Yoda puppy, this is. From the Dogobah System, he is.

The Brooklyn Mutt Show 2012, sponsored by Brooklyn Bark at the Brooklyn Lyceum this weekend, featured two entire days of doggy-style fun and zaniness: competitions, classes in pet first aid and CPR, dog portraits, even celebrity judges! We attended the second day of the Show, and witnessed the last two competitions, the nail-biting face-off between Star Wars– and Star Trek–costumed dogs (which featured an uncannily “lifelike” Yoda costume), and the final contest, Best of Beast. Energy was high, from the pride of the owners (or “companions,” or “humans,” if you prefer) to the unbridled joy of the many children in attendance, all delighted by the dogs on display. Here are some of our favorite shots, but you can see the full set on Flickr. (more…)

A resident of the Sleep District in McCarren Park

In the warmer months, you can see New Yorkers sleeping outside: office drones stealing an hour from cubicles, street people slumbering through a hot afternoon, lovers clasping each other in a sweaty, tender embrace. Sleeping in public is one of the rare pleasures that remains literally priceless, one of the last free rides in an increasingly expensive city. It’s a tenuous, temporary real-estate deal affordable by anyone who can claim a spot of grass. This silent, somnolent democracy is the Sleep District, where citizenship is open to all, and whose entry fee is lower than a MetroCard. Walt Whitman said, “I swear they are all beautiful/Every one that sleeps is beautiful,” and I agree: Here are some photographs investigating the residents of the Sleep District. (more…)