photography

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!

Life out of focus

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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.

EDEN0869.jpg

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.

EDEN0873.jpg


25 Best Photos of 2019

in

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

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.

CHAOS

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.

 

WINDOW SEAT

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. 

 

ANALOG

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, 1/125I 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, …

“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, 10sI’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 ligh…

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, 5sWhen shooting the Tribute in light, half the battle is finding an interesting foreground. The other half is not getting arrested for kneeling down…

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

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!

Introducing Shutter and Grind

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Original photo clothes and apparel by Brian Eden

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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.

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All proceeds donated to the ACLU through March 1, 2017

From now through March 1, all proceeds from fine art photo print and book sales will be donated to the ACLU. 

You can shop for select New York photo prints in this gallery:

http://brianeden.zenfolio.com/f201180049

You can order copies of my book (or eBook), 1000 Days in New York here: 

http://brianedenphotography.com/1000-days-in-ny/

And if there are any photos from Flickr that aren't currently available for purchase, please browse these galleries and email me to let me know which pictures you'd like and I'll post them right away. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianeden/albums

 

 

Brooklyn Family Portraits - Igor and Lana

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking family portraits for my college friend and his family. We met in Dumbo, Brooklyn for a photo session just before sunset in early December. The light was MAGIC. Here are a few favorites from the session. Thanks Igor and Lana!

20 Best Photos of 2014

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According to Lightroom, I took well over ten thousand photos in 2014. It wasn't easy to narrow those down to my 20 favorite photographs, but I gave it my best shot. I hope you enjoy them. 

Here's to many more photo-worthy moments in 2015. Happy New Year!

"Stormy Sunset in New York", October 2014, Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 2.6 sec, ISO 500

I've probably taken this shot of lower Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge Park fifty times now. This one stands out for me, not just because of the amazing sky, but because of the way the metal bands on the tops of the pylons reflect the streetlights behind me. Usually, these poles either fall completely in shadow (like this), or are partially lit and a bit distracting (like this). But on this night, some alchemy of lights, angle and camera settings came together to give each silhouetted pylon a shimmering halo, mirroring the bands of lights along the skyline.

"Wall Street"  May 2014 , New York City
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/150, ISO 800

I took this photo on Wall Street, a block east of the New York Stock Exchange. While I'd like to tell you that this was a single, serendipitous moment, it didn't quite come together that way. After noticing the poster on the wall and getting the idea for the photo, I went back to this spot for two days in a row trying to capture this image. It must have taken 200 tries before I got one with a single businessman walking in the right direction, looking just the right amount of unhappy, who was just the right height so the rope would intersect the back of his neck, and frozen at just the right moment so those two inches of rope would actually attach to his collar. 

"Cherry Blossom Festival"  April 2014 , Washington, DC
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/11, 1/35, ISO 800

Even though I lived in the DC area for most of my life, I never actually made it to the Cherry Blossom Festival during its peak. This year, a visit home was timed perfectly to catch "peak bloom." I arrived at the Tidal Basin before sunrise along with dozens of other crazy photographers. I got  some great shots from the sunrise, but this one from a bit later in the morning is my favorite. When the early morning sun hit the cherry blossoms, the pinks just lit up. 

 

"Man in the Middle" January 2014, New York City
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 2.1 sec, ISO 250

On a rainy weekend in January, my wife and I went to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was playing around with a slow shutter speed to give this stoic scene of the Grand Staircase a sense of energy. But then this guy stopped right in the center to check his phone, which froze him while everyone else blurred. Totally unplanned. But it totally made the shot. This may be the only instance in history where a guy checking his smartphone has actually improved a photo. 

"Your Journey Continues" April 2014, New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx, New York
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/11, 1/125, ISO 5000

I take it back. Maybe there are two instances in history where a guy checking his smartphone has improved a photo. I may be the only photographer to ever visit the New York Botanical Gardens and come away most excited about a photo of a guy in front of a beige cinderblock wall, not a flower in sight. I don't do much in the way of social commentary in my work, but I just love this one. The guy, completely oblivious to the journey that lies ahead. The total blandness of this space. The polite sign trying to encourage him on to bigger and better things. The ray of light from the heavens beckoning him on to something unimaginably amazing. He's blind to it all. Right now, there's candy to be crushed.   

"Storm over Williamsburg" June 2014, Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/8, 1/40, ISO 1600

In June, I drove to Grand Ferry Park in Williamsburg to photograph an event called the "World Naked Bike Ride." It was going to be a bizarrely great photo op. But nature had other plans. Not more than 15 minutes before the official meet-up time for naked bike riding, this storm rolled in. I stayed around just long enough to take a few dramatic shots before the sky opened up, dumping a monsoon of rain across the city. I'll never know if they went ahead with the naked bike ride. 

A day after I posted this photo, I got a notification that one of my favorite National Geographic photographers, Jim Richardson added it as a favorite on Flickr, which is the photography equivalent of Frank Sinatra stopping by to compliment your karaoke performance. 

"Watching the storm roll in" June 2014, Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/150, ISO 320

This photo was taken just eight minutes earlier than the one above. I started shooting this scene down low along the rocks. But then I stood up and saw the couple with the umbrellas. As a rule of thumb, people are almost always more interesting than rocks. 

"Covered Bridge at Sunset" March 2014, South Woodstock, Vermont
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/4, 1/80, ISO 250

In March, we planned a long weekend trip to Vermont. Two days before we were scheduled to go, a storm dropped 24 inches of snow across the state. While the snowstorm made for some harrowing driving moments on the less-plowed side roads, it also made for this covered bridge photo op, which is about as iconic Winter-In-Vermont as it gets. Much to my good fortune, they even left their Christmas Wreath up for St Patrick's Day. 

"The Long Walk Back" March 2014, Burlington, Vermont
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/16, 1/320, ISO 200

When we checked into our hotel in Burlington, the concierge suggested we take a walk across the frozen Lake Champlain. This seemed like a terrible and dangerous idea. But sure enough, people were out there traipsing around all over the ice. So we took a walk on the lake. After all, "when in Rome." Sure enough, it was frozen solid, clear across to New York. This is the first time the winter has been cold enough for the lake to freeze since 2007. 

"The Flatiron Building at Sunset" November 2014, New York City
Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, f/1.4, 1/30, ISO 800

In November, we edited at a studio on 5th Avenue called Rock, Paper Scissors. This is the view from their kitchen. Wowsers. 

"The Birdwatcher" November 2014, New York City
Fujifilm XPro1, 63mm, f/4.5, 1/60, ISO 200

The trouble with taking photos of iconic New York landmarks like the Bow Bridge in Central Park is that they've been photographed a zillion times before. Fortunately, this birdwatcher gave me the opportunity to capture something more unique than the typical postcard view. 

 

"Two Bridges" May 2014, New York City
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/8, 250 seconds, ISO 200

Sticking with the bridge theme, here's one of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges that I shot from the East River Promenade. This was a four minute long exposure, which made the water on the East River go silky and created the sense of movement in the clouds.  

"Brooklyn Bridge" May 2014, New York City
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/8, 240 seconds, ISO 200

Here's another shot from the same evening. I love how foggy the water looks around the pylons. The scene feels totally silent except for the flapping of the flag on top of the bridge. (Of course, it was far from it, with horns blaring overhead on the FDR Expressway)

"Coney Island Reflected" June 2014, Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm XPro1, 74mm, f/5, 1/750 seconds, ISO 200

My favorite shot from Coney Island's raucous Mermaid Parade wasn't even of a mermaid. It was this quiet moment of an amused spectator, sitting on the boardwalk railing, taking in all the madness. I love how isolated he is against the blown-out sky. It's only when you see the reflections in his sunglasses that you get a sense of place. A jam-packed boardwalk with Deno's Wonder Wheel spinning in the background. 

"Bonk" April, 2014 New York City
Fujifilm XPro1, 35mm, f/4, 1/55 seconds, ISO 1250

It's hard to create slapstick humor in a scene without any people. But when I spotted this poster at the Broadway/Lafayette Street subway station in SoHo, I knew I had to come back with my camera. I took this photo on 4/2/14, so it may have been inspired by April Fools Day. Or, more appropriately, tax day. 

"Little Cupcake Bakeshop" January, 2014 New York City
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/105 seconds, ISO 6400

I love the feeling of this photo. There's something kind of Edward Hopper about it. And there are so many little details. The glimpse of the Empire State Building in the distance. The snowflake decorations that make the cupcake shop feel just a bit cozier. And the fact that the two people crossing on either corner of the street are perfect mirror images of each other. 

"Indecent Proposal" May, 2014 Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/8, 1/40 seconds, ISO 400

I have so many questions. Was it a real marriage proposal? Did she say yes? Did they cash his check? Was the tiny shrub in the shipping crate part of the proposal? 

"Houston Street Noise" May, 2014, New York City
Fujifilm XPro1, 35mm, f/8, 1/160 seconds, ISO 1600

This famous mural on the corner of Houston and Bowery Streets has had rotating artist installations for 30 years, including work by Keith Haring and Shepard Fairey. I've just learned that the wall has been temporarily dismantled for the construction of a new building. This mural by Cope2 was the final installation. 

"Welcome Freedom Creators" December, 2014, Edgewood, Maryland
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/160, ISO 200

I took this photo just a few days ago. We were driving home for the holidays and pulled off I-95 to to get gas. This hotel was next door. This is why you always carry a camera. 

"MacDougal Street Snowstorm" January, 2014, New York City
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/2, 1/125 seconds, ISO 2500

This year was one of the ten snowiest winters on record for New York City. So there was no shortage of picturesque snowglobe-quality photo opportunities. But of all the winter photos that I took this year, this shot from Greenwich Village is my favorite. I took this photo while kneeling in the center of MacDougal Street. I snapped a few shots, played around with settings, and tried to compose something interesting. But then this guy stepped off the curb in the distance and crossed into the middle of street. Sometimes it's that tiniest of details that makes all the difference. The other photos from this series are totally unremarkable. This one is magic.