My legs may not be fast enough to keep up with my friends on the Bike Works p/b Fred Beans pro bike team, but my camera’s shutter speed is.
Always fun to see one of my images in the local weekly newspaper. Especially when it’s a shot of my friends from the pro cycling team sponsored by the best local bike shop in the country.
I went to the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden when I was in high school. Had my camera bag with me. Saw a press pass on the ground. Picked it up. Tied it to my bag. And with all the confidence of a teenager, started following the other photographers heading toward the track. The security guard at the gate took one look at me, looked away, and let me in. He knew.
I was near the landing mat when Sergei Bubka set the pole vault world record. And in the press conference afterward when he saw me and threw me the tape off his wrist from that very vault. I was on the escalator standing next to Carl Lewis, at the time the most spectacular and perfect human specimen I’d ever seen. I met Edwin Moses, who, in my mind, is one of the greatest athletes to ever walk this planet. All because of the kindness of a stranger.
So when you watch these 40 seconds of Usain Bolt interacting with normal, everyday people — strangers — remember that all it takes is a moment of kindness to have a lifetime of impact.
Another year, another…well, another something. Right? Without further ado, highlights from these past 365 days navigating a global pandemic.
Let’s see, where to start. Well, there were a couple of bucket list-level things that happened in 2021. For starters, a portrait I created during an on-site assignment in Basel, Switzerland, flashed on one of the big electronic billboards in Times Freaking Square!
I interviewed Vint Cerf, the father of the Internet, and Christopher Aker, one of cloud computing’s pioneers, about the history of cloud computing and where it’s headed.
Work my team and I did created a new category in the technology industry, the holy grail for those who do what I do for a living.
I recorded 7 new episodes as the host of the Craft of Code podcast.
I did what I could to help good people get elected to our school board.
I had my third biggest year riding my bike in terms of mileage and number of days I got out, which also saw me cracking 100,000 feet of climbing for the second year in a row.
I had the pleasure of watching Olympians and world champions race bikes at The Velodrome. And witnessed the spectacle of friends racing custom-built high wheel bikes around the oval.
Had some stickers printed.
Introduced the neighbors kids to Spaceballs!, covid-style.
Speaking of, they also put in a new pool, but were less than thrilled with the new bathing suit I picked out to celebrate.
My youngest daughter turned 18 and my oldest turned 21. I continue to defy aging (okay, defy growing up).
I saw a few good movies:. Don’t Look Up, In the Heights, Westside Story, Tick! Tick…Boom!, Palmer, 14 Peaks, The River Runner, War Dogs, Bo Burnham: Inside, and Pele.
Despite the limitations of the pandemic, the boob tube created some really good shows this year: Ted Lasso, Schmigadoon!, The White Lotus, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Mare of Easttown, Ghosts, The Great, The Least Expected Day, The Lost Pirate Kingdom, Cobra Kai, Dickinson, The Handmaid’s Tale, Kevin Can F**K Himself, and Yellowjackets.
I finally got around to reading Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” and Peter Sagan’s “Sagan: My World.”
I listened to a hilarious podcast called “Smartless” with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. I highly recommend the George Clooney episode.
And I created a few photographs. These are some of my favorites from 2021.
My daughter was a Dr. Who fan. One day she said, “Dad, you need to watch this episode.” What unfolded on the screen — three and a half minutes of thespian magic — is, perhaps, the most emotion-inducing scene in television history. Even more emotional than the finale to MASH. It’s a gut-punching reminder that the lives we live matter, even if we think they don’t.
Saddle season on the East Coast. When the remnants of late season snowstorms melt into the warming ground of spring.
I took the Subaru Outback — my new post-pandemic, let’s-go-on-an-adventure vehicle — for a gallop around the back roads of Bucks County, Pa., at the end of the day. These are a few of the images I created with my iPhone 12 Pro while I was exploring.
I usually like to start the new year off with a post of my favorite images from the previous year. But 2020 was — let’s be honest — a shit show of epic proportions. So I forgot about my annual image post. Well, not so much forgot as just didn’t care. There are clearly more important things the world needs right now than a random post of random photographs.
But then Steve O’Grady posted his annual recap over on his blog. It’s a post I look forward to more than my own (mostly for the summer emergency room images). And I thought to myself, self, you really should crank out those images because they just might — like Steve’s — let people escape this modern day version of “The Stand” for a few minutes.
So, my friends, I give you my 2020 in photographs. I thought about putting them into some sort of chronological order, but 2020 chronology was just one long March…which, for what it’s worth, is when I noticed my shooting shifted hard to screencaps of my television, pint glasses to accompany UnTappd entries, and new edits of old photos.
Enjoy the deliberate chaos. We’re all used to it by now anyway.
Most photographers have someone they wish they could be. If you’re a photojournalist, you kneel at the altar of icons like James Nachtwey and Pete Souza. If you’re a portrait photographer, it’s the altar of Herb Ritts and Annie Leibovitz. Landscape? None other than the master of masters, Ansel Adams.
Which got me thinking about the photographers I know who inspire me. Artists who span a wide range of photographic disciplines and styles. Photographers whose work challenges me to be better. Their images are instantly recognizable. And for some, their work behind the lens is secondary to the work they do to make other humans’ lives better.
Who are they? Let’s take a look.
IVAN LESICA
Arguably one of the finest detail photographers around today. Ivan’s eye for abstraction and detail has made him a regular featured artist in National Geographic’s YourShot! feed. I don’t even have to look for his name to know that a shot is a Lesica.
Follow Ivan at @Ivan_Lesica.
DAVID SHOUKRY
The face behind English Photoworks. David’s portraits are instant classics. When I first stumbled onto his work, his soft lighting drew me in. It wasn’t until later that I realized his real genius was how his simple lighting and studio setup brought out the harmony between the sets he designs and the tones and textures he carefully constructs.
KEVIN KOLBER
I’ve had the honor of working with a few up and coming models. It’s an area of my work where I’ve seen the most growth over the past couple of years. The generous advice, inspiration, and encouragement from Kevin made that possible. And what better photographer to learn from than one of Florida’s most in-demand, talented lensman?
Follow Kevin at @kevinkolberphoto
PEDRO OLIVEIRA
Let me get this out of the way first: I love Pedro’s photography. What I love more, though, is the compassion he brings to the images he creates. Whether that’s highlighting the humanity of Portland’s homeless or the beauty of women over 50, Pedro uses his talent to make the world a better place.
Follow Pedro at @pedrontheworld
MICHAEL SASSER
I’m sure there are some who look at Michael as a world class boudoir photographer. Because he is. He’s also an incredibly generous human who shares a wealth of hard-earned tips to improve any photographer’s repertoire. My posing, interaction, and lighting skills have increased dramatically since following him.
Follow Michael at @sasserstillsboudoir
JORDAN ELIJAH VERDIN
Sometimes a photographer is more than a photographer. Jordan is a perfect example. His portraits of people in southern California in need of a second chance are dramatic and full of character. But it’s something Jordan created away from the camera that makes him special. He’s the founder of Humanity Showers, offering mobile showers, haircuts, hygiene, food, and clothes to improve the quality of life for those who need it.
Follow Jordan at @jordanverdin
KIM HARRISON
Based in the port town of Puerto Escondido on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, Kim’s images are the kind that, when you see them, you just assume they are from a travel magazine. It’s one thing to create an image that’s pleasing to the eye. It’s something other level to create an image that ignites your wanderlust and burns into your soul.
Follow Kim at @kimmy.kim.kimber
REYANNE CORL
I don’t remember how I stumbled upon Reyanne’s work, but I’m so glad I did. I love the natural tones she coaxes out of her images. Her work with Alaina Jane, though, is where I’m truly in awe. They have an incredibly strong connection that I continue to strive for in my own collaborations.
Follow Reyanne at @rcorlphotography
CHRIS “CHIP” COUGHLAN
If there are performance enhancing drugs in photography, Chip’s taking them. The quality and creativity in his work has gone from really good to world class this year. I’d argue he’s earned a spot in the top echelon of still and product photography.
Follow Chip at @chipbutnotdale
UNMESH DINDA
I don’t know if Unmesh has ever picked up a camera. But if you’re a photographer and even think about doing work with Photoshop, he’s your first stop for education. If someone told me Unmesh was the sole person who developed Photoshop, I wouldn’t argue with them. He knows it inside and out and teaches in style that is informative, well paced, and friendly.
Follow Unmesh at @PiXimperfect
PETER ADAMS
Peter and I go way back to the days when web sites were nothing more than a few lines of HTML and a pixelated bitmapped image on a low resolution monitor. Who knew we both had larger aspirations that would someday combine our technology professions with our photographic passions? Peter’s work on the vitally important Faces of Open Source project is a constant inspiration for me. And I, too, will someday grace the pages of National Geographic like he has 😉
Follow Peter at @peteradamsphoto
JUAN VIDAL
Architectural photography is an incredibly precise and difficult discipline. It requires incredible knowledge of lighting, post-processing, and geometry. Few combine that trio like Juan. His images grace the covers of high end real estate listings and have appeared in Architectural Digest.
Follow Juan at @juanvidalphotography
BOB LINNEMAN
Bob was in the pit at the Theatre of Living Arts when I shot my first concert. He’s a seasoned pro who has shot many a big act. His generous guidance during that first outing has stayed with me over the years.
Follow Bob at @brockswell
KEITH BALDERSTON
A lot of local folks know Keith from his stellar drone work. But it’s his work with the big 600mm glass where he really shines. Whether capturing bald eagles along the Delaware River or the International Space Station flying over our neighborhood, Keith makes visible things the normal eye doesn’t typically get a chance to see.
Follow Keith at @buckscountydrones
JUSTIN DEROSA
No list is complete without calling out the amazing landscape work Justin does. A steady feed of “I wish I shot that” images. He has a way of finding unique spots and angles to bring out the beauty of nature regardless of the season.
Follow Justin at @justinderosaphotography
The last couple of weeks have teetered between the last gasps of autumn and the onset of winter. The mid-Atlantic leaves have dropped from their branches. Reds, yellows, and oranges have drained from the leaves. Blue skies have desaturated into grays. And the ongoing pandemic has crushed the studio shoot dreams for many photographers.
Bring it on, Mother Nature. Throw your muted tones and short days at me.
Such was the case when Taylor and I found an opening in our schedules to collaborate again. We quickly bounced ideas off each other, found a couple of concepts we wanted to try, and set to it. I hopped in the car to scout locations; she hunted down the outfits.
I knew I likely wouldn’t get the exact light and punch I saw in my head when we were planning the shoot. I also knew my meager post-processing skills could deliver what was in my mind if I got the image right in camera. I played around with a couple of different lens lengths, eventually ending up down low and wide with one of my faves: the Canon 16-35mm f/4L. I dropped the image into Lightroom for some basic edits, moved it over to Luminar to play around a bit with their new artificial intelligence tools, and then put the final touches on in Photoshop.
It’s a bit of a different style for me, but one I suspect I’ll likely use a bit more as I refine my portrait and fashion work. Below are a few other images from this collaboration.
My mom and I were talking on the phone this afternoon. I was in the car driving to provide photojournalistic cover for one of the local activist organizations staging a sit-in to support a local business under fire from the Republican Party for the owner’s public support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
She told me to be safe, as a mother is required to do. And I do prepare my equipment and mind when I grab my camera to go into these increasingly volatile environments. I also reminded her that it was my duty to use my talent to contribute to others who need it. It’s all of our responsibility, frankly, to find within us that thing we do well and apply it to serve the greater communal and societal good. Not for compensation, but because it’s the right thing to do.
My parents raised me to think of others. They modeled the behavior for the man I’ve become. From something as simple as volunteering for school functions or coaching sports teams, to taking a scared kid in when he knocks on the door in the middle of the night holding his dad’s pistol that he took away to protect his mother.
Thinking of others isn’t something you think about. It’s just something you do.
Anywho, here are a couple of images from this afternoon.
Episode 2 of the future Emmy-nominated “Pint of View,” wherein Eric Norlin and I drink a(nother) beer, discuss the explosion of content, and offer up some recommendations on what to add to your Netflix and Substack queues.
Mike Maney 