A 2021 in Photos

My 2021 began with hope amidst isolation. I embarked on small trips as a form of rehab to heal the damage that Covid dealt to my body and mind the previous year. 

As months passed and vaccines rolled out, travelers became braver. Photoshoots picked up again. Friends returned to the picture. And a brief normal returned… for a moment. 

Given the current climate, I admit there is a difficult line between taking risks and creating memories “as usual.” 

If these photos convey any message at all, let it be one of resilience and patience in a time that relentlessly tested both.


Princeton, NJ, Jan. 1.

First dinner of the new year. After hearing that I had spent Dec 31 alone, my friends graciously invited me out for a pseudo drive-thru dinner. We ordered personal pan pizzas, sat in separate cars and chatted over speakerphone to the tune of 80’s rock and rain.


Philadelphia, PA, Jan. 23.

A zamboni cleans a skating rink that overlooks the Delaware River. Shortly after the pause, the rink ushers corralled festival attendees back onto the ice.

Bensalem, PA, Jan. 23.

A quiet beach draws the outline around the peninsular Neshaminy State Park. The wind chill made walking the shore a challenge but after a day of dodging unmasked faces in Philly, freezing air felt cleansing. Almost cathartic.

Clark, NJ, Feb.

Hiking on ice is typically a bad decision and this was one of a few for the year. 

Couldn’t argue with the view, though.


New York, Feb.

The MET Cloisters wind inside and out of itself like a Gothic Mobius strip. It was difficult to tell sometimes where a courtyard ended and an entirely new one began.

Mar.

A rare product shoot and the setup required to capture it. The controlled nature of the set and slower pace kept safety precautions high and stress levels low.

…lower than usual, at least.


West Orange, NJ, Mar.

An African penguin dives into its pool at the Turtle Back Zoo. Fun fact: their nickname is the “jackass penguin” and they make donkey-like sounds to communicate.

Apr.

I was in and out of clinics, undergoing blood tests that sometimes yielded more questions than answers. The waits before and during tests made me uneasy. Seeking distractions became a necessary coping mechanism. 

When I asked the docs how long my post viral symptoms would last, they told me we would have to monitor the situation. In retrospect, this was the medical equivalent of a shrug.


Tinton Falls, NJ, Apr.

I attended my first wood workshop on a sudden impulse to build something with potentially finger-mangling tools. However, the instructor at the Wood Joint guided us safely through each step of the meticulous process. 

The actual woodworking was fun. The clean-up not as much.

Closter, NJ, Apr.

One year after Covid, I was still experiencing a shortness of breath. Hiking helped rebuild a lung capacity I thought I had lost entirely. The Giant Stairs of Palisades was not an easy trek at all, but it was a rewarding one to conquer.

Each victory mattered.

Photo: Jess R.


Apr.

Photo bookings came to a screeching halt early 2020. When vaccines rolled out, the first portrait session I accepted was requested by a former roommate to commemorate his family’s last week in NJ. 


Sandyston, NJ, Apr.

The final night of a 3 day camping trip. The outdoor getaway was a much-needed detox from the cabin fever of quarantine.


May.

The engagement of two of my dearest friends.

I rarely shoot in this cutesy, voyeuristic style (which we’ve affectionately dubbed “The K-drama”) but I think the team and I did a fairly great job of creating poster-worthy romance.

Produced by: Team Lens Flare

Aug.

For this session, my co-shooter and I pretended we were shooting birds (which weren’t there) in order to hide the fact we were covering a surprise proposal (for which we didn’t have a signal).

It’s funny how some things work themselves out.


Bronx, Sep. 5.

The many lily pads of the Haupt Conservatory at the Bronx Botanical.

Queens, Oct.

One of many gift exchanges that occurred during a Chinese tea ceremony. Families are almost universally celebrated at weddings, but values of filial piety run deep in customs like these.


Watchung, NJ, Nov.

Jazz pianist Rio Clemente warms up for his musical set. After being closed for over a year, the Watchung Arts center re-opened its gallery for small concerts again under strict mask mandate.



New York, Nov.

C and K exchanging vows underneath the humongous baldacchino at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Unseen were the hundreds of tourists who cheered alongside the couple’s families.

Las Vegas, NV, Nov.

Crowds gathered around the Bellagio every time the fountain show commenced. Interestingly, I never heard the same song played twice.

Las Vegas, NV, Nov.

The registration hall to Amazon’s tech conference looked more like a nightclub than the DMV I was picturing in my head.

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Las Vegas, NV, Nov.

It’s difficult to believe that a place like Vegas exists, let alone Fremont Street. Walking under this animated ceiling felt as though I were browsing the glass corridors of a space colony floating in a distant corner of the universe.