A candid look at 2017: Unforgettable faces, people and moments

In 2017, I focused more of my photography on capturing moments. This means being at the right place at the right time, and with all of the right settings on the camera. It's not as easy as it sounds.

A lot of it is luck, but there are parts the photographer can control. Anticipating from which vantage point the action or emotion can be best viewed requires a little intuition and experience, but it gets better with practice.

Another part is identifying the character (or characters), especially at large events with hundreds, if not thousands, of people. This can help lead to unforgettable photographs.

I want to share with you some of my favorite moments captured in 2017 that show unforgettable faces and people or simply people in some unique situations.

Let me know what you think of this collection in the comments below.

No pants subway ride [January 8]

The "No Pants Subway Ride" started as prank and has since become an annual tradition in NYC. Here, a man dressed for winter in every way except for his exposed underwear enters the subway station at Union Square next to a bundled-up girl. See more photos from that event here.

President Trump's Inauguration [January 19]

Captured on January 19, 2017, a young boy and girl share a moment in front of the U.S. Capitol, the day before Donald Trump was sworn in as president.

President Trump supporter at the Capitol [January 19]

A Donald Trump supporter draped in a "Make America Great Again" flag takes a photo of the U.S. Capitol building the day before Trump was sworn in as president.

I also snapped some night shots in D.C. Check those out here.

Women's March on Washington [January 21]

Tina Thomas of Washington, D.C. joined hundreds of thousands of people who marched in the nation's capital the day after President Trump's inauguration. She said, "We're just not going to let people come in and destroy who we are and what makes us us. That's why we're here."

This was part of a photo story I produced for work called: Faces of America: Stories from the Women's March in Washington, D.C.

Women's March on Washington [January 21]

This is another image from the Women's March on Washington, showing people march down the street with signs in tow.

Winter storm blasts New York City [February 9]

This man's frustrated facial expression seems to capture how most New Yorkers were feeling as a snowstorm blasted New York City on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017.

Coping with the snow and wind [February 9]

One more image from that same February snowstorm shows a woman using an umbrella to try to block the snow and strong winds that made it difficult to walk around the city. See more photos from that storm here.

A Manhattan moment [February 18]

At a street corner in SoHo on a warmer-than-normal winter day in February, a woman reacts to something happening at the intersection, all while a man appears to be looking for someone or something.

Standing guard in Times Square [March 25]

A heavily-armed NYPD officer stands guard at the illuminated flag in Times Square. This area is also known as the "Crossroads of the World."

Central Park meet-up [April 2]

Two women talk while standing near the perimeter fence of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park.

Spring in Central Park [April 2]

A man on a boat pauses mid-row so his boat passenger can snap his photo. Meanwhile, Central Park visitors standing on a bridge gaze down at the boats on a warm spring day.

Scoping out the city [April 16]

A young boy pokes his head around a viewing station at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City to get a clear look at the Queensboro Bridge and Manhattan skyline.

Taking it all in [May 6]

A young woman appears to be in a state of thought while sitting on the stoop of a building on Prince Street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.

Music in the park [May 6]

With or without an audience, a saxophone player fills Washington Square Park with tunes at a time when the park would otherwise be quiet, nine minutes before midnight on May 6, 2017.

Staten Island's ballpark with a view [May 21]

Fans attending an event at Staten Island's ballpark are treated to a fairly spectacular view of Lower Manhattan.

Times Square memorial [May 21]

Crowds of people pause to look at a concrete barrier-turned-memorial in the heart of Times Square on May 21, 2017. Three days earlier, a man police said was high on drugs drove up the sidewalk, mowing down people in a deadly attack.

The skyline firebreather [June 11]

A professional firebreather performs for a group of photographers at a meetup event at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. The park's location offers a perfect NYC backdrop.

The perfect view for fireworks [July 4]

New York City spectators watch the 2017 Macy's Fourth of July fireworks from balconies in Long Island City in Queens, perhaps one of the best viewing locations in the city.

NYC flight [August 10]

While most of my favorite moments have been other people's snapshots in life, this one is my own. These are my feet dangling from my first open-air helicopter ride over Manhattan, and the experience was incredible. Check out more pics from that adventure here.

Solar eclipse from the Empire State Building [August 21]

The observation deck at the Empire State Building attracted plenty of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse.

Night walk [September 9]

A woman with a cane makes her way up a street named R. da Oliveira ao Carmo in the Sacramento section of Lisbon, Portugal.

An intimate sunset [September 12]

A young couple stares into each other's eyes as the sun sets along the southern coast of Portugal in the city of Faro.

A very windy sunset [September 14]

Strong winds are apparently non-stop at Cabo de Sao Vicente in southern Portugal, the southwesternmost point in the country.

Marathon excitement [November 5]

A runner in the NYC Marathon lets out a roar as he hits the 15-mile mark in Long Island City, just before heading over the grueling Queensboro Bridge. See more photos of the marathon here.

A sea of runners [November 5]

A non-stop flow of runners make their way north along Crescent Street toward the Queensboro Bridge in Long Island City

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The Final finishers [November 5]

Standing at the finish line of the NYC Marathon hours after more seasoned runnings finish is a batch of the final finishers. These are the people who despite difficulties during the race or even in life, they were determined to complete the race, no matter what. I did a full story with these winners for work (check it out here), which included photos of their finish and audio interviews with them. More photos that didn't make the story are posted here.

Stop motion in Times Square [November 26]

In one of the busiest places in the world, a young man pauses to look down the street in New York City's Times Square, all while the hustle and bustle of NYC continues around him.

Christmas in New York City [December 24]

There's nothing like Christmas in NYC. In this shot, a man wearing a Santa hat sings along with Christmas carolers at Washington Square Park in Manhattan on Christmas Eve.

Those are my favorite shots from 2017 showcasing people and moments. Let me know what you think in the comment box below. Thanks for checking out my blog.