2019: Year in Photos, PhotoShelter Edition (Part II)

To close out 2019, we’re looking back at the work of some incredible photographers and PhotoShelter members. Which projects they were most proud of, personal and professional success and what they’re looking forward to in 2020 — we’ve got it all.

Before jumping into Part II of our Year in Photos, make sure you check out Part I.

Cover image by Jay Goodrich.

Adam Glanzman

This image was taken this summer after a Red Sox victory over the Yankees at Fenway Park. I have photographed many Gatorade showers following walk-off wins, but have never been able to piece together the timing, composition and reaction. Usually one of the elements is missing or slightly off, and the photo suffers. However, that night with a little luck and preparation, I set myself up to put all the pieces together for this photo and come away with something I was happy with.

Plans for 2020: Looking ahead to 2020 I am excited to work on a few personal projects. I have always been interested in sports, reportage and portrait photography, so I am planning a few shoots where I can combine some of those interests.

Shannon Wild

A bucket list item since I was a kid was seeing gorillas in the wild and this year I had the privilege to trek through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda and have that dream come true. It was no small feat for me because I did it with a broken back (an injury sustained while filming my Panther doco in India), but when the opportunity arose I couldn’t pass it up given how endangered these beautiful creatures are and not knowing when I may get another chance. It was absolutely worth it!

Plans for 2020: I’m so excited for 2020, it’s going to be another year of 1sts for me as I start a speaking tour in the US for National Geographic about the making of the Black Panther documentary, including that heartbreaking back injury mentioned above. I also have other speaking events and workshops spread throughout the year including the PhotoPills Camp in Spain (May), the keynote speaker of the Sedona Photofest in Arizona (June) and the Galapagos Islands (dates TBD). You can find more details on my EVENTS page.

Joey Podlubny

The Red Dress photograph was taken along Hwy 881 in Northern Alberta. It is there to raise awareness about Betty Ann Deltess, a murdered and missing women from Fort McMurray, missing since 2017. I have spent days and weeks and years looking for lost relatives. It is a continuous battle full of heartache.

Plans for 2020: Publishing another book, launching in January. Working with more collaborators, and participating in Reconciliation workshops and helping fulfill the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. 2020 is the year of perfect vision.

Cao Sanchez

Johan Castillo’s mother kisses him on the forehead before he departs for his debut as a pro boxer. This moment full of love and pride was one of my bests of the year. Seeing struggling Venezuelans accomplish their goals and dreams, and being a part of it, is a major win for me.

Plans for 2020: I’m planning on finishing a boxing project that depends on the results of a coach and his athletes. I will also keep documenting the struggles of my country, Venezuela. And of course, I’m open to new projects and commissions.

Jay Goodrich

This was a personal experience for me. It was taken on Father’s Day. We had a major rain event and cold front occur the night before. My wife suggested that I get up and take sunrise photos since it was my day. So I did. It was 15F degrees as I approached the flowers that morning. I had seen this happen once before a decade prior, but now I got to shoot a rarity. I came home to fried chicken and waffles… one of my favorite breakfast meals. It just doesn’t get any better.

Plans for 2020: I have 3 trips currently planned for 2020… it all begins right after the New Year in January–I lead a group of photographers on a 3-day photo adventure in Yellowstone National Park. Then in summer, I am headed to Iceland where I am taking a group to photograph abstract landscapes, with a secondary adventure of mountain biking while there. Then in August, I head to Alaska. That’s just what I know right now. Proposals in the works for much more!

Suzi Eszterhas

Very young leopard cubs have blue eyes due to the fact that melanin levels in the eyes are low at birth. As the cubs grow, genetics and exposure to ultraviolet light causes more melanin to be deposited in the eyes. By the age of two months, the blue starts to significantly fade into a golden-green. Leopard mothers of very young cubs are notoriously secretive, and I feel very privileged to have been able to photograph a leopard den.

Plans for 2020: In March I’m returning to India to lead my tiger photo tour. This is the first time I have been back since my tiger den project several years ago. I am looking forward to again being in the presence of these gorgeous, mysterious cats. I’ll then be off to Tonga, Africa, Thailand and more!

Debbie DiCarlo

After photographing a sunset at one of the many scenic overlooks of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, I was making my way back home when the sky got extremely interesting. The clouds were lined up in a pattern that I would describe as stripes. And the colors were amazing. So I quickly drove to an overlook and started shooting.

Plans for 2020: As a photo tour/workshop leader I am very excited about the lineup planned for 2020. We are bringing back a few fan favorites and announcing some new ones. Also in the works are several partnerships for intensive one-day immersions into natural history and macro photography which will be amazing.

Have favorite photos from 2019? Any big projects you’re excited about in 2020? Share them in the comments below!