I really hate this time of year. It’s impossible not to look back with disappointment and exhaustion at the year that’s almost over. And the crushing saturation of the “HOLIDAY SEASON!” is enough to make any sane person crazy.
I’ve never been one of those people who looks to the future shining so clearly right in front of me. What I see is fog. It’s as if I’m looking to where the cliff drops off. I can’t see anything ahead. And so I look back because that’s what you do at this time of year.

It’s been a dark, sad year.

I don’t want to be reminded of all the horror of this year, so I’m going to focus on what I see as the best of 2014 (in no particular order).

What an extraordinary thing to be able to see Sebastiao Salgado‘s GENESIS at the soon-to-close ICP. Deeply gorgeous and as overwhelming as the world itself.

Lorenzo Vitturi‘s Dalston Anatomy at Yossi Milo–the most exciting color and edit I have seen in years. Simply thrilling!

The always wonderful FlashForward festival in Boston, put together by the incredible Maryann Camilleri & her Magenta Foundation crew (submit NOW for 2015!)

Photoville, Photoville, Photoville, Photoville. The absolute BEST New York has to offer.! Thank you Laura Roumanos, Sam Barzilay, Dave Shelley, and everyone else who shows their work, shows up, volunteers, appears to speak on panels (a special thanks to Julie Grahame, Marvi Lacar, Catherine Chalmers and Andy Schreiber).

The people at Offset.com, especially Keren Sachs, April Jenkins, Candace Yu and Paul Staunton.

The Fred W. McDarrah Save the Village show at the old Steven Kasher gallery. The New York I know and miss.

Jerome Liebling Matter of Life and Death show also at Steven Kasher. A masterful show of a masters’ work.

Marc Yankus The Space Between show at ClampArt. My artists mother especially loved this. Also at ClampArt: Brian Finke‘s U.S. Marshals, where you can see Brian’s eye getting sharper and sharper. And Jen Davis Eleven Years, a beauty of a show.

Teaching at SVA: Katrin Eismann, Tom Ashe, my students, Marko Kovacevik, and Jack Reznicki. Thank you.

Martin Schoeller Portraits at Hasted Kraeutler. You just don’t see celebrity portraits like this anymore.

Mary Lum Sixteen Collages at Yancey Richardson. Love her mixed-media cubist work of photo and paint.

The 2014 Annual sent to me by the lovely Joseph O. Holmes. A fine editing job (something I really appreicate!)

Carpoolers by Alejandro Cartagena, both the fantastic book, and the fantastic show at United Photo Industries.

Also at UPI, Angela Jimenez work of inspiration and joy, Racing Age.

The thoughtful, somewhat scary Watching You, Watching Me exhibit at the Open Society gallery

Racing Extinction, the newest film from Louis Psihoyos and crew that I saw in its first iteration at Tribeca Film Festival. I have the deepest respect and admiration for the work that all of them do to change the world. Thank you.

The projections on the United Nations of Racing Extinction during Climate Week in NYC. That’s what I call PUBLIC ART!

Thanks to Tom Griscom and ASMP in Nashville, TN for inviting me to speak and showing me a great time! Yummy BBQ, too!

Thanks to Ian Curcio and ASMP in Greenville, SC for inviting me to speak and being such a marvelous host. I had such a great time and ate such great food. What a treat! I am still thinking about those biscuits…..

Ashley Craig of Maine Media Workshops

The fantastic photographer and storyteller Camille Seaman and her Melting Away body of work. I learned so much and felt so much.

My real friends. You should know who you are.

And just when I thought there was no magic in the world, Derek Jeter gets the game-winning hit in his last game at Yankee Stadium. Magic!

I want to remember James Foley, Camille Lapage, Michel du Cille, Anja Niedringhaus, Phil Stern, Louis Baltz, Arthur Leipzig, David Redfern, René Burri, David Stoecklein and Jane Bown.

The girls of Chibok.

Rumain Brisbon, Tamir Rice, Akai Gurley, Kajieme Powell, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, Michael Brown, John Crawford III, Tyree Woodson, Eric Garner, Victor White III, Yvette Smith, Darrien Hunt, McKenzie Cochran, and Jordan Baker,