/  by Katherine Yaksich

Ushio & Noriko Shinohara, the stars of #cutieandtheboxer and the cutest powerhouse couple ever. Ushio-San told me I was strong. He’s also over 80 years old and still rocking a mohawk. Go and see the film, you will not be disappointed! @tri…

Ushio & Noriko Shinohara, the stars of #cutieandtheboxer and the cutest powerhouse couple ever. Ushio-San told me I was strong. He’s also over 80 years old and still rocking a mohawk. Go and see the film, you will not be disappointed! @tribeca #tff2013 #tribecafilmfestival (at Tribeca Film Festival)

/  by Katherine Yaksich

This is JR, one of my favorite artists and winner of the TED Prize in 2011 for being an exceptional individual. It was such an honor to meet him. This poster is part of his global art project, Inside Out, and was pasted on Times Square shortly after…

This is JR, one of my favorite artists and winner of the TED Prize in 2011 for being an exceptional individual. It was such an honor to meet him. This poster is part of his global art project, Inside Out, and was pasted on Times Square shortly after. Taking this portrait and pasting it on Times Square made me feel like a real New Yorker, as cheesy as that sounds, being part of something so big and leaving my mark. JR said to stand up for something that you believe in. When I moved to NY, I took a stand to pursue my dreams and my passions and to do something creative and meaningful with my life. JR believes that art can change the world. For more info visit: http://www.insideoutproject.net/en/about (at Times Square)

/  by Katherine Yaksich

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Here are my ten favorite images from 2012 (I have decided to name this series Darkness and Light). I know this post is long overdue, but the truth is I’ve been traveling non-stop for most of the year. I rang in 2013 in Sydney, Australia, then flew to Melbourne and then to New Zealand. A day and a half after getting back from New Zealand, I was on another plane to begin filming a documentary about tuberculosis in Nashville, DC, the UK, South Africa, and India. A few weeks ago was my first “normal” week of 2013 without any travel involved.

Now that I’ve had some time to breathe and settle into life back home in NY, I’ve also had some time to look back and reflect on 2012. It was quite a dramatic year, both professionally and personally. I kicked off 2012 in Italy, and then immediately was on another plane to shoot a photo assignment in Los Angeles. The rest of the year was action packed, from documenting the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, to exploring the Great Barrier Reef, which has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Some other things I crossed off of my bucket list last year were surfing Snapper Rocks in Queensland, Australia, and seeing the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.

Some professional highlights include contributing to a Discovery Channel documentary series, working on the Mr. Porter and USA Network’s Suits campaign, exhibiting my work at Photoville, launching a new website, and signing on as a director/filmmaker for Ira Lippke Studios.

Thank you for all your continued support and encouragement, and for giving me the ability to make a living doing what I love to do. Let’s create something awesome together in 2013!

Carpe Diem,
Reuben

Photo Captions
1. Hurricane Sandy aftermath, NYC
2. Hurricane Sandy aftermath, Rivington and Essex in the Lower East Side
3. Hurricane Sandy aftermath, Mercer and Prince in Soho
4. 9/11 Tribute in Light
5. Great Barrier Reef shark
6. Great Barrier Reef cuttlefish
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Melbourne, Australia
9. Grampians, Victoria, Australia
10. 12 Apostles, Victoria, Australia