Catholics in New York observe Ash Wednesday with markings in ash placed on the forehead as a sign of repentance and mourning. Ash Wednesday begins the period of Lent, the 40 days which precede the Easter celebration on the Christian calendar.

I spent a few days visiting family in Pennsylvania and photographed around the area in my spare time. While these photos aren’t necessarily related, the patterns and colors in these scenes interested me both individually and as a group, and all three have a certain sense of mystery. The Reading Pagoda was built in 1908 to resemble similar structures in Japan, a dog’s owner expresses affection through a license plate, and an eerie light filters through the blinds of an otherwise bland hotel room.

New York fashion week begins with a parade of new designs from the clothing industry. Male models hang out after the Number:Lab show, designer Whitney Pozgay receives a bouquet following a runway show of her designs, a make up artist tries out New York Magazine’s photo booth at Milk Studios, a ladder is used during set up of a show at Yotel, and models stand statuesque wearing new fashion from Katie Gallagher at the Standard Hotel.

One day before the official start of Fashion Week in New York, independent designers take advantage of the calm before the coming storm by staging shows outside of the main venue at Lincoln Center.

Scenes from a celebration. After beating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the New York Giants football team is honored with a ticker tape parade in the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. Construction workers stopped work to observe the parade, fans filled every available space along Broadway, and a piccolo player marched with his band. The American flag hung over crowds gathered for the festivities, and when all was said and done confetti adhered to buildings and objects up and down the street.

Activists from the Occupy Wall Street movement come together to protest the United States judicial system on the eve of the first anniversary of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision by the Supreme Court. Following a march from Zuccotti Park, protesters rallied in front of New York courts where they heard from speakers including Russell Simmons.

Models get ready in a midtown Manhattan bar for a fashion show put on by new and independent designers. New York becomes the center of the fashion world a month from now when Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week presents fall designs from the industry’s biggest names in the Lincoln Center tents.

The beauty of rural America seen from my car while rolling through Pennsylvania at the “magic hour” just before dark.

The contenders: Rivals to front runner GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney bring their campaigns to locations around New Hampshire as Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich attempt to rally a conservative voting block to compete with Romney’s overwhelming lead in the state. New Hampshire is the first state to hold a primary election, following Iowa’s caucus and preceding South Carolina’s first Southern state balloting.

Eschewing the typical campaign bus, rising Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum arrives at New Hampshire campaign events in a black pick up truck. With a small staff and limited budget, the one time long shot candidate won the respect of conservative voters in Iowa who vaulted Santorum into the top tier of candidates.