Cheers!
Year in Review
I decided to do my own Year in Review - one that I think is a little more personal than the one that the Facebook algorithm generated for me - by selecting 24 images (two for each month) that represent my 2014.
I started off the year with a teaching gig at Miami Ad School's Brooklyn outpost, which gave me a good excuse to roam around DUMBO with my then-new Fuji X100S. In February, I went on an absolutely fantastic trip to Morocco with my wife. This trip was one of the highlights of the year for me (another great opportunity to road-test my new camera), and I can't believe it's already been almost a year.
I spent Memorial Day with my family at my sister's place in Virgina. It was right around that time that I noticed a funny, squishy bump on my elbow that turned out to be bursitis. It eventually led to me needing surgery, and being stuck in a pretty gnarly brace for a total of five weeks this summer.
I made my annual pilgrimage to the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, which, to my chagrin, moved to Williamsburg this year. It was co-headlined by Jay Electronica and Raekwon, and featured a very special guest named Jay-Z.
In the fall, a group of us rented a place upstate via Airbnb, and went ziplining at Hunter Mountain to celebrate my good friend's 40th birthday. I was also lucky enough to take not one, but two trips to California -- one for the ADCOLOR conference, and one to reunite with my two closest friends from high school.
Overall it's been a good year, and it has ended with some promising developments (more on those later) which should start 2015 off on a strong note.
With that said, here are 24 images that recap my 2014.
Rainy Brooklyn
Ocean Ave. | December, 2014
Still amazed at how good the low-light performance of the iPhone 6 is.
Fulton Transit Hub
Photos from the new Fulton St. train station in Lower Manhattan.
Orbs
Wet roads at night and a really wide aperture make special things happen.
Fuji X100S, processed with Mextures on iPhone.
Inside-out Selfie
Apple Store
As of a few weeks ago there was still a line for iPhone 6/6+ at the Apple Store.
Wiz Khalifa performs at New York City's Webster Hall - October, 2014
Photo Notes: Wiz Khalifa and Nitti Scott at Webster Hall
I've always loved shooting concerts. It's really satisfying capturing the energy of the crowd and the showmanship and stage presence of great performers. One of these days, I'm going to make good on one of my long-time goals, and get press credentials, or find a way to shoot a concert in an official capacity.
Wiz Khalifa
Opening act Nitti Scott performs at Webster Hall
These were shot at this year's Advertising Week Wrap-up party at Webster Hall. I love the Advertising Week shows, because it's always a great opportunity to get access to incredible performances by some top-notch acts, including N.E.R.D, John Legend and The Roots, Big Boi, Wyclef Jean, and B.o.B. The performances are usually held in a relatively intimate setting, and it doesn't hurt that it's free for us industry types. I've made some of my favorite photographs at these events over the years.
Incidentally, for you photo nerds that like to pixel-peep, here's a 100% crop of one of the above images from the show, which are almost straight-out-of-camera (I think I tweaked the brightness/contrast ever so slightly in the Photos app on my iPhone). If you must nit-pick, yes, you can see a little softness, and yes, the pixels are a slightly chunky, but damn - I was standing at least 40-50 feet away from the stage!
1/200s, f2.8, ISO6400.
I still can't get over the incredible low-light performance of the Fuji X100S, especially as it doesn't seem that long ago that I was still shooting with my Canon Rebel XT, and never dared go above ISO 800. That's a difference of four full stops of light, which means I would never have been able to make this image on that camera without using a flash or some additional light source.
One other note: in previous years, I would have been fully locked and loaded with my Canon 7D and L-series 70-200mm f/4 lens at these Advertising Week concerts, and as I said, I've made some images that really made me happy as a result of using that setup. Lately, though, I've been scaling back and am happy to take a more minimal approach to shooting - particularly when I'm on vacation, or shooting for myself and not for a paid gig. Not that I wouldn't shoot paid work with the Fuji; it's just that if I'm not being paid, I'm realizing that there's really no good reason to put in the extra effort of carrying all that extra gear. Simpler, most of the time, is better.
Anyhow, I had a great time at the show, despite not being a huge Wiz Khalifa fan. It happened to be my birthday, and there was open bar, so I'd say that worked out quite well.
Wallpaper Wednesday: Midnight Taxi
On the way home late one night after working on presentation materials for a pitch. (I don't remember who we were pitching, or if we won.)
The city becomes serene and peaceful, and there's something about observing it through the scratched, streaked glass of a taxi windows that is romantic, mysterious, ethereal. Or maybe I've just watched too many movies.
Wallpaper Wednesday: Lower Manhattan
This week's wallpaper is late. Sorry about that. It is a cityscape of Lower Manhattan with some rather dramatic clouds. This is the South view from Deutsch's offices in Chelsea.
iPhone, iPad and desktop versions are available, and as always, don't be a jerk.
EDIT: I just realized I uploaded a low-resolution version of this wallpaper for the desktop size - that's been fixed.
Wallpaper Wednesday: Bamboo
I think this is bamboo. I'm not a botanist or arborist or herbologist, or any other -ist that would know what type of plant this is, though. All I know is, it was up on the Highline Park and it provided a really nice textural background for some portraits I was shooting that day. Grab it in iPhone, iPad and Desktop sizes via the links below.
Usage rights: no commercial use, please. Link back with credit if you do use/remix this. Don't be a jerk.
Wallpaper Wednesday: Orbs
Today's wallpaper is an abstract image I shot several years ago, taking advantage of my 50 f/1.4mm lens' pretty bokeh and shallow depth of field.
Sorry it's a little late - I think Squarespace was having some back-end issues.
Dowload desktop, iPad and iPhone versions via the links below, and as always, don't be a jerk. If you redistribute, I'd appreciate a link back here.
Skater
Pier 62 Skate Park Chelsea, NY | July, 2014
Here's another Brooklyn-ish wallpaper for your desktop pleasure. Grab it in iPhone, iPad and widescreen desktop sizes below.
As before, usage rights are don't be a jerk.
Wallpaper Wednesday: Brooklyn, USA
John McLaughlin
Portrait: John
Talented motion designer, photographer and hero of the Tumblrs, John McLaughlin.
Chelsea, NY | July, 2014
The arch at Grand Army Plaza
Gateway to Brooklyn
I'm currently using this as my desktop wallpaper, and I thought I'd share. It's a close crop of the inside of the arch at Grand Army Plaza, shot at dusk one evening earlier this year.
Download from the links below. Usage rights are as follows: don't be a jerk. Share, remix, attribute with a link back here. No commercial use please.
Modeled after a cross-section of the ocean's surface. This is one cool-looking table.
(Via Boing Boing)
Abyss Table
Subway
Union Square Station | June 2014 New York, NY
Financial District
DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY | June 15, 2015
Shot during the National Geographic Your Shot Meetup. I had a great time and learned a ton from an incredible group of instructors and editors.
Trump Tower
Time Warner Center | June 16, 2014
New York City, NY