Year of the Pig. New York's Chinese New Year Firecracker Festival 2019

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. Here are my favorite photos from the Year of the Pig celebration in Chinatown.

I love the way the boy is in the light and everyone else is in the darkness.

Sometimes attention can be the subject. No two people in this shot are looking at the same thing.

I underexposed this shot to dramatize the way the gold rims of this guy’s glasses caught the reflected sunlight.

I took a bunch of perfectly in-focus images from this same angle. But this accidentally blurry one is the only photo from the series that actually feels like an explosion.

Sometimes I take a photo and realize afterwards that it’s an echo of an image I’ve loved before. In this case, the inspiration of this photo comes from this image by Jay Maisel from his book, Light, Gesture and Color

20 Best Photos of 2018

Year in review time once again. Also known as “fingers-crossed-that-I’m-not-getting-worse-at-this-anxiety-fest.”

It’s amazing how much this annual recap changes from year-to-year. Whether the shift represents an evolving style as a photographer, or just the randomness of trying find time to shoot in the spare minutes between life, parenthood and full time work, it’s always interesting to see the different themes that catch my eye from year-to-year. 

More than anything, this year’s collection is different simply due to geography. The 2017 collection was filled with globetrotting photos from London, Paris, Cape Town, the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. This year, I barely left the five boroughs.

But I made the most of New York - and especially its weather. Lots of dramatic fog, snow and sunset shots made the list this year. I also had a thing for long exposure landscapes and timeless black and white photos. 

One other big shift for 2018 was a big focus on lighting and portraiture. I spent a lot less time taking photos and a lot more time taking photography classes on CreativeLive. If all goes well, that effort will be evident in the 2019 year in review. (If not, I’ll have some lighting equipment for sale on Craigslist.)

Without further ado, here are the 20 (ish) best photos of 2018.  

“White out” January 4, 2018. Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Fujifilm X Pro2, 23mm, f2.5 , 1/1400 sec, ISO 200

2018 began with a boom, er, bomb. On January 4, a winter storm called a “bomb cyclone” (aka “bombogenesis”, aka “winter hurricane”) hit New York and made for some apocalyptic snowstorm photos. Tip your seamless delivery guys, people.

“Neither rain, nor snow, nor bomb cyclone” January 4, 2018. Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Fujifilm X Pro2, 23mm, f2.8 , 1/1000 sec, ISO 1000

In spite of the bomb cyclone, the mail was in fact delivered. Respect.

“Carroll Street Station” Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Fujifilm X Pro2, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/220 sec, ISO 6400

I see this view of the exit from the Carroll Street subway station just about every day. It’s totally unremarkable. But add some giant fluffy snowflakes and suddenly it’s a scene from a movie.

“Dancers” PDN Photo Plus Expo. October 26, 2018. Javits Center, New York
Fujifilm GFX50R, 45mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO 800

Full disclosure. This shot was kind of cheating. I took it at at the PDN Photo Plus Expo, where Sony arranged lights and dancers to showcase the capabilities of their Sony alpha cameras. But I wasn’t using a Sony alpha camera. I was using the new $5,000, 50-megapixel Fujifilm GFX50R medium format camera that the lovely folks across the room at Fujifilm let me play around with for the day. (Sorry Sony.) Underexposing by a few stops made the scene far more poetic than you’d expect for something shot on a convention center floor. Pictured: @mathildeguerrero_ and @r0mains0n

“Thwack!” May 25, 2018. Lower East Side, New York
Fujifilm X Pro2, 55-200mm, f/9, 1/1250 sec, ISO 200

I caught some good shots of the handball players making contact with the ball too. But I much prefer the tension, anticipation and gesture in this moment-just-before-the-moment.

“Williamsburg Bridge sunset” February 26, 2018. East River State Park. Williamsburg Brooklyn.
Fujifilm X Pro2, 56mm, f/8, 131 sec, ISO 200

A two minute long exposure turned the East River into an ethereal fog in this sunset shot from the Williamsburg waterfront. The wiggly light trails on the right side of the frame were created by the ferry pulling away from the dock.

“Empire Tribute” September 11, 2018. Rockefeller Center, New York
Fujifilm X Pro2, 56mm, f/5.6, 1.5 sec, ISO 200

This is the eighth year I’ve documented the September 11th Tribute in Light. This year, I tried to get the classic postcard angle from Rockefeller Center. But the fog was so thick, you could barely see lower Manhattan, let alone any lights. Fortunately, the clouds cleared for a moment, just long enough to get this one shot before the lights disappeared back into the fog.

“City of Light” September 11, 2018. Lower Manhattan, New York
Fujifilm XPro2, 14mm, f/20, 10 sec, ISO 200

With thick fog obstructing the Tribute in Light, I realized I had to get as close as possible to photograph the display. This shot was taken from the pedestrian footbridge that crosses the entrance to the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. I set a ten second long exposure and waited for cars to create the light streaks in the foreground.

“Tribute Reflected” September 11, 2018. Lower Manhattan, New York
Fujifilm XPro2, 14mm, f/3.2, 0.4 sec, ISO 200

This reflection was made in a puddle on the roof of the parking garage where they stage the lights.

“Stock exchange snowstorm” March 7, 2018. Wall Street, New York
Fujifilm XPro2, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125, ISO 5000

I love how timeless this snowy image of the NY Stock Exchange feels.

(Except for the very not-timeless banner. I did not add the stock exchange on snapchat.)

I waited for a loooooong time to get someone with an umbrella to cross in just the right spot to cast that shadow in that little pool of light on the cobblestone. When this woman finally hit the mark, I could’ve hugged her. (I didn’t do that either).

“Fleet week” May 25, 2018. Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm X Pro2, 55-200mm, f/4.7, 1/1900 sec, ISO 200

Sometimes your camera auto-focuses on the wrong thing and you get really annoyed. Here I was trying to focus on the naval officer and make the city go soft in the background. So I refocused and took that shot next. In this case, my camera was the better photographer.

“East River Sunset” February 26, 2018. East River State Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Fujifilm XPro2, 56mm, f/16, 14 sec, ISO 200

This shot is from the same sunset as the Williamsburg bridge shot above.

“Only only only” May 25, 2018. DUMBO, Brooklyn
Fujifilm XPro2, 55-200mm, f/7.1, 1/3000, ISO 400

The next three shots happened within a few minutes of each other during a walk home over the Manhattan Bridge. This one is taken from the pedestrian walkway looking down Prospect Street, in front of Etsy HQ.

“Cartwheels and shadows” May 25, 2018. DUMBO, Brooklyn
Fujifilm XPro2, 55-200mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO 320

Another shot from the Manhattan Bridge pedestrian walkway. This was looking down over Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO.

“Waiting for green” May 25, 2018. Chinatown, New York
Fujifilm X Pro2 55-200mm, f/11, 1/450 sec, ISO 400

This one is from the Chinatown side of the Manhattan Bridge. I love the way the sunlight catching her shopping bags made them glow like lanterns.

“The city is never complete.” September 5, 2018. Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Fujifillm X Pro2, 35mm, f/2, 1/170, ISO 200

This shot and the following one were taken four months apart, but have the same soul. I like their messiness. I think these are the kinds of skyline shots you start to take when you’ve taken all of the pretty skyline shots.

“The Skater” May 7, 2018, Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/120, ISO 200

Earlier this year, I got a copy of Stephen Shore’s Uncommon Places, and visited his exhibition at MOMA. This composition was heavily influenced by that work. I love the detail of the lone skateboarder.

“Verrazano Bridge” June 17, 2018. South Beach, Staten Island.
Fujifilm X Pro2, 14mm, f/8, 241 sec, ISO 200

Staten Island has incredible beaches. Who knew?

“Greenport Sunrise” November 7, 2018, Greenport, Long Island
Fujifilm XPro2, 14mm, f/4, 84 sec, ISO 200

It’s so hard to get out of bed at 4:30am for sunrise photography. But it’s (almost) always worth it. This minute and a half exposure was taken from the docks at Greenport Harbor on the North Fork of Long Island. The windows of Barba Bianca are boarded up due to massive flooding along the waterfront just a few days earlier.

“Brooklyn Bridge Fog” April 4, 2018. East River, New York City
Fujifilm XPro2, 35mm, f/4, 1/1500, ISO 200

There’s usually a whole city skyline in this shot. But on this morning, the fog was so thick, it created a white seamless backdrop behind the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Smoke on the water” January 12, 2018. East River, New York City
Fujifilm XPro2, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200

More wild weather, this time during my morning commute aboard the NYC Ferry. The low fog combined with mist on the water to make a fog sandwich.
Mmmm. Fog sandwich.

“Live fast” May 11, 2018. Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Fujifilm XPro2, 14mm, f/8, 243 sec, ISO 200

This four minute long exposure was long enough to give the clouds over New York an epic motion blur. The semi-circle at the top of the frame was a happy accident - it’s caused by the rim of my lens reflecting back in the ND filter that I added to the front of my camera for the long exposure.

This photo was included in an article in FeatureShoot called The Magic of Black and White in 27 photos

Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out 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.

The Rainbow Birds of Lake Eola

A few months after the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, Orlando's Lake Eola bandshell was painted in rainbow colors to honor the victims and show support for the LBGTQ community. When I visited the lake this June, the sun reflected off the bandshell, casting colorful patterns across the water, and creating an incredible backdrop for the lake's wild birds.  

Tricolor Heron

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret

Tricolor Heron

Great Egret

American White Ibis

Great Egret

20 Best Photos of 2017

Year in Review time!

Having done this a few times now, it seems like it should get easier. But the Fourth Annual “20-best” has been the hardest to cull by far.

This is for two main reasons:
1. I took a lot more photos this year and
2. I’m getting a lot worse at self-editing.

Long story short, “The 20 Best of 2017” is now “The 36 Best of 2017.”

The process of reviewing a year’s worth of photos is always interesting, because common themes always emerge. Last year, I was all about geometry, primary colors and umbrellas. This year, I apparently had a thing for dramatic lighting, pictures of things framed through windows, and wildlife photography taken at dangerously close proximity.

Another big change for this year is that I started work on some longer-term photography projects. These will all be ongoing, but I’m happy to share three works-in-progress. You can follow the links below to see the full galleries:

"Holiday Windows" is a sentimental portrait of people’s reactions to 5th Avenue’s enchanting holiday window displays.

Holiday Windows

"Crud" is a germaphobe’s eye view of the cringe-worthy, yet strangely beautiful “crud formations” in NYC subway stations.

Crud

"American Palace" is, well, that one's pretty self explanatory.    

American Palace

Without further ado, here are my top 20... er... 36 photos from 2017.

"Just Grand" June 7, 2017. Grand Canyon, South Rim
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 10-24mm, f/22, 1/3 sec, ISO 200

As the sun set over the Grand Canyon, I spent a half hour cursing these guys under my breath to get out of my shot. (Photographers spend an inordinate amount of time trying to harness the power of telekinesis to move strangers in and out of their compositions. It's not normal.) 

Eventually the mind trick worked, the guys left, and I had a clear scene.

Of course, when I got back home and downloaded all of the photos from the series, I liked the one with the people in it better. (Although I'm still cursing the guy on the right for wearing his sunglasses on the back of his head like Guy Fieri.)

"London Nights" January 7, 2017. St. Paul's Cathedral. London, England
Fujifilm X-Pro1, 14mm, f/11, 10 seconds, ISO 200

The hardest thing about taking photos of iconic locations like St. Paul's Cathedral in London is that they've been photographed TO DEATH. So you have to work a little harder to try to find something more original than the typical postcard shot.

After taking a dozen photos of this scene, I noticed the traffic pattern and had an idea. Using a trash can as a makeshift tripod, I waited for a double decker bus to pass by on its route, then left the camera shutter open for ten seconds – long enough to create these bus-shaped light trails.

"The Navy and the Pizza." May 23, 2017. Cobble Hill. Brooklyn, NY.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/125, ISO 5000

During Fleet Week, Naval officers are nice enough to wander around New York in uniform and sit in front of things, making every photographer feel a bit like Alfred Eisenstaedt.  

"Colors of Cape Town" November 20, 2017. Bo-Kaap. Cape Town, South Africa
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/11, 1/250, ISO 320

I wish I could say that I saw this photo coming together, dropped to the ground and snapped it. But the truth is, I was awkwardly crouching, cheek to the pavement, trying to compose a shot for the stripe and the scooter. Then this guy who perfectly matched the bike (right down to the fur hat and shoelaces) just wandered into frame. 

"We were all yellow" November 17, 2017. Cape Town, South Africa
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/8000, ISO 400

"Some have said that if you take a great picture in color and take away the color, you’ll have a great black-and-white picture. But if you’re shooting something about color and you take away the color, you’ll have nothing." - Jay Maisel

"Sad Emoticon." January 7, 2017. Notting Hill. London, England. 
Fujifilm X-Pro1, 14mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 1600

I took this photo at the edge of a triangular island of sidewalk in Notting Hill, London. It's my favorite photo yet in my ongoing Literal Street Photography project. 

"Camp's Bay Beach Crossing" November 9, 2017. Camps Bay, South Africa.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8.0, 1/750, ISO 200

Moments after I took this photo, this group of kids took off sprinting across the beach. Pure joy. 

"Rainy Paris" January 15, 2017. The Louvre. Paris, France.
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/4, 1/60, ISO 6400

"A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person." - Saul Leiter 

The Louvre is another one of those locations where it's really hard to make an original photograph. After spending the morning walking around the courtyard searching for a unique angle, I found it in an unexpected place - the back seat of the Uber on the way back to my hotel.   

"Park job." November 17, 2017. Cape Town, South Africa
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/500, ISO 1250

I traveled halfway around the world to Cape Town and one of my absolute favorite shots is also the most mundane.

"Road trip to Zion" June 9, 2017. Zion National Park, Utah
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/11, 1/125, ISO 500

I took this photo in standstill traffic at the tunnel entrance to Zion National Park. Hey, you've gotta pass the time somehow. 

"Sins and vases." January 7, 2017. Portobello Road Market. London, England. 
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 1250

I don't take a lot of photos deep with symbolism. But there's a lot going on in this shot. You've got Jesus in the foreground faltering under the weight of the cross, gazing out longingly from between flea market trinkets (including an empty decanter of wine). His plight is completely unnoticed by the crowd of onlookers. And in the background, the weirdly devilish-looking salesman hides a blood-red cloak under his jacket and has ACTUAL HORNS on his truck.  

Art historians, go nuts. 

"Ascend." January 7, 2017. Tate Modern. London, England
Fujifilm X-Pro1, 14mm, f/4, 1/70, ISO 6400

When I visited London, the Tate Modern was hosting "The Radical Eye," an exhibition of Sir Elton John's extensive photography collection. Just beyond the ticket window, I captured this shot for my own collection.   

"Horseshoe Bend" June 8, 2017. Page, Arizona
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/8, 1/13, ISO 200

Horseshoe Bend is not a great location to visit if you're a photographer who is also afraid of heights. I honestly don't know how those rooftopper people do it. I was sitting a good five feet back from the edge, and just holding my tripod near the cliff was making me sweat bullets. 

"Passion." June 8, 2017. Antelope Canyon. Page, Arizona
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 10-24mm, f/8, 1.1 seconds, ISO 400

The photographer's tour of Antelope Canyon is great, because the guides idiot-proof it for you. They tell you what camera settings to use, then show you just where to set your tripod to get all the best angles. Like this heart-shaped skylight in the canyon ceiling. 

"Table Mountain Sunset." November 9, 2017. Cape Town, South Africa
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/5.6, 1/70, ISO 800

I was in Cape Town for two weeks in November, but we spent most of the time in meetings or on location for a film shoot, so I had to find photo-ops wherever I could. Fortunately, this was the view from our pre-production meeting. 

"Canyon Breath." June 8, 2017. Antelope Canyon. Page, Arizona
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 10-24mm, f/8, 0.5 seconds, ISO 200

I've admired these magical photos of light shafts in Antelope Canyon for years. Peter Lik's version of this shot is the most expensive photo ever sold, fetching $6.5 million dollars.  (For the record, I'll happily take ten grand for mine if anyone wants a print. I'll even sign it with Peter Lik's name).

The thing I never knew was how they get that ethereal misty effect in the light beam. 

Here's how: a photo tour guide chucks shovelfuls of sand into the air, then tells you to take a picture.

"Unforgotten." September 11, 2017. Tribute in Light. New York City.
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/2.8, 1/17, ISO 6400

I've been documenting the September 11th Tribute in Light for seven years now. Each time, I try to find a different vantage point. This year I photographed the lights from Staten Island. The shot from over there was nice. But this perfectly-aligned view of the lights haloing the World Trade Center during the Ferry ride back to Manhattan was a total surprise. 

"Hout Bay." November 13, 2017 Chapman's Peak Drive. Cape Town, South Africa
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 640

See? I told you I had a thing for things in windows this year. I took some nice shots of this scene from the overlook a few miles down the road too. But so did ten zillion other photographers.  

"Room with a view" June 7, 2017. Desert View Watchtower. Grand Canyon South Rim
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, f/11, 1/120, ISO 400

The Grand Canyon is another location that's easy to take a great photo of, but really hard to shoot in an original way. Putting people in the frame helps. So did framing the canyon through this window inside the Desert View Watchtower. 

"Battleship Rock Sunrise." June 7, 2017, Grand Canyon South Rim
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/11, 1/3, ISO 200

...that said, when you get a sunrise like this, you can get away with being a little less original, because, wow. 

"Grand Canyon Sunset" June 6, 2017, Grand Canyon South Rim
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 35mm, f/8, 1/70, ISO 400

Do you think this tree has any idea how good its view is?

"Wide angle wildlife photography: Elk edition" June 8, 2017. Kaibab National Forest, Arizona
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm (23mm!), f/4, 1/125, ISO 320  

I took this photo of an Elk with a 23mm lens (35mm equivalent. For reference, that's just slightly more zoomed-in than your iPhone camera) while crouching in the grass on the side of the road in Kaibab National Forest.  

It is without a doubt one of the dumber things I've done. 

"Wide angle wildlife photography: Cheetah edition." November 19,2017. Botriver, South Africa
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 800  

This photo was also taken with a 23mm lens. Which means this kitty was well within booping distance. 

"Artistic license." January 15, 2017. Montmartre, Paris.  
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 1000.

I just love the skepticism. 

"A better view." November 13, 2017. Kalk Bay, South Africa
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 55-200mm, f/8, 1/5000, ISO 5000

I took this photo from the passenger window of our production van in Cape Town, while going about 30 mph. (Which I think translates to around 190 kilometers per hour).

"Seaside Chapel." September 2, 2017. Ender's Island, Connecticut
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/22, 120 seconds, ISO 200

I took this long exposure of the seaside chapel at Ender's Island, a catholic retreat and sanctuary at the southern tip of Mason's Island, Connecticut. If I were Catholic or in the market for a retreat, I would totally book a stay at this place. It was stunning.

"Flock of tourists." January 14, 2017. Cathedral Notre Dame. Paris, France
Fujifilm X-Pro1, 14mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 640

The only thing more remarkable than capturing this photo was not being pooped on moments later as these pigeons took off flying over my head. 

"Choreography." January 14, 2017, Musee du Louvre. Paris, France.
Fujifilm X-Pro1, 55-200mm, f/13, 1/125, ISO 1250

This shot at the Louvre in Paris is solid addition to my tourists project

"Tribute in Light" September 11, 2017. Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm, f/11, 45 seconds, ISO 200

This is  pretty popular and well-tread location for taking photos of the Tribute in Light, so I can't say this shot is breaking massively new ground. Although I've never seen the water on the East River calm enough to reflect the lights quite as well as it did this year. 

"Tribute" September 11, 2017. Staten Island Ferry, New York
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/2, 1/50, ISO 3200

Because I've shot the Tribute in Light so many times now, I'm always trying to find original vantage points. I love this one, framed through the window of the Staten Island Ferry, en route from St. George Terminal.

(Because the window thing.)

"Eiffel Tower at Dusk." January 14, 2017. Paris, France. 
Fujifilm X-Pro2. 14mm, f/2.8. 1/5, ISO 400

This shot of the Eiffel Tower nearly got cut from the list because the photo is a little postcard-ish. But one little detail does makes it much different than what you typically see: there are no people. (The lawns on the Champ de Mars were fenced off for the winter).

"Sins vs salvation." January 15, 2017. Montmartre, Paris
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 5000

"Hey Mike. What do you think we oughta call this porno shop?"

"Meet you at the bottom" May 18, 2017. Harbes Farm, Mattituck, Long Island
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 4000

I usually keep my family photos and my year-in-review photos separate to spare you all from cute baby overload. But this shot of my wife greeting my daughter at the bottom of a slide is objectively one of my favorite shots of the year. 

"Cape Town Nights." November 11, 2017. Cape Town, South Africa. 
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/4, 1/70, ISO 6400

Sometimes you get really lucky, turn a corner and happen upon a pre-lit, period-piece film set. 

"Lion's Head Mountain Sunset." November 18, 2017. Mount Nelson Hotel. Cape Town, South Africa. 
Fujifilm X-Pro2, 23mm, f/2, 1/40, ISO 400

The driveway to the historic Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town is lined with palm trees. From the right vantage point (that is to say, smushed awkwardly up against a lamp post) they provide the perfect frame for Lion's Head Mountain.

"Christmas in New York." February 9, 2017. New York, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 6400

Every year when I go back through all of my photos there are a few gems that I totally overlooked at the time. This photo is interesting, because I have absolutely no memory of taking it. I’m not even sure if I took it in Manhattan or Brooklyn. 

Maybe it's because, as a picture, it’s not actually all that good. But as a representation of what it feels like and means to live in NY? It’s SO good. 

Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out 2016's Year in Review, 2105's Year in Review, or 2014's Year in Review. Or follow me on Flickr or Instagram. 

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

20 Best Photos of 2016

Time once again for the annual struggle to choose 20 photos that best represent my year in photography. As any creative-type might imagine, the process of choosing images for the Year in Review is both rewarding (in sifting through the thousands of photos taken this year, I found a few nice surprises that I'd overlooked at the time) and torturing ("was last year's Year in Review better? Am I actually getting worse at this? Were these really the best shots that I got?")

In choosing this year's favorites, I noticed the following:

1) I took tens of thousands of photos of my 1 year old daughter this year, and not much else. There were just a handful of days this year that I actually went out to take pictures. New Year's Resolution #1 for 2017 is to get out there and shoot more.  

2) I don't know if this represents an evolving personal style, but this year, a few things caught my eye much more-so than in years past: geometry, primary colors and umbrellas. Read into that what you may.

Without further ado: 
 

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"Tribute in Light" September 11, 2016. New York City
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/8, 10s, ISO 400

I've been photographing the September 11th Tribute in Light for about five years now, and each year I try to find a new vantage point. This year, I planned to start on the Manhattan Bridge and make my way into the city to wander the streets around Lower Manhattan. But the views were so stunning, I spent 3+ hours on the bridge and called it a night.

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"Tribute in Light over Chinatown" September 11, 2016. New York City
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/4, 2s, ISO 200

Another one from September 11th. This one was taken a few hours later from the Manhattan end of the bridge. The graffiti in the foreground is Chinatown, and the smell from the bridge was amazing. After taking this photo, I called it quits and went for dumplings.   

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"A ray of hope. Wall Street, 9:25 a.m." October, 2016. New York City
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/500, ISO 200

Presidential debate #2 between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was an especially dark, ugly and discouraging affair, sure to make anyone anxious-at-best about the future of our country. The next morning on the way to work, I climbed the stairs from the subway, stepped out onto Wall Street and saw this.  

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"The center of attention" May 2016. Downtown Los Angeles
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 1000

I'd love to say this moment just happened. But I camped out in this spot for about 15 minutes hoping a pedestrian would walk through the street instead of along the sidewalk.

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"The Refresher" September 2016. Los Angeles
Fujifilm XPro2, 35mm, f/8, 1/150, ISO 200

Los Angeles' original Farmer's Market is amazing for vintage signs and old school Americana. I was taking photos of this great old soda shop when this guy wandered into my shot. Sometimes the photography gods just hand you a scene from a Wes Anderson movie and you just have to be there to take the picture. 

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"Beautiful" November, 2016. Brick Lane, London U.K. 
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 2000

Full credit for this photo goes to the graffiti artist. 

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"Baltimore's Best Pawn" April, 2016. Westminster, MD
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/350, ISO 200

I mean, come on. You couldn't have asked for a better car to be parked there. Even the colors on the Louisiana license plate match.

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"Stripes and squares" May, 2016. Downtown Los Angeles
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 200

Downtown L.A. is weird. There are pedestrian overpasses connecting nearly every building so it's entirely possible to traverse the city without ever touching the sidewalk. It must make urban planners insane. On the bright side, the walkways offer some interesting perspectives, transforming the streetscape below into a living Mondrian painting. 

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"Calling for snow" January, 2016. Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Fujifilm XPro1, 35mm, f/1.4, 1/2000, ISO 640

In January, New York got the largest snowstorm on record with 27.5 inches falling in Central Park. Laziness prevailed and I only made it about four blocks from home before deciding it was too cold/windy/snowy and calling it quits. I'd make a terrible mailman.   

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"Off duty" January, 2016. Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Fujifilm XPro1, 35mm, f/1.4, 1/2000, ISO 400

This photo was taken about a half block down from the previous one. I told you I didn't make it far. 

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"Black and blue" May, 2016. Downtown Los Angeles
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 500

This was another intervention from the photography gods. I was working this scene, taking some really mediocre photos of the reflection of these umbrellas in the marble when this guy in his perfectly matching blue shirt walked out to take a phone call smack in the middle of my shot. 

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"Come together" March, 2016. New York City
Apple iPhone 6

One of my favorite photographers, Jay Maisel, says that all great photographs are about one of three things: Light, Color or Gesture. Light and color are easy to understand. Gesture is a bit harder to explain, but you know it when you see it. 

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"The interloper" September, 2016. The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Fujifilm XPro2, 14mm, f/8, 1/100, ISO 500

One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong...

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"Buff" May, 2016. Downtown Los Angeles
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/100, ISO 6400

We were staying at the Standard Hotel in Downtown L.A. for a quick work trip. I stepped out of the elevators and saw this. 

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"Somewhere West" May, 2016. Location unknown
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/6.4, 1/2200, ISO 200

I took this photo from the airplane window on the way to the LA trip mentioned above. Taken somewhere between Kansas and California. 

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"Santa Barbara Sunrise" September, 2016. Santa Barbara, CA
Fujifilm XPro2, 56mm, f/8, 1/850, ISO 200

While staying in Santa Barbara, I motivated myself to get out of bed stupid-early in the morning and go try to take some photos from the pier at sunrise. It was the right decision.

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"The night swimmer" August, 2016. Santa Monica, CA
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/2, 1/70, ISO 6400

I took 20 or 30 shots of this kid running in and out of the surf. Not many came out. Not because they were out-of-focus, but because he needed the lightness of the waves crashing in the background in order to make out the shape of his silhouette. 

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"Chase" May, 2016. Pier 5, Brooklyn, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/16, 1/900, ISO 800

The nice thing about taking the ferry to work is that, instead of crowding onto a train and being wedged into a stranger's armpit, your commute home looks more like this. 

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"Limitless" November, 2016. Brighton, U.K. 
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/250, ISO 200

At the end of Brighton Pier there's an amusement park. This shot was taken at the trampolines.

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"West Pier" Novmber, 2016. Brighton, U.K.
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/16, 28s, ISO 200

Closed in 1975, Brighton's West Pier sat vacant and partially collapsed for years, until a fire gutted the structure in 2003. To get the ghostly effect in the water, this photo is a 28 second long exposure. I got this shot just in the nick of time. A few minutes later, those storm clouds unleashed a massive downpour and I went for fish and chips. 

Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out 2105's Year in Review. Or 2014's Year in Review. Or follow me on Flickr or Instagram. 

World Trade Center Transportation Hub

Today I paid my first visit to the newly opened World Trade Center Transportation Hub in lower Manhattan. The building was designed by famed Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava. 

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20 Best Photos of 2015

In June, my wife and I had a daughter. Which means that 95% of the photos I took in 2015 were baby photos. Here are the best of the rest. 

Click on any photo to view it in lightbox mode

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"The snowstorm and the smokehouse" January 2015. New York City
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/20, ISO 6400

In January, winter storm Juno was forecast to bring a major blizzard to New York City. The storm missed New York (sorry Boston!), but gave us enough snow for some magical twilight photos on Stone Street in the Financial District. I love the way the warm glow from the lights plays against the blue evening sky in the distance.  

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"Sunset snapshot" April, 2015 Islamorada, Florida Keys
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/4.0, 4.3, ISO 200

One of the most annoying things that can happen as a photographer is to frame up a beautiful shot of the last fleeting moments of the sunset only to have a bunch of thirteen year olds walk into said sunset shot and start posing for several hundred iPhone photos. After briefly cursing them and wishing that they would fall off the end of the pier, I realized I could use them to make a more interesting photo. I used a slow shutter speed to capture the flash from their iPhone, which cast a spotlight onto the girls while leaving the boys in silhouette. 

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"Bahia Honda State Park" April, 2015 Florida Keys
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/11, 210s, ISO 200

Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys is at the foot of an old abandoned railroad bridge.  To get the smooth water effect and movement in the clouds, I used a three minute long exposure. Here's a shot from the other side of the bridge.

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"!" April, 2015, Islamorada Florida
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/8, 340s, ISO 200

Here's another long exposure shot from the Florida Keys. This photo was taken at the Amara Cay Resort in Islamorada. This exposure was nearly six minutes long. It's also cool in Black and White

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"Daybreak in Jamestown" November, 2015 Jamestown, Rhode Island
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 200

I guess I had a thing for water and pylons this year. This shot is taken at sunrise in Jamestown, Rhode Island. I love the ethereal mood created by the fog rolling across the harbor.

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"Washington, DC sunrise" November, 2015, Washington, DC
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/8, 1/25, ISO 200

This was taken just before sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. To get the reflection in the marble, I sat on the floor and set the camera on the ground.   

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"Here comes the sun" November, 2015, Washington, DC
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/22, 1/125, ISO 1600

It wasn't easy to get this shot from inside the Lincoln Memorial. There was a boot camp class with about three hundred people running laps up and down the stairs and weaving in and out of the pillars. Fortunately, I got enough of a break between runners to make it seem like a much quieter morning than it actually was. The lone runner created just enough mystery to the shot with the shadow on the wall. 

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"The Bird Feeder" December 25, 2015, Coney Island, NY
iPhone 6

Coney Island is magical in the fog. Especially on Christmas Morning. Something about this photo feels like it could have been taken 75 years ago.  

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"Head in the clouds" March 2015, New York, NY
iPhone 6

I took this photo of the clouds draped over downtown Brooklyn from my office window in Lower Manhattan. 

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"Across the bridge" August, 2015 New York, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/16, 1/80, ISO 6400

The new transportation hub at the World Trade Center is controversial because of its four billion dollar price tag. But it does make for some really great photo ops.  

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"Scenes from a Taxi" August 2015, New York, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/4, 1/9, ISO 6400

I took this photo of the World Trade Center from the back seat of a taxi somewhere in TriBeCa. The red glow is from another car's brake lights hitting the plexiglass divider in the cab.

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"31st Street Sunset" August 2015, New York, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/90, ISO 6400

I'd just gotten off a train from Washington, DC and turned the corner in front of Amtrak's Penn Station just in time to catch this incredible sunset. I love the way the neon lights along the side of Madison Square Garden blend with the purple glow in the sky and reflect on the buildings across the street.  

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"Never sleeps" November, 2015 New York, NY
Fujifilm XPro1, 35mm, f/8, 8, ISO 200

In November, we edited a film project at a studio called Work in TriBeCa. This is the view from their office. Not bad. 

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"Castle Hill Lighthouse" November 2015, Newport, Rhode Island
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/11, 1/125, ISO 500

Hard to go wrong with lighthouse shots. This one was from a trip to Newport, Rhode Island in November. I like the way the cracks in the rocky cliffs draw your eye down to the lighthouse. Classic leading lines stuff. 

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"Lincoln Memorial Reflections" November 2015, Washington, DC
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/3.2, 1/140, ISO 2500

The trouble with shooting famous landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial is that it's photographed thousands of times every single day. And often by photographers with much fancier equipment. To avoid taking the same postcard picture everyone else took, I came out at sunrise to try to find a unique perspective. I found it in a tiny puddle of water on top of a metal wayfinding sign. 

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"Not Forgotten" September 2015, Jersey City, NJ
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/2, 1/30, ISO 6400

The September 11th Tribute in Light as seen from the waterfront in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

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"Statue of Liberty at Sunset" December, 2015 Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm XPro1, 200mm, f/4.8, 1/25, ISO 800

This was shot from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade with my telephoto lens at 200mm, using the fence as a makeshift tripod. 

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"Synchronized selfies" December 2015, Brooklyn Bridge, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/2, 1/20, ISO 3200

Millenials. 

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"But I hadn't run out of things to say to you" July 2015, Brooklyn, NY
iPhone 6

I saw this scene while walking the dog. I have so many questions. 

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"Tough crowd" April, 2015, Central Park, NY
Fujifilm X100s, f/8, 1/240, ISO 400

New Yorkers are a hard bunch to impress. 

Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out last year's Year in Review. Or follow me on Flickr or Instagram. 

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!

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Louisa's Bat Mitzvah - Brooklyn, New York

On January 31, I had the pleasure of capturing the memories from Louisa's Bat Mitzvah at Woodland Restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Here are some of my favorite moments from the day. Mazel tov Louisa!

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