13 Favorite Photos of 2013

Hello! You may or may not remember me. It's been kind of a while. Like most bloggers, I've resolved to blog more in 2014, so here we are, twenty days into January, getting a late start on that, foretelling more blog failure in 2014. But that's ok. I'm going to call it "part of the artistic struggle of a part-time blogger" so as to justify it.

But really, in 2014, I'd like to contribute more to this blog, make it a little more curatorial than editorial, take more pictures, write more regularly about myself and my thoughts and feelings. I used to journal all the time when I was younger and now it's like a time capsule I can look at when I'm feeling nostalgic (which is often).

To kick things off in nostalgic style (and because you didn't read enough end-of-the-year wrap-up posts on Buzzfeed), I'd like to share some of my favorite photos I took in 2013, in no particular order! Enjoy!


13. Babe, Sanibel Island, FL, February 2013

Jerry's is a supermarket on Sanibel Island. They have parrots. If you know me, you know that I have an unhealthy bird obsession, and that I therefore LOVE Jerry's. I lived on Sanibel briefly when I was a kid, and Jerry's has remained one of my favorite places on the island ever since.

12. Fish, New York Aquarium, Coney Island, June 2013

I went to the New York Aquarium just a couple of weeks after it first opened post-Hurricane Sandy. While it's not quite back in full force, they've done an amazing job of reconstructing the aquarium. It's worth visiting for the walruses alone, and of course the obligatory trip to Nathan's Hot Dogs afterwards.

11. Brooklyn Bridge, New York, January 2013

The most photogenic bridge of all time. I think it's impossible to take a bad picture of it. It's like the bridge equivalent of the Eiffel Tower.

10. Triboro Bridge from Astoria Park, New York, July 2013

Speaking of photogenic bridges! I took this on a walk to Astoria Park on the evening of the Fourth of July. The colors of the lights and the sky were appropriately festive.

9. Friends at the Boat Basin Café, New York, July 2013

One of the best things I did in 2013 was to buy a film camera, a 1969 Yashica Electro 35G that I snagged off E-Bay for pretty cheap. This gem was in my first roll of film! Proof that all it takes is pair of shades, a tallboy of 'Gansett, and a roll of 35mm film to make you look like a timeless badass.

8. Sky in Warwick, New York, October 2013

Taken on a day trip out to Warwick for apple-picking. The clouds were just so neatly arranged! 

7. Japenese Hill-and-Pond Garden, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, New York, May 2013

On a long-awaited trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, I caught some sunbeams lounging around the Japanese pond. The gardens were beautiful in late May, full of blooming roses and people picnicking. 

6. Great White Egret, Sanibel Island, FL, February 2013

This guy was hanging out by the docks at my grandparents' condo. The bird fascination continues.

5. The Rocketeer Souvenir Shopping, New York Comic Con, October 2013 

I went to Comic Con for the first time this year and I had SO much fun. I'm still pretty shy as far as photographers go, so instead of asking people to pose for pictures, I ended up taking a lot of "person dressed up as crazy character in every day poses" sort of pictures, which are my favorite anyway. I just loved this shot of the Rocketeer casually perusing the merch booths.

4. Lies & Cigars, Astoria, New York, May 2013

This is a sign on the side of a bodega near the 30th Avenue NQ stop. It never fails to make me smile.

3. Liftoff, Sanibel Island, FL, February 2013

One of my favorite shots from my trip to Sanibel with my dad last February. This little gal was having so much fun running around the beach near sunset.

2. Five Boro Bike Tour, Lower Manhatten, May 2013

Shot with an iPhone 5—the view from the start of the Five Boro Bike Tour. That's what approximately 30,000 bikes and riders look like crammed onto Rector Street in Lower Manhattan.

1. Mud, Governor's Ball, Randall's Island, NY, June 2013

Also shot with an iPhone 5, assuredly the muddiest day of my life so far. Governor's Ball 2013 was pretty much re-dubbed the Mud Ball as the result of massive rainstorms right before the weekend of the festival. I only ruined one pair of shoes that weekend, and I got to see Yeezy in the flesh, so it wasn't all bad. But damn, that was a lot of mud.

You can see more of my 2013 photos on my Flickr page! Here's to even more in 2014!