These are the photos that defined an unpredictable year in the worlds of art, music, dance and performance.
A bevy of vaccinated fans pumped their wristband hands in the air as rock music returned to Madison Square Garden after 460 days. A masked standing ovation as “Hadestown” became one of the first musicals on Broadway. A sweaty, bubbly Brooklyn party – sociable, not aloof.
It was a year of reopening, with an almost palpable sense of darkness to light in the dizzying moments, many of which were captured by photographers for DailyExpertNews.
There were revealing portraits: a regal André De Shields taking a break from “King Lear”; pioneering conceptual artist Lorraine O’Grady got her first retrospective at age 86; the provocative artist and performer Martine Gutierrez on the streets of New York City; Daniel Craig, just as his license to kill expired.
There were ambitious statements: Asian and Asian-American photographers explored what love looks like in times of hate. And there were some images that were simply mesmerizing or delightful: a horseback ride in California, clouds of steam in lower Manhattan, a snail named Velveeta surrounded by miniature groceries.
Now – as 2021 ends hazy as our photographers readjust their apertures to suit the conditions – let’s look back at some of the powerful images from a year to remember. MICHAEL COOPER
I was looking for moments that showed the everyday dance of life, in and out of the theatre.
— Sabrina Santiago on photographing the New York City Ballet dancers’ preparations to return to the stage
I wanted to illustrate the ways in which life, although often obscured by the fabricated landscape, always surfaces, adapts and progresses.
— George Etheredge on photographing Lower Manhattan
A red sports car with the “FASTER” dressing table roared upward. My assistant and I exchanged glances and laughed. It couldn’t possibly be the subject of our shoot. A lanky man in a T-shirt and jeans with two pens in his pocket got out of the car. “You’re the photographer,” he said. “You’re Stephen King,” I replied.
— Philip Montgomery on meeting Stephen King
Her physiology began a metamorphosis; her body began to stretch and stretch; bones seemed to bend as her eyes widened. Her posture shifted as she provoked a series of screams and howls. It was both fantastic and confusing that the ship I had encountered just minutes earlier could be the home for such anguish.
– Erik Tanner on seeing Shamia Diaz’ transformation in character
What is freedom? Shall we continue to put the celebrity above the neighbor or will we be able to bridge this gap?
— Chloe Pang on shooting Britney Spears supporters outside a Los Angeles courthouse
Since there is no way to train a snail, at least as far as we know, we have to be prepared to let them move at their own pace. We sometimes try to tempt a snail with cucumber juice or sweet potato, but so often it comes down to a snail’s curiosity and where they naturally gravitate.
— Aleia Murawski on working with gastropods
I loved talking to Annie about photography, motherhood and the creative process. I almost forgot I was there to take a picture.
— Gillian Laub on shooting Annie Leibovitz
She was fine art on a gallery wall. I remember taking a few test shots and then showing her before shooting on film – her response, “Ohhhh, I look GOOD!”
— Lelanie Foster on photographing Lorraine O’Grady
I had shot this portrait of Daniel Craig in February 2020, just before the pandemic started. He was a dream, incredibly present and charming, and became even more endearing when we talked about our children, who are the same age. The article finally came out last September, and it was only then that I realized I had actually photographed JamesBond.
— Devin Oktar Yalkin on shooting Daniel Craig
Sandra turned the music to “rap” and then they both jumped around the studio laughing and giggling. I said, “Close your eyes, don’t move, put your heads together – don’t laugh,” and this was the result.
— Charlie Gates on shooting Amanda Peet and Sandra Oh
He was generous with his time, so we spent a few hours along a cliff, stopping every now and then to take pictures. I liked the idea of creating something dynamic in the photos, so quite simply asked him if he would fall over.
— Robbie Lawrence on photographing Benedict Cumberbatch on a stormy day along the English coast
The dancers and I co-created these images to bring visual medicine and healing spaces to areas named after presidents who counted on our eradication.
— Tomás Karmelo Amaya on photographing indigenous businesses
Six o’clock Wagner? I was intrigued. As a photographer, it gave me the breathing space to slow down and explore how such a lengthy production affected many facets behind the scenes.
— Todd Heisler on documenting the Met Opera’s staging of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”
You haven’t experienced real sound if you don’t feel your eyes popping out of your sockets.
— Josefina Santos on capturing New York City’s infamous music machines
He led the group as he would a band, leading softly from the front, trusting that others would follow in their own time.
— Cole Wilson on shooting David Byrne
I was preparing our next setup when he suddenly grinned and asked if I wanted to photograph him jumping on his trampoline. He immediately ran to it and my assistant and I had to pack our things and run there. There was so much joy and freedom in his movements; he was flying.
— Maggie Shannon on shooting Zack Snyder
Ilana was on the cusp of some big things in her life, and I wanted to visualize that transformation.
— Justin J Wee on shooting Ilana Glazer