In the summer of 2020, photographer Brian Finke noticed something curious. As he was leaving a city pool, a rider on a mountain bike rolled by, popping a wheelie that lasted nearly half the block. Finke sped after him on his own bike and introduced himself at a red light. The man was one of thousands of New Yorkers using their bikes to blow off lockdown-induced steam, gathering en masse, playing music as they rode. Some stood up to surf atop their bikes, while others swerved wildly from side to side. In the years that followed, Finke documented this fascinating slice of New York City life.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN FINKE

PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE SHIRAS

When George Shiras published his wildlife photographs in National Geographic it transformed the medium with his novel use of flash and the first camera traps—and changed Nat Geo forever.

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