10 Decisions You Would Regret For The Rest Of Your Life

By
Adam East
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LinkedIn Influencer Jeff Haden published this post originally on LinkedIn.

Perspective is a funny thing. Look forward and the path seems uncertain, the future unpredictable. Look back and all the dots seem to connect… except the dots that mark the choices you didn’t make and the risks you didn’t take.

Here are 10 choices you will someday regret having made:

1. Choosing the pain of regret over the pain of discipline.

The worst words you can say are, “If I had only…”

Think of all the things you’ve wanted to do but never have. What did you do instead? If you’re like me, you can’t recall. All you know is that time is gone and whatever you did instead wasn’t even worth remembering.

Think about one thing you dreamed of doing five or 10 years ago but didn’t work to do… and think about how good you’d be today at that one thing if you had. Think about all the time you wasted and can never get back.

Then, starting today, push yourself to do what you hope to do… so five or 10 years from now you won’t look back with regret. Sure it will be hard. Sure it will be painful.

But it will be a lot less painful than how it will someday feel when you look back on what could have been… but isn’t.

2. Choosing not to be brave.

Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid — in fact, the opposite is true. Courage without thought or meaning is simply recklessness. Brave people aren’t fearless; they’ve simply found something that matters more to them than fear.

Say you’re scared to start a business. Find a reason that means more: creating a better future for your family, wanting to make a real difference, or hoping for a more rewarding and fulfilling life.

Once you find a greater meaning, you also find courage. See fear not as something to shrink from but as something to overcome — because that’s all it is.

3. Choosing not to say, “I will.”

A boss once gave me what I thought was an impossible task. I said, “OK. I’ll try.”

He told me trying didn’t matter — as long as I didn’t quit, I’d finish it. Trying didn’t enter into it. Persistence was all that mattered.

Often we say, “I’ll try,” because that gives us an out. Our egos aren’t on the line. Our identities aren’t on the line. After all, we’re just “trying.”

Once you say, “I will,” your perspective changes. What previously seemed insurmountable is no longer a matter of luck or chance but of time and effort and persistence.

When what you want to do really matters, don’t say, “I’ll try.” Say, “I will,” and then do everything possible to keep that promise to yourself.

4. Choosing not to take plenty of shots.

You may never create the perfect business plan, may never find the perfect partners or the perfect market or the perfect location, but you can find the perfect time to start — because that time is now.

Talent, experience, and connections are important, but put your all into enough new things, and some will work.

Plus, after you take enough shots, over time you’ll grow more skilled, more experienced, and more connected. And that will mean an even greater percentage of your efforts will succeed. Take enough shots, and learn from each experience, and in time you’ll have all the skills, knowledge, and connections you need.

Ultimately, success is a numbers game; it’s all about taking a shot, over and over and over again. The more shots you take, the more times you will succeed. So get the power of numbers on your side and take as many shots as you can.

There is no guarantee of success, but when you don’t take any shots at all, you’re guaranteed to always fail.

UHaul Moving TruckAPIf you’re scared to move, go ahead and take the plunge.

5. Choosing not to move.

Familiarity creates comfort. But comfort is often the enemy of improvement.

If you have a great opportunity and the only thing holding you back is the thought of moving, move. If you want to be closer to family or friends and the only thing holding you back is the thought of moving, move. If you want to be closer to people who think and feel and act like you, move. (When I asked singer/songwriter Lee Brice for the one piece of advice he would give any aspiring country artist, he said, “Move to Nashville.”)

When the fear of moving is the only thing holding you back, move.

Don’t worry. You’ll soon find cool new places to hang out. You’ll soon develop new routines. You’ll soon make new friends. And you’ll gain a great new perspective on your life.

Besides, Thomas Wolfe was wrong. If it doesn’t work out, you can go home again.

6. Choosing not to let go.

Bitterness, resentment, and jealousy are like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. You are the only one who loses.

Life is too short to resent all the people who may have hurt you. Let hard feelings go.

Then spend the energy you save cherishing the people you love and who love you.

7. Choosing not to say you’re sorry.

We all make mistakes, so we all have things we need to apologize for: words, actions, omissions, failing to step up, step in, to be there when we’re needed…

Swallow your fear — or pride — and say you’re sorry. Then you’ll help the other person let go of their resentment or bitterness.

And then you both get to make the freshest of fresh starts, sooner instead of later — or instead of never.

jelena battle plans@JelenaRisticNDFThrow out your backup plan.

8. Choosing not to throw out your backup plans.

Backup plans can help you sleep easier at night. But backup plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.

You will work a lot harder and a longer if your primary plan has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment — without a safety net — will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.

Then, if somehow the worst does happen (although the “worst” is never as bad as you think), trust that you will find a way to rebound.

As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.

9. Choosing to be too proud.

Don’t be too proud to admit you made a mistake. Don’t be too proud to have big dreams, or to poke fun at yourself, or to ask other people for help.

Don’t be afraid to take a chance and fall on your face… and then to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go again.

Instead, take pride in the fact that no matter what might happen, you will always get up and go again.

That way, you never truly lose — and your dreams can never, ever die.

10. Choosing not to care.

Rejection hurts. Sadness hurts. Failure hurts; sometimes a lot. So what do you do?

You avoid getting hurt by deciding you no longer care. But then you never get to experience the joy of connection, the joy of happiness, and the joy of success.

Choose to still be in the game. Choose to care.

Choose to live.

Now it’s your turn. What things do you regret… or hope to someday never have to regret?

AFP Pictures Of The Year from 2014 – The photographs that have marked the year

By
Adam East
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The Agence France Presse (AFP) has just released its AFP Pictures Of The Year from 2014, which like every year helps to paint a portrait of the past year, with incredible, strong and fascinating pictures from all around the world, captured on the spot during the events that had marked the spirits.

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Protesters pose with a police shield outside the parliament in Ouagadougou on October 30, 2014 as cars and documents burn outside. Hundreds of angry demonstrators in Burkina Faso stormed parliament on October 30 before setting it on fire in protest at plans to change the constitution to allow President Blaise Compaore to extend his 27-year rule. Police had fired tear gas on protesters to try to prevent them from moving in on the National Assembly building ahead of a vote on the controversial legislation. But about 1,500 people managed to break through the security cordon and were ransacking parliament. AFP PHOTO / ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images
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This picture taken on July 25, 2014 shows people cooling off in a water park in Suining, southwest China’s Sichuan province. Meteorological departments issued an orange alert for high temperature as a heat wave embraces Sichuan province, with temperature of most area topped 37, local media reported. CHINA OUT / AFP PHOTOSTR/AFP/Getty Images
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Children play around a man disguised as Batman at the Favela do Metro slum, area just near the Maracana stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 9, 2014. Families living in this shantytown within a stone’s throw of Rio’s mythical Maracana stadium refuse to have their homes demolished as part of a project to renovate the district before the FIFA World Cup circus pitches camp in June. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images
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A Palestinian woman pauses amid destroyed buildings in the northern district of Beit Hanun in the Gaza Strip during an humanitarian truce on July 26, 2014. The bodies of at least another 35 Palestinians were recovered from rubble across Gaza during a truce, raising to over 900 the overall death toll of Israel’s onslaught on the territory since July 8, medics said. AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images
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Workers wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) stand inside the contaminated area at the Elwa hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), on September 7, 2014 in Monrovia. AFP PHOTO / DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images
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Lightning flashes over the Christ the Redeemer statue on top of Corcovado Hill in Rio de Janeiro on January 14, 2014. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images
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A giant cloud of hot volcanic ash clouds engulfs villages in Karo district during the eruption of Mount Sinabung volcano located in Indonesia’s Sumatra island on February 1, 2014. Fourteen people, including four schoolchildren, were killed February 1 after they were engulfed by scorching ash clouds spat out by Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung in its biggest eruption in recent days, officials said. AFP PHOTO / SUTANTA ADITYA/AFP/Getty Images
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World Champion Christian Sprenger of Australia swims during a swimming clinic session for children with special needs on the rooftop pool of the Marina Bay Sands resort hotel in Singapore on May 20, 2014. Sprenger is in Singapore to promote the Singapore Swim Stars held in September, a three-day swim festival that includes an unprecedented competition format involving some of the world’s best swimmers which will showcase a synchronized swimming as well as swimming clinics. AFP PHOTO/ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty Images
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Heavy smoke billows following an Israeli military strike in Gaza City on July 29, 2014. The Israeli offensive, which began on July 8 to end Hamas rocket attacks on the Jewish state, has killed more than 1,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians according to the United Nations, while 56 lives have been lost on the Israeli side, all but three of them soldiers. AFP PHOTO / ASHRAF amra/AFP/Getty Images
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This photo taken on September 3, 2014 shows Leng Yuting, 26, posing underwater for her wedding pictures at a photo studio in Shanghai, ahead of her wedding next year. Her fiance Riyang said they had their wedding photographs taken underwater because ‘its romantic and beautiful’. Mr Wedding studio owner, Tina Lui, started providing underwater pictures four years ago. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images
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A boy stands on an airplane in the Christian Mpoko refugee camp on February 20, 2014 during sunset, in Bangui, Central African Republic. AFP PHOTO / FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images
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The car of Caterham-Renault driver Kamui Kobayashi of Japan veers off the track during an accident at the start of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Saeed KHAN /AFP/Getty Images
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A Kurdish man sits at the border area close to the southeastern village of Mursitpinar, in the Sanliurfa province, opposite the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, where heavy fighting between Islamic State militants and Kurdish fighters is taking place, on October 16, 2014. Turkey’s ruling party said it was optimistic about the prospects for the peace process with Kurdish rebels after a spate of violence raised concern about its viability. AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images
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A man carries a young girl who was injured in a reported barrel-bomb attack by government forces on June 3, 2014 in Kallaseh district in the northern city of Aleppo. Some 2,000 civilians, including more than 500 children, have been killed in regime air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo since January, many of them in barrel bomb attacks. AFP PHOTO / BARAA AL-HALABI/AFP/Getty Images
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German pianist Stefan Aaron hovers about the Munich airport Franz-Josef-Strauss, southern Germany, on July 23, 2014. Stefan Aaron is seated in front of his piano on an aluminum structure that is reminiscent of a flying carpet and attached to a helicopter. AFP PHOTO/CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images
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A picture taken on July 17, 2014 shows wreckages of the malaysian airliner carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur after it crashed, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine. Pro-Russian rebels fighting central Kiev authorities claimed on Thursday that the Malaysian airline that crashed in Ukraine had been shot down by a Ukrainian jet. AFP PHOTO/DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images
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People look on as a woman reacts after her husband is suspected of dying from the Ebola virus, in the Liberian capital Monrovia, on October 4, 2014. AFP PHOTO / PASCAL GUYOT/AFP/Getty Images
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South Sudanese children from the Dinka ethnic group pose at cattle camp in the town of Yirol, in central South Sudan on February 12, 2014. UN leader Ban Ki-moon condemned on February 12 what he said was the use of cluster bombs in the war in South Sudan, a day after the opening of peace talks between South Sudan’s government and rebels. Troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and renegade soldiers who support his former vice president Riek Machar have been battling since mid-December. AFP PHOTO / FABIO BUCCIARELLI/AFP/Getty Images
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Protestors and student demonstrators hold up their cellphones in a display of solidarity during a protest outside the headquarters of Legislative Council in Hong Kong on September 29, 2014. Hong Kong has been plunged into the worst political crisis since its 1997 handover as pro-democracy activists take over the streets following China’s refusal to grant citizens full universal suffrage. AFP PHOTO / XAUME OLLEROS/AFP/Getty Images
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An Iranian Kurdish female member of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) keeps a position in Dibis, some 50 kms northwest of Kirkuk, on September 15, 2014. The world’s top diplomats pledged today to support Iraq in its fight against Islamic State militants by “any means necessary”, including “appropriate military assistance”, as leaders stressed the urgency of the crisis. AFP PHOTO/SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images
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An Orthodox priest tries to stop clash protesters the police in the center of Kiev on January 22, 2014. Ukrainian police on Wednesday stormed protesters’ barricades in Kiev as violent clashes erupted and activists said that one person had been shot dead by the security forces. Total of two activists shot dead during clashing. The move by police increased tensions to a new peak after two months of protests over President Viktor Yanukovych’s failure to sign a deal for closer ties with the EU. AFP PHOTO/ SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images
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Brazil’s defender David Luiz celebrates scoring during the quarter-final football match between Brazil and Colombia at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on July 4, 2014. AFP PHOTO / VANDERLEI ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images
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A competitor competes in the Mud Madness race, at Foymore Lodge in Portadown, County Armagh on September 14, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITH/AFP/Getty Images
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Demonstrators protest against the August 9 police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by holding their hands up while gathered on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri late on August 16, 2014. A crowd of some 200 demonstrators defied a curfew that came into effect in Ferguson early on August 17, days after police shot dead the unarmed black teen, triggering a wave of rioting. AFP PHOTO / Joshua LOTT/AFP/Getty Images
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A man looks out towards the US from the Mexican side of the border fence that divides the two countries in San Diego on August 20, 2014. At least 57,000 unaccompanied children, most from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, have crossed the border into the United States illegally since October, triggering a migration crisis that has sent US border and immigration authorities into a frenzy. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images
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Policemen rest following pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong on September 29, 2014. Police fired tear gas as tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators brought parts of central Hong Kong to a standstill in a dramatic escalation of protests that have gripped the semi-autonomous Chinese city for days. AFP PHOTO / XAUME OLLEROS/AFP/Getty Images
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People play football at sunset at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 9, 2014. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images
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A Syrian man carries two girls covered with dust following a reported air strike by government forces on July 9, 2014 in the northern city of Aleppo. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, by May some 2,000 civilians including 500 children had been killed in the daily air strikes, which rights groups have condemned as a “war crime” for failing to discriminate between military and civilian targets. AFP PHOTO /AMC/ZEIN AL-RIFAI/AFP/Getty Images
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A protestor throws a molotov cocktail at riot police in the centre of Kiev on January 22, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP/Getty Images
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Protesters advance to new positions in Kiev on February 20, 2014. AFP PHOTO / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images
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A girls suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus has her temperature checked at the government hospital in Kenema, Sierra Leone, on August 16, 2014. Kenema hospital estimates that 15 of their staff have died treating ebola patients, at least 12 of them were nurses. AFP PHOTO/CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images
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An aerial picture taken on September 14, 2014 shows a plane flying over the Bardarbunga volcano spewing lava and smoke in southeast Iceland. The Bardarbunga volcano system has been rocked by hundreds of tremors daily since mid-August, prompting fears the volcano could explode. Bardarbunga, at 2,000 metres (6,500 feet), is Iceland’s second-highest peak and is located under Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajoekull. AFP PHOTO / BERNARD MERIC/AFP/Getty Images
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A Syrian Kurdish woman walks in a refugee camp in the town of Suruc, Sanliurfa province, on October 17, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

Images © AFP / via Denver Post

Angels in hell – A photographer captures child labor in Bangladesh

By
Adam East
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The Angels in Hell series of photographer GMB Akash, who captured striking and powerful images denouncing child labor in Bangladesh. Some shocking photographs that leave you speachless, revealing the harsh working conditions of children, sent in factories for a pittance as early as the age of five…

According to UNICEF, more than 7.4 million children are engaged in economic activity in Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi photographer GMB Akash, who has already won over 68 international awards for his work, was just awarded for this series with the grand prize of the Neutral Density Photography Awards 2014.

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Images © GMB Akash / ND AWARDS 2014

Get Inspired To Go On Your Very Own Adventure With These Amazing Action Shots

By
Adam East
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If you’re feeling adventurous, you might consider an extreme sport like base jumping. If you’re feeling less-than-adventurous but might like some inspiration to feel adventurous, check out the photography of Alex Buisse.

He captures daredevil types on their adventures through mountains, snow and sky, partaking in the journeys right alongside his subjects while being ever-prepared to take a great shot. If that’s not impressive, we’re not sure what is.

Besides capturing it on film, Buisse is also an active participant in these extreme adventures, and travels the world hiking, climbing and going on all manner of adventures. When he’s not traveling, he’s based in Chamonix, in the French Alps. You can check out more of his work on his website as well as on his blog, where he also details his adventures.

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Alex Buisse Amazing Action Shots

31 Of The Most Amazing Photos Of The Week

By
Adam East
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The art of photography is an amazing tool used by journalists all over the world.

Some images they create can make you laugh, cry, or enter a state of awe. Others are just aesthetically beautiful and pleasing to the eye. These are some of the most amazing images from this week created by hardworking photographers all over the globe.

An image of 18-year-old Michael Brown is seen on the tie of his father, Michael Brown Sr., as he attends Sunday service under a makeshift tent next to the destroyed Flood Christian Church in Ferguson, Missouri, Nov. 30. Adrees Latif / Reuters

A protester shouts at police as he blocks traffic before being arrested outside the Ferguson Police Station in Ferguson, Missouri, Nov. 29. Adrees Latif / Reuters

Rescuers battle an ambulance fire outside a pharmacy at Xingqing District on Dec. 1, in Yinchuan, Ningxia province of China. An ambulance parked outside a pharmacy for emergency situations and transporting medicine caught on fire due to the driver heating its fuel tank in cold winter. ChinaFotoPress / Getty Images

Pro-democracy protesters clash with police as they try to take over Lung Wo Road outside Hong Kong’s Government complex on Nov. 30 in Hong Kong. Chris McGrath / Getty Images

The coffin of Phillip Hughes is carried down the aisle during the funeral service for him on Dec. 3, in Macksville, Australia. Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died Thursday, aged 25, as a result of head injuries sustained during the Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket carrying NASA’s first Orion deep space exploration craft takes off from the launch pad on Dec. 5, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Saudi youths demonstrate a stunt known as “sidewall skiing” (driving on two wheels) in the northern city of Tabuk, in Saudi Arabia, Dec. 3. Mohamed Hwaity / Reuters

Singer Ariana Grande performs as model Elsa Hosk walks the runway at the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show at Earls Court on Dec. 2, in London, England. Karwai Tang / WireImage

A spectator dressed as Spiderman approaches Manchester City player Gael Clichy during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Manchester City at Stadium of Light on Dec. 3, in Sunderland, England. Stu Forster / Getty Images

Fog spreads across an agriculture field in the early morning on the outskirts of the Pakistani city of Lahore on Dec. 4.ARIF ALI/AFP / Getty Images

Indian Navy soldiers play drums during Navy Day celebrations in Mumbai, Dec. 2, marking their battle at Karachi Harbour during the India-Pakistan war in 1971. Danish Siddiqui / Reuters

Children, who are internally displaced due to fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, walk past tents at the Jarjanaz refugee camp in the southern countryside of Idlib, Nov. 30. Khalil Ashawi / Reuters

A terminally ill patient raises his arm in a hospice for those dying of AIDS at the Buddhist temple Wat Prabat Nampu in Lopburi province, north of Bangkok, Nov. 30. Since 1992, the temple has provided housing for HIV positive patients and palliative care for those in the final stages of the AIDS disease. Damir Sagolj / Reuters

A butcher holds his sword high as he looks for a buffalo to be sacrificed inside an enclosed compound during the sacrificial ceremony of the “Gadhimai Mela” festival in Bariyapur, Nov. 28. Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters

Two bulls fight as villagers watch during an ethnic Dong traditional bullfighting contest in Congjiang county, Guizhou province, Nov. 29. About 44 buffalos were part of the contest on Saturday. Sheng Li / Reuters

A monkey cowers as its trainer Qi Defang approaches during training for a circus in Suzhou, Anhui province, Nov. 29.William Hong / Reuters

Members of the “Skipper” yacht club dressed as Father Frost, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, greet the crew of another boat as they sail a yacht to mark the end of the sailboat season, with the air temperature at about minus 18 degrees Celsius (minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit), on the Yenisei River, outside Russia’s Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Nov. 30. Ilya Naymushin / Reuters

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey (12), wide receiver Tavon Austin (11), tight end Jared Cook (89), wide receiver Chris Givens (13), and wide receiver Kenny Britt (81) put their hands up to show support for Michael Brown before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday. Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

U.S. President Barack Obama dances with participants during the 92nd annual National Christmas Tree Lighting on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec. 4. Yuri Gripas / Reuters

The Great Britain women’s pursuit team in action during the Team Pursuit Qualifying Session on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup at the Lee Valley Velopark Velodrome on Dec. 5, in London, England. Bryn Lennon / Getty Images

Prince Harry attends the annual ICAP Charity Day at ICAP on Dec. 3, in London, England. Getty Images/ WPA Pool

A parked car is covered with ice in Lichtenau in northern Austria, Dec. 3. Freezing fog and rain has covered parts of the region with ice, causing blocked roads due to fallen trees and closed schools for security reasons. Heinz-Peter Bader / Reuters

Palestinians warm themselves by a fire near the ruins of houses that witnesses said were destroyed by Israeli shelling during the most recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the east of Gaza City, Dec. 1. Mohammed Salem / Reuters

Francisco Ascencio, a member of the Salvadorean national amputee soccer team, is massaged before a training session at Jorge “Magico” Gonzalez National Stadium in San Salvador Nov. 19. STRINGER El SALVADOR / Reuters

A member of the air force helps her colleague with her makeup before a military parade celebrating Romania’s National Day in Bucharest, Dec. 1. Radu Sigheti / Reuters

A CETEG (State Coordinator of Teachers of Guerrero) member walks with a replica rifle during a protest demanding the government find of missing students of the Ayotzinapa Teacher Training College Raul Isidro Burgos, in Chilpancingo, in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, Dec. 1. Jorge Lopez / Reuters

Mexican protestors hold torches during a rally against President Enrique Pena Nieto’s administration on the second anniversary of his term in office in Mexico City, Mexico, on Dec. 1. Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

Crude oil streams through the desert in south Israel, near the village of Beer Ora, north of Eilat, Dec. 4. Millions of liters of crude oil have gushed out of a pipeline to flood 200 acres of a desert nature reserve in southern Israel, officials said on Thursday. Stringer . / Reuters

Rescuers search for survivors at the residence of the Iranian ambassador after a car bomb attack in Sanaa, Dec. 3.Khaled Abdullah Ali Al Mahdi

People hold up signs in protest in Times Square, New York, on Dec. 3. This was sparked by a New York grand jury ruling not to file criminal charges against a police officer who contributed to the death of Eric Garner. Jon Premosch / BuzzFeed News

Gwen Carr, mother of the late Eric Garner, listens as civil rights activist The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks at the National Action Network in Harlem, New York, Dec. 3. Sharpton on Wednesday called for a protest march in Washington, D.C., following a New York grand jury decision not to indict a white policeman in the chokehold death of Eric Garner. Carlo Allegri / Reuters

Every Year For 40 Years, These Sisters Gathered Together For A Photo

By
Adam East
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Nicholas Nixon was 26 years old when he began photographing the Brown sisters. It was August 1974, and he had been married to his wife Beverly (née Brown) for three years.

Bebe, as she’s known, posed with Laurie, Heather and Mimi during a family gathering, and though Nixon ended up discarding the negative, the four sisters huddled together again the next year. Nixon was satisfied with that shot.

1975

In July of 1975 the sisters were 25 (Bebe), 23 (Heather), 21 (Laurie) and 15 (Mimi). The year after that, when Laurie graduated from college, Nixon snapped a photo of the four women yet again. That image sparked an annual tradition, prompting the sisters to step in front of the camera every year — in the same order — in a powerful expression of time.

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Nicholas Nixon. The Brown Sisters, New Canaan, Connecticut. 1975. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the artist © 2014 Nicholas Nixon

1978

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Nicholas Nixon. The Brown Sisters, Harwich Port, Massachusetts. 1978. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. John Parkinson III Fund © 2014 Nicholas Nixon

 

The sisters were tasked with agreeing on a single image to represent themselves each year. Nixon is mostly mum on the stories behind the frames. The first comment he ever gave on the series was impressively succinct: “The world is infinitely more interesting than any of my opinions about it.”

1988

1988
Nicholas Nixon. The Brown Sisters, Wellesley, Massachusetts. 1988. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Family of Man Fund © 2014 Nicholas Nixon

 

Detroit-born Nixon first showed his work at the Museum of Modern Art on July 22, 1976, two years into the project. The museum ended up presenting two of the Brown Sisters’ portraits in that show, included amidst a series of landscape photos. Since then, MoMA has been collecting the series. “Nicholas Nixon: Forty Years of The Brown Sisters” is on view now until January 4, 2015.

1999

1998
Nicholas Nixon. The Brown Sisters, Brookline, Massachusetts. 1999. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the artist © 2014 Nicholas Nixon

 

Moving from frame to frame, the viewer is able to witness the aging process of these four women — sisters who make it a point to meet once a year to honor a tradition initiated four decades ago. Concepts of family and ritual weave in and out of the portraits, as the viewer attempts to guess what each smirk and embrace might mean. As their faces change, we can only imagine the bonds connecting Bebe, Heather, Laurie and Mimi strengthening and weakening, ebbing and flowing. For anyone with a sibling or two in their lives, Nixon’s visual timeline oozes nostalgia and that concentrated desire to travel back in time.

2014

2014
Nicholas Nixon. The Brown Sisters, Wellfleet, Massachusetts. 2014. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Cornelius N. Bliss Memorial Fund © 2014 Nicholas Nixon

Nixon will be signing books at the MoMA Design and Book Store on Monday, December 8, in celebration of the publication The Brown Sisters: Forty Years and the lobby installation of all 40 portraits taken thus far. See a preview of the exhibition here.

 

15 stand-out Photobombs of 2014

By
Adam East
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It’s no secret — 2013 was the year of the photobomb. With time-tested classics like, “Guy walking in front of proposal” and “Zach Braff in the city” the forward-thinking Internet writer had to consider whether the photobomb could survive into 2014.

Thanks to a bit of help from British royalty like Elizabeth II and Benedict Cumberbatch, the art of ruining a photograph by injecting yourself somewhere into the frame lives on for another year.

2014 saw the photobomb establish itself as a great tool for famous people and stuffed animals to stand in front of the world and proudly say, “I don’t care about this moment and I am going to destroy it.”

We’ve gathered all the photobombs we feel are worthy of a spot in this years time capsule below.

1. This creepy kid

2. Lance Stephenson

Spirit of Adventure: Global Travels

By
Adam East
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DAVE AND DEB BOUSKILL

After nearly a decade in the film business, Dave and Deb Bouskill quit their day jobs in pursuit of a dream lifestyle — traveling the world, photographing and writing about their adventures.

Today, the fruits of their labor are evident in the couple’s acclaimed and hugely successful travel blog, The Planet D — in 2014, the blog won the Gold medal for Best Travel Blog and Best Illustration of Travel by the Society of American Travel Writers.

“We had always been avid travelers,” says the couple, explaining that during their careers they would take winters off to go globetrotting. “Over the years, we felt more comfortable on the road than at home, and we started to search for ways to make travel a full-time career.”

The launch of the blog started with Dave and Deb cycling the continent of Africa from Cairo to Cape Town (the Tour D’Afrique) and documenting their adventure in 2008. “We felt that we needed something epic to stand out from other travel couples — and it worked. Also, because we had so many years of travel to dozens of countries, we had many stories to tell. People started to relate to our experiences, and over time our audience grew.”

It’s been an amazing ride. When we first started travel blogging, we didn’t even know it could be a career. We just knew that online media was the future, and we wanted to be a part of it.

Below are some of the most captivating shots from their journey.

IRELAND

In Northern Ireland, Dave and Deb spent some time exploring the lush, green countryside and historical landmarks like the Castle Ward boathouse. They were blown away by the scenery.

“We had heard of the Giant’s Causeway many times before visiting Northern Ireland, but didn’t comprehend how incredible it was,” they say. “We like to be surprised when we travel, so we didn’t look at photos or do any research on the Causeway. It was mind-blowing to see thousands of perfect hexagonal basalt columns leading out to the sea.”

We love trying new things and experimenting with new ways of working with people, and we are constantly coming up with new and exciting ways to share our story.

Capturing the perfect moment can take hours.
Fuchsia Irish wildflowers

Dave Bouskill’s favorite shot — and one of the most difficult to capture — is of the raging seas of Ballintoy Harbour in Northern Ireland.

“Most people miss this little harbor when going around the Causeway Coastal Drive, as it is set a bit off the main road. It is also closed to bus traffic, which made it a much quieter spot than some of the other really busy stops on the Coastal Highway,” he says.

Ballintoy Harbour, Northern Ireland

I love this shot because it gives you the sense of what those raging seas are like, but by smoothing out the water, it invokes a sense of calm.

“The beauty of this location is that you can get really close to the sea and there a ton of vantage points from which to photograph. This shot was taken from a rocky shoreline just behind the little restaurant,” says Dave. “As I set up my tripod, I framed up the shot of the coastline and used a six-stop ND filter to slow my shutter speed enough to get that silky water effect. Timing was critical as I wanted to make sure that I got the water smashing over the rocks to give it a little bit more of an artistic feel.”

Part of the difficulty of this shot is the landscape itself — conditions are less than ideal.

“Between the howling wind, the sea spray on my filter and the long exposure, it was a constant battle to get a shot that was both sharp and not full of water spots. It took me quite a while to get the shot I wanted, but in the end it is always worth the struggle,” says Dave.

HONG KONG

Despite Hong Kong’s reputation as a bustling metropolis, Dave and Deb say they spent a good deal of their time there visiting quiet destinations, like the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery.

“We never expected Hong Kong to have a countryside,” says Bouskill. “When traveling to Hong Kong for the second time, we were surprised to see how much of it is mountainous, uninhabited terrain. Only 30% of Hong Kong is developed, and we made our way outside of the city for a boat ride to the Geo Park, where there are hiking trails and rocky beaches.”

I love how photography is subjective. Each photographer can interpret a scene differently.
Hong Kong, China

When I was in Hong Kong walking through a market, the people intrigued me. When I enter a temple, I am fascinated with details.

From the urban adventure of Hong Kong to the wild coast of Northern Ireland, it has been exciting to showcase adventure in every situation.

GREECE

The ancient ruins of Athens and the sunsets and landscapes in Santorini provide the type of subjects that photographers dream about — though the shots, again, aren’t easy to get.

“The most difficult part of travel photography always seems to be fighting the crowds at a popular tourist destination,” says Dave. “It takes a lot of patience to wait for the moment free of people walking through the frame, kicking your tripod while shooting a long exposure or refusing to move.”

The wait, he says, is well worth it for the perfect shot.

“In destinations like Santorini, I love waking up early for sunrise or staying out for sunset. I love the way the light plays on the architecture as the sun sets over the sea,” he says.

The diversity of this trip has been my favorite part; it’s been a blend of photographing cities, landscapes and people.

“We had seen photos of Santorini before, but we weren’t prepared for the beauty of this island. It doesn’t seem real,” says the couple.

“When you walk up to the edge of the caldera and see the blue and white towns stretching along the high sea cliffs, it takes your breath away. We can understand why this is one of the most romantic places on earth.”

Santorini, Greece
Santorini, Greece

When it comes to specific photography techniques, Dave Bouskill says that his methods vary on a scene-by-scene basis.

“When I am shooting landscapes, I almost always bracket my shots,” he says. “This allows me to blend exposures in post-editing if needed, and gives more of a true representation of the scene. Also, whenever I am shooting seascapes I always try to use long exposure techniques by combining different ND filters to slow down my shutter speed and achieve the look I want.”

When people are the subject of the photo, Dave uses shallow depth of field so that the focus is on the person instead of a potentially distracting background.

“I love how photography is subjective. Each photographer can interpret a scene differently, and I think it is an art form that allows the photographer to be as creative as he wants to be. You can have the scene showcase what you felt in that moment. And that is what connects people to art: Emotion.”

That is what connects people to art: Emotion.

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