NYC up & OUT! is the go–to web resource for Gay New Yorkers and visitors looking for places to visit, things to see and do. Info on community organization events, arts and entertainment listings, out-of-town getaways, contests and a community directory are updated daily and emailed to subscribers every other week.

Below are highlights from Photos of the Month and Cover Art from the printed resource guides that were directed, shot and/or designed by moonkissed media. All the following images are available for sale as prints in various sizes and also for reprint licensing.

2010 July -- Patriotic

There is an unbridled sense of excitment and pride in NYC every Fourth of July that even the most jaded New Yorker can't deny. Some of the world's best fireworks light up the sky over stunningly iconic and picturesque views. Some of the best viewing can be found in Brooklyn and Queens in out of the way places. If you're lucky, an invite to a friend's rooftop can't be beat. Enjoy!

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2010 February -- Ice Skates with Rainbow Leg Warmers

One of the quintessential joys of NYC in the winter, is ice skating! Each rink -- whether in Rockefeller Ctr, Central Park, Bryant Park, Prospect Park Brooklyn or Long Island City -- has its own personality, charm, city views and over-abundance of, or lack of crowds. For this fun photo shoot, I dug through my parents' basement to find my sister's old skates i knew were burried somewhere. These skates haven't been used in over 30 years, but all they needed was some elbow grease and white polish to get them looking like new! Dressing them up in rainbow sparkle stickers, pom poms, heart-shaped fake diamond pendant and fake fur just made us giggle. I was inspired by the old-school dazzlers on roller skates that gather in Central Park. And now that I've created a great ensemble for myself, you might just catch me wearing these rainbow leg warmers about town!

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2010 January -- Rainbow Mittens & Hot Cocoa

I brought back an image some of our Online Subscribers may have missed if you didn't pick up a printed version of the last NYC Up & OUT! Winter Guide. It's one of my all-time favorite shoots we've done. AND, we are giving away a pair of Hand-Knit Fair Trade Wool Rainbow Mittens that appear in this cover photo in this week's newsletter. You'll also notice one of those unmistakable NYC icons, the Greek Coffee Cup. Click here to see an exhaustive study of the history and evolution of this much-loved paper cup.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 December -- Holiday Reflections

The holidays can easily get lost in all its over commercialism and consumerism, crowds and traffic, hectic running around, obligatory office parties, emotional family gatherings and increased depression. And seeing your reflection in something so benign as a shiney plastic Christmas ball can make this all very apparent in a very quick and unexpected flash of a moment. However, no one's giving up the hoopla anytime soon, so we each have to find a way to carve out the best of what this season is meant to be about. At its core, it is about giving and loving appreciation, which are both very simple and uncomplicated joys we are too busy to take part in most of the year. So, I wish this for you, unhurried giving and loving appreciation, and for the world, quiet calm and Peace.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 November -- Fall Sweets

The first Fall cold snap makes us run to our favorite comfort foods, sweets included. We took this photo during a recent drive to the North Fork of Long Island, on a tip from some friends that we could find one of the best bakeries on the island in the town of Jamesport. We did, and it's called Junda's Crust & Crumb Pastry. Prepare to wait on line!

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 October -- First Pumpkins

I carved my very first pumpkin at 38 years old! I carved the cat and my partner carved the silly face. We forget to play sometimes, so this was our way of expressing a part of ourselves from the inside out.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 September -- Rainbow Pencil Box

"Back to School" can mean so many things to so many different kids. Fitting in and conforming to the sameness of a box of #2 pencils can be excruciatingly difficult, like it was for me in High School. I propose, that on the first day of school, kids should be handed a rainbow pack of pencils with a mission! To experience each day with a different color, pattern, shape, size and consistency. Some days choosing a pencil that matches their mood, and other days choosing a pencil that will take them on a journey of exploration and expression.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 August -- Rainbow Beach Umbrella

Undeniably, the best place to be in August is on the beach. And there is no shortage of rainbow paraphernalia to bring with you. Enjoy!

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 July -- Rainbow Sprinkles

July is my birthday month, and my favorite thing to have on my birthday is ice cream cake. So when I think of July, it's all about the rainbow sprinkles!

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 April -- Easter Egg Roll

This photos was inspired by the Easter Egg Roll that takes place on the White House lawn every Easter. For the past several years, LGBT families have made their presence outwardly known at the event. Minor protests have followed the groups, but they have been generally welcomed by the Administration and covered by the press.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 February -- Hope... Change... Love...

We were still feelin' the love from the results of the recent election and decided to make the heartfelt expression and idealism of Valentine's Day a gift of Hope for everyone on Valentine's Day.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009 January -- Winter Cardinal

This cardinal swooped down on our front stoop in the middle of a snow storm. The shocking red color made the 'loudest' sound in an otherwise pristine landscape.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2008 Summer/Fall Printed Guide -- Max Gulla Cover

Max, our neighbor, was our cover model for the Summer/Fall edition. His bio reads as follows: Max is a soon-to-be-famous 8 year old Yorkshire Terrier. When not modeling, his favorite pastime is riding in the Miata (top down) and taking his feline sisters, Xena and Lola, for cruising-the-neighborhood walks. He’s single (Capricorn) and available (but spoiled). Either gender is ok, but he prefers other Yorkies. He’s looking to get into the real estate market and has a good deal on a bridge to sell.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2008 Winter/Spring Printed Guide -- Hot Chocolate Cover

There's nothing quite like Hot Chocolate on a frigid snowy day! And no better icon of NYC to sip it in than the Greek Coffee Cup. Here's a little history of the cup borrowed from The New York First Company:

When Greek immigrants arrived in New York in the early part of the last century, they brought their coffee culture along with them, giving birth to the city's ubiquitous Greek diners and sidewalk pushcarts. In 1963, the Sherri Cup Company set out to produce a to-go coffee cup that would appeal to the Greek vendors. Marketing director Leslie Buck dreamed up a motif that included blue-and-white colors from the flag of Greece. His customer-friendly message, WE ARE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU, was printed in Greek-style letters, flanked by ancient "Anthora" urns, and framed with a Greek Key pattern.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2007 October -- Sheridan Square

The sculptures of Gay & Lesbian couples in Sheridan Square on Christopher Street in the West Village are landmarks for the LGBT community. Created by world-renowned artist George Segal, the controversial life-size sculptures were installed on June 23, 1992.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2007 June -- Rainbow Wedding Cake

We have a long road yet to travel to achieve full civil rights. Legalization of same-sex marriage has mobilized both support and protest. Hopefully New York will be next!

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2007 Winter/Spring Printed Guide -- NYC Subway Mosaic

This cover is adapted from relief sculpture art that can be found at the Atlantic stop in Downtown Brooklyn. I created the lettering and brought in the mosaic from subway art that can be found at an Uptown Manhattan station.

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2006 Winter/Spring Printed Guide -- NYC Snow Globe

Browsing the kitchiest tourist shops I could find around Times Square became a near pastime in brainstorming for these covers. What vacation to any world destination would be complete without a snow globe with a mini-tableaux of said city skyline, landmark or landscape?

Order prints >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2005 Winter/Spring Printed Guide -- Rainbow Liberty

In this illustration, our Lady Liberty is bathed in splashes of bright colors. May her promise to all, within the spectrum that is our humanity always hold true.

Order prints >>