A People for Jehovah's Name - The Complete Exhibit in Photos

During my last trip to New York in August, I was able to see the museum exhibit A People For Jehovah's Name in Brooklyn Bethel.
It chronicles the history of those championing the truth from the first century C.E. down to our day.
The museum exhibit cleverly intertwines common knowledge of major world events and their effect on Jehovah's people on an extended timeline through several rooms.

There is an introductory section, a section entitled 'Let Your Light Shine,' 'The Dragon Grew Wrathful,' and 'Good News for All Nations.'

You can see photos of the complete exhibit here.  I tried to get literally everything.

The only things lacking are the complementary video introductions to each section and the wonderful possibility of bumping in to someone else on the same tour who ends up being your life-long friend...that wonderfully clean bethel smell...three dimensions...
Come to think of it, there are a lot of things lacking. Nevermind.

You will have to zoom-in to read the text. I tried my best to make sure all the words from the major labels were discernible but this isn't always the case. Even though the photos from the link were uploaded at high quality, some of the original photos are slightly blurry.

This is definitely not meant as anything near a substitute for the actual physical exhibit. These are just my personal photos.
My goal is to just give you a little preview to get people more interested in seeing what's there and give an idea of what the exhibit is like in case some aren't ever able to go there in person.

Hope you enjoy it. :)

My Favorite Instagram Posts of 2013

There were three 2013s. (1) Theirs: Miley Cyrus, Harlem Shake, Obamacare (as far as American Pop Culture goes), (2) Ours: So called 'Single sisters school,' everyone cries to 'The Prodigal Returns,' and certainly biggest of all--the annual meeting with the NWT update. (3) Mine: Zach and Hannah, Tyler and Esther, Bren and DanDan. Hmm...apparently my life revolves around weddings.

At the end of 2012, I made a post entitled 'A Year In Instagrams' where I shared and discussed what I thought were the best posts over the course of that year. The reply I received was very positive and, as a result, I made it a goal to take screenshots of my favorite posts over the course of the next year (2013) and then decide which posts I liked best at the end of the year from this exhaustive selection. 

That's what I did, and below are the results. Yes, it took me a long time to do it. I'm tempted to say I had too much time on my hands, but that would be like saying, "scrapbookers have too much time on their hands." Some people like scrapbooking. It's their hobby. What I did was pretty much the same thing, just in a digital form...there...I think I justified it to myself.

Of course, this is my scrapbook: You and I don't follow or know the same people on Instagram. I tried to factor this in when making my list below. 

Show me a picture of something pretty, amazing, creative or something I can relate/empathize with or keep your photos to yourself! :P 

That picture of Zach and Hannah's wedding or of Bren and 丹丹 mean something more to me than to you. I was there, and I associate other positive memories with that post...and sometimes it wasn't about the post at all...maybe it was the buzz it created from the comments. 

This is a case example of what I briefly discussed in last year's post about what I think the difference between photography and Instagram is. I think 'Instagraming' is closer to journalism or diary-writing than it is to photography.

That being said, I think Instagram is the best thing that has happened to photography in the history of it. 

Certainly, a lot of photos I loved because...well...the photo was just really cool.

When I say 'cool,' of course I'm talking about what I deem good. I, like everyone else, am not in a position to say that 'Instagram standards' as airplane wings, selfies, feet-at-the-beach, pet photos, sunset photos, etc are good or bad. Most people aren't trying to be artsy, and to be fair, nobody asked them to try, or asked you (or me) to follow them. But I do want to show appreciation for those that do try. I made this list as a celebration of 'good Instagraming.'

If you scroll through all the photos and find out that none of yours are listed here, please don't conclude that I don't like you...I just like you less and think that you post boring, ugly photos and your face is ugly and I don't want to look at it. #notreally #somanymoreiwishicouldhaveincluded

Part I

My Favorite Instagramers

#5 - lao_tyty

Tyler's job requires him to travel a lot and the result is him using his great eye to take some amazing shots. I just mentioned above that this list is a celebration of those who 'try.' Lao_trytry would probably quickly reply that he doesn't 'try.' But so would many great photographers. Oh, and also...so what? His photos are good. 

#4 - fareastnearnorth

My favorite Instagramer from last year posted a lot less this year, but her posts are always interesting or funny. Natalie's photos from Vietnam were the highlight, but her posts from her everyday teaching job in Shanghai are great too. 

#3 - littlescoot

Alexis Taylor definitely has an eye for the camera. Plop her in to Thailand as a needgreater and it's an instant formula for success. To see more about her, see her excellent blog pioneeringinthailand.blogspot.com

#2 v_8a

Veronica's feed stands out because of her consistent original style. She hasn't traveled the world. Posts from her vary from ministry experiences in DR to far more simple ones--such as asking everyone where she can buy a guitar. Her feed is one of the best not for her photographic ability, but instead because of the rounded corners, refusal to be limited to the square canvas and her general creativity using the Instagram platform as a medium to express herself--from the everyday to the extraordinary.

#1 - thesecondgreatestman

Josh, the Kanye West of Instagram, takes great photos and knows he does. His smugness shows through with his choice of satirical hashtags. His ego shows through with his choice of Instagram name. When all is said and done though, he is the best--consistently posting great photos, mocking those who flirt with Instagram cliches and being the best non-professional photographer out there on my feed.

My Instagramers of the Year

1. thesecondgreatestman

2. v_8a

3. littlescoot

4. fareastnearnorth

5. lao_tyty

Part II

Other Instagramers I Love:

I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of ranking things. It seems a bit silly, but then at the same time I think the practice has its benefits because it gives a special level of praise when talent is expressed. Here are a few Instagramers that, though not 'ranked' above, have feeds I really love to follow.

bricook

The above shot was taken at really low shutterspeed with Briana's husband 'painting' in the light on the trees with a flashlight. Brilliant. Her other posts are fantastic too. 

fatkidswithglasses

Phillip, the younger brother of Josh (my favorite Instagramer this year), has been posting amazing shot after amazing shot--proving that talent runs in their family. Above is an excellent 'upside-down shot.'

chilerro

Needgreater in Bolvia, Jason (above) and former needgreater in Ecuador, Courtney (below) had consistent creative posts throughout the year.

courtney_lenae

Part III

The 70 Best Posts

Yes there are seventy and yes I took the time to attempt to rank them all. On another day and in a different mood I would have chosen different pictures and a different order, but for now this is what it is. I won't put captions below all of them since that would make this post far more longer than it already is. Hope you enjoy looking at them, or it at least prompts you to think about your favorite posts/shared memories over the last year.
"In order to know where we are going, we need to understand what we've already experienced and where we have come from." - Someone whose name I can't remember

#1

The photo in itself has a strange feel to it as it is and stands alone as a very interesting photograph. The subtext reads: Gave a talk by flashlight yesterday. Then we sang song #113 a capella... 

What it represents is a bit bigger than the photograph itself. I don't know of another photo (ever) that more interestingly captures the serve-where-the-need-is-great feel than this one. This photo is more than a picture. It is a reflection of a moment in a lifestyle. Many Instagram posts, even excellent ones, are posted, liked and forgotten about. This one strangely stuck with me throughout the year.

#2

As mentioned before, Josh had many great pictures this year, but this jumping picture from the Mui Ne sand dunes in Vietnam tops them all and is perhaps the best jumping picture I've ever seen.

#3

You know, really this is just an Aaron Dana selfie with just a bunch of other people who happen to be in the background. This group picture from Jemaine and Jessica's wedding (the couple looking at each other near the front) reflects a very fun New Orleans spirit that those who weren't even there can sympathize with. With his GoPro on a stick, Aaron wonderfully captures the energy, happiness and excitement of the moment.

#4

Natalie is all about #yesfilter and that's a great thing. The above reflected photo of Ankor Wat from her trip to Cambodia is not a photo or a painting although it could be both. More than either of those two things, it's an Instagram 'painted' on a square digital canvas.

#5

A snapshot of Jeremy kissing his wife with the Aurora Borealis happening above in the Icelandic skies. 

#6

Angle of the year from Tyler, posting a simple picture of his wife with a tall tree. The picture is two dimensional like any picture of course, but it sinks down (and yet up) by hundreds of feet because of the tree.

#7

Underwater shot of the year from R2--the Finn on vacation. Very cool.

#8

Alexis shows a comical spirit of irreverence in front of a beautifully framed backdrop of Thailand. This was my favorite shot from a consistently good Instagramer. 

#9

No fireworks or foreign landscape here, but it stuck with me.

#10

Awesome and cute pre-bellyflop shot.

#11

The picture that started '#instarapcollab'

#12

From a year ago now in January 2013. One of the first great action shots of the year.

#13

Yet another 'everyday Instagram' that for some reason is extraordinary.

#14

#15

#16

#17

Dandan (hard of hearing) signs to her husband Bren (hearing) at their wedding.

#18

#19

Pasiart (now 'sparklingwaterforeveryone') finds the extraordinary in the ordinary with his posts.

#20

Mount Fuji blurred out in the background in this amazing shot from klandestinekitty.

#21

The engagement announcement! A new staple on Instagram... (along with videos...hey that was new this year...and the 5shotchallenge...yeah...remember that?...and other instafads) which of course was instantly parodied by Josh. This and the post below rank as high as they do probably because of personal bias. :P

#22

My favorite of the non-professional wedding shots from #zachandhannahwedding

#23

Sunset photos: a dime a dozen on Instagram. This sunset photo: Stands out even from the other fantastic ones.

#25

Another great shot from the Vietnam trip. They're running down a sand dune here.

#26

This photo was taken just last year, but it feels as if it's from 50 years ago during the peak of the Red China spirit.

#28

#29

A separation of classes by a glass wall. This picture captures the still-transforming country of China in an excellent way.

#30

The groomsmen from #zachandhannahwedding

#40

#41

Chinese street dentist.

#42

#43

Prayer in a Dino-robe.

#44

My favorite fireworks shot from the many Chinese New Year posts from my China friends. This was my first Chinese New Year I had to watch from afar in a long time. The show from atop of a skyscraper in Shanghai during the first night is the greatest show on earth.

#45

#46

I considered disqualifying Josh from this list along with other professional photographers that put their Lightroom or Aperture edited photos on Instagram, but I really wanted to include at least one of the amazing shots he posted.

#47

#48

#49

#50

#51

#52

This selfie is so irreverently wonderfully Instagram-y.

#53

Throwback of the year. From Alissa. Since Alissa is Russian and it's a photo of her parents when they were young, it is possible was taken on the same type of Soviet-era cam that digital photo filters nowadays imitate. Either way, it's a really cool photo.

#54

'Not a single legal move left.' Great selfie from Graham.

#55 and #56

The upside-down shots. 56 goes to fatkidswithglasses...see his upside-down shot--the seventh photo on this blogpost. These two shots were great as well.

#57

Go straight? Or...um...what? #thanksDR

#58

Um...hmmm... #beststupidart 

#59

#godzillawashere

#60

A shot of the JW showroom in Rouen, France.

#61

Awesome Natgeo wannabe photo.

#62

'Who needs a stool when you have a cinder block.'

#63

The kind of food picture I like.

#64

Jesskrebs is an awesome Instagramer. Her quirkiness shines through best in this photo of her brother and his new wife.

#65

#66

#67

#67

Crab on a leash in China.

#68

#bestweirdartever

#69

#70

(All new Bible and Metropolitan Witnessing related posts!)

Thanks for taking a look at this long entry. There are a lot of photos I missed, changed my mind about, and loved but...there are already 70 pictures above. 70! This is the longest time I've ever spent on a post. :) #ihavetoomuchtimeonmyhands #whyamihashtaginginablogpost?!

Hope you enjoyed the photos and hope the photos the posts you make for 2014 reflect the great experiences you have this year. :)

*Update: A friend of mine recently pointed out that while she liked the article...I really don't know know how to count ;) There are NOT 70 photos above. There are only 69 in the whole article! I don't know how I messed that up. Haha.