On January 17, President’s Day, protests against the Trump administration took place in all 50 state capitols. In New York City, thousands marched to Washington Square Park to protest near the great arch memorializing our first President.
President’s Day Protest
Posted in 2025, Demonstration, holidays, Manhattan, New York, Protest March
Tagged Democracy, Manhattan, New York, New York City, President's Day, Pro-democracy, Protest, Protest March, Washington Square Park
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2024: The Year in Review
After a tumultuous year, a look back at the photographs that feel most meaningful. I chose images that express beauty, hope, or public events where people came together to celebrate.
In St-Rémy en Provence, the Transhumance celebrates the annual passage of sheep from the valleys to their summer grazing grounds high in the surrounding mountains. After the procession of the bewildered sheep running through the village streets, hungry French spectators descent on the open air market and the restaurants and bars to continue the celebration in the way the French know best. The Transhumance is considered part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of France and always takes place on Pentecost Monday, a national holiday in May.
In the spring, a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) chose to build their nest on the facade of the New York Athletic club, some of Manhattan’s most expensive real estate. Here the female is resting above the nest and the symbol of the NYAC, a winged foot.
Posted in 2024, Arles, Avingon, Birds, Camargue, Central Park, Chinatown, Chinese culture, Columbia University, Dinosaur, Flaco, Flamands Roses, Flamingos, Halloween, Hawks, Lunar New Year, Manhattan, marathon, New York, Paris, Sheep, St. Remy en Provence, Stegosaurus, Transhumance, Uncategorized
Tagged Birds, Central Park, Chinatown, Columbia University, Columbia University campus, Dinosaurs, Flamingos, France, Hawks, Lunar New Year, Manhattan, marathon, New York, New York City, New York Marathon, photography, Sheep, Stegosaurus, Transhumance, travel, Year of the Dragon
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2024 New York Marathon
The 53d annual New York Marathon was run today through the five boroughs of New York City on a sunny day with ideal temperatures for the 50,000 runners. For one day, the city comes together in celebration and joy to cheer on runners from every state and country, of all ages and abilities, who have the tenacity to run 26.2 miles/42 kilometers through our streets.
Greenwich Village Halloween Parade 2024
Ghosts, goblins, and politics are all part of the beloved annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. The creativity and beauty of the costumes never fails to amaze and the marching bands are terrific. This year’s theme was Meow (Cats), reflecting political commentary in this presidential election season.
A Parade of Sheep
This year the blog went to St. Remy en Provence, France on a very special occasion: every year on Pentecost Monday, the Fete de la Transhumance is celebrated on the streets of the town. On this day, by tradition, the sheep are herded from their winter pastures in the lowlands up to the mountains for the summer to the delight of the townspeople. The Transhumance is also celebrated in Switzerland when cows are taken up to the Alps for the summer. These festivals are considered part of the Patrimoine Culturel Immateriel en France, or Intangible Cultural Heritage. It’s also a market day in the town and the crowds of mostly local people spend the rest of their holiday in the restaurants, brasseries, and plazas enjoying the fine spring weather and good meals.
Women in traditional dress head the procession
Next come the donkeys. They are not for show; they graze with the flock and are fierce protectors against wolves in the mountains, much more effective than the small sheepdogs.
The stars of the day arrive led by their shepherds.
It’s a river of sheep. The announcer with the microphone warned the spectators to stay on the sidewalks, and this is why.
The sheep are freshly shorn before the summer. Their wool is soft and highly prized and their milk is made into cheeses whose denominations (certifications of origin) are as closely regulated as wine.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged anes de Provence, Bergers, Bouches du Rhone, Brebis, Cultural Heritage, Donkeys, europe, Fete de la Transhumance, France, Patrimoine Culturel Immatériel, Provence, Sheep, Shepherds, St. Remy, St. Remy en Provence, street photography, Transhumance, travel, Troupeau de brebis
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Protests Continue at Columbia University
Protests against the Israeli attack on Gaza have continued for months and the protesters built an encampment of the Columbia University campus. The encampment was forcibly removed by the New York City Police Department after the president of the university, Nemat (Minouche) Shafik, asked them to enter the campus which is private property. Over 100 student protesters were arrested. The resulting outrage among faculty and students has resonated nationwide. The encampment was set up again the next day.
April 21, 2024:
April 26, 2024:
Posted in 2024, Demonstration, Manhattan, New York, Uncategorized
Tagged Columbia University, Columbia University campus, Columbia University students, Demonstration, Demonstrations, Demonstrators, encampment, photojournalism, photojournalist, Students, women photojournalists, womenphotographers
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Remembering Flaco the Owl
The story sped around the world. A male Eurasian Eagle-owl named Flaco, bred in captivity and confined in a small cage in the Central Park Zoo for the first thirteen years of his life, was suddenly freed when a vandal sneaked into the zoo at night and cut the wire on his cage. At first the drama centered on whether he would be recaptured, but he eluded nets and traps set by zoo workers. Then the city held its breath for a week until Flaco hunted and killed his first rat, proving that he was capable of survival outside the zoo. Controversy raged in New York about whether the zoo was to blame for his escape and whether he should remain free. He was a weak flier at first and crashed into branches as members of the New York birding community followed him day and night. Soon he became a confident and strong flier and a competent hunter, and the city fell in love with him. His story was captivating: a caged bird somehow becoming free and learning to survive on his own. For one year, expert photographers like David Lei, Jacqueline Emery, Anke Frohlich, and others documented Flaco’s behavior and habits. But the city is a hostile environment for birds in general and raptors like owls in particular, and after spending an entire year as a free bird, Flaco abruptly crashed into a building and was found dead on the ground. The city mourned. A memorial at one of his favorite trees in Central Park on Sunday, March 4 attracted hundreds of mourners who left tributes around the tree and heard from speakers. Children’s drawings and letters, heartfelt letters from adults inspired by his story, flowers, stuffed owls, and votive candles surrounded the tree. The ceremony was live-streamed around the world and covered by local media, all for one beloved and unique owl.
Photographer Jacqueline Emery addressed the crowd
A mourner is nearly overcome with emotion
Photographer David Lei, well known bird photographer who documented Flaco’s year of freedom, read a moving tribute
David Lei’s photograph of Flaco on the grass was the centerpiece of the tribute
Posted in 2024, Birds, Central Park, Manhattan
Tagged Central Park, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Flaco, Flaco Memorial, Flaco the Owl, Lights Out, New York, New York City, Owl, Owls, wildlife
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Lunar New Year Parade 2024
The Year of the Dragon was celebrated in New York’s Chinatown with a series of events that concluded with the 26th annual parade on February 25. Well attended this year, the parade stepped off on a sunny day and featured many dragons and dignitaries and politicians.
The first and fiercest dragon on Mott and Bayard Streets
Fireworks are prohibited, but spectators replace the fireworks with confetti to greet the dragons
Lion dancers on Mott Street
A group of lion dancers on Confucius Square
Governor Kathy Hochul (second from left) appeared under heavy security
This year, Senator Chuck Schumer was greeted with chants of “Cease fire now” by a group of parade spectators
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched in the parade
Young lion dancers from the De Soto School in Chinatown
Children firing confetti poppers after the parade
Posted in 2024, Chinatown, Chinese culture, holidays, Lunar New Year, New York, Parade
Tagged Chinatown, Chinese culture, dragons, lion dancers, Lunar New Year, Lunar New Year parade, Manhattan, New York, New York City, photojournalism, street photography, womenphotographers, womenphotojournalists
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New York Faces, 2023
We’re glad it’s over, grasping at hope that 2024 will be better in New York and the world. Here are some faces of New York City in 2023.
October 12: 5 days after the Hamas attack on Israel, Jewish students held a silent vigil for the victims of the attack and the hostages on the Columbia University campus. The photograph shows a young man named Ilan Fiorentino who was killed in the attack.
Also on October 12, on the other side of Butler Library at Columbia University, pro-Palestinian students held a rally at the same time as the silent vigil opposite them. Many demonstrators covered their faces. There was no mention of Hamas.
October 31: the annual Greenwich Village Halloween parade
November 5: a jubilant runner spots his friends on entering Central Park near the finish line of the New York Marathon.
November 23: Spectators at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade react as a float passes on Central Park West
He’s not from New York, but this tuba player from Alabama became part of New York for a day when his university band was selected to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
December 23: In front of Trump Tower, man named Neil who has made his living for the past six years doing impersonations of Donald Trump had to take off his mask to do emergency repair of the nose.
Two days before Christmas, many parents took their children to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. Some were warmly dressed and their parents bought them treats…
… and other children accompanied their mothers who sell balloons and cotton candy on the street to the more fortunate children.
Holiday Lights 2023
The shortest day of the year has passed, winter has begun, and the holiday lights in Midtown Manhattan bring cheer through the cold evenings.
Bergdorf Goodman’s windows, always inventive and elaborate, with reflections of the buildings across Fifth Avenue. The theme this year was animals.
A light show featuring a giant kaleidoscope on the facade of Saks Fifth Avenue attracted enormous crowds. With music from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and lights simulating fireworks, the spectacle was only three minutes long but unforgettable.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, iconic and on every American and international tourist’s holiday wish list.
Most New Yorkers never bothered looking at this – until Radio City Music Hall was closed for the pandemic and there was no Christmas tree in 2020.
DeborahShapiroPhotos 