, Blurb, Chatbooks, Peak Design and more.
Thanks for your time, and thanks to Don MacAskill and the entire Flickr/Smugmug team for your passion, transparency, and dedication to keeping this resource going.
Introducing Shutter and Grind
Original photo clothes and apparel by Brian Eden
I’ve had this on my “someday” list for a long time now. I’m so excited to announce I’ve finally gotten around to launching a clothing label of original photography apparel.
Shutter and Grind is still very much in its infancy but features casual streetwear and accessories for adults, kids and even babies (What? Babies need cool clothes too!)
Everything is custom printed to order so I can offer the best variety of designs and cuts. Check out the store on Etsy and give a follow on Instagram @ShutterAndGrind for all the current looks and stay tuned for lots more in the months ahead.
Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington DC
in Photography, Travel
With the Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C. forecast to hit Peak Bloom tomorrow, I thought I’d share a few shots from a Cherry Blossom Festival from years past. Here are some of my favorite shots from the festival in 2014. I went twice - once at sunset and the next morning at sunrise. Enjoy!
