Cypress trees rise from the edge of Lake Jackson in Florala, Alabama.

Cincinnati’s Riverfest celebration on Labor Day weekend is touted as one of the largest fireworks shows around. The banks of the Ohio River become more and more crowded as people gather to see the evening show.

Straddling the Florida-Alabama state line is Lake Jackson in the town of Florala.

The Floral Parade rolls through downtown Mobile, Alabama, as part of the city’s Mardi Gras celebration.

The floral parade made its way through downtown Mobile in celebration of Mardi Gras.

Runners make their way down Government Street five miles into the First Light Marathon in Mobile, Alabama, Sunday morning, Jan. 13, 2008.

The Azalea Trail Maids make an appearance near the start of the First Light Marathon in Mobile, Alabama, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008.

To ring in the New Year, a bunch of people decided it would be a good idea to take a dip in the chilly waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This is my first attempt at a 360-degree image with so many moving subjects. It was created from a series of images taken at the same event within the same very short time period. Because of this, it is not one single moment in time, but a bunch of successive moments stitched together to give an overall impression of an event or place. Have fun trying to find the “triplets” or “twins,” of people who appear more than once in the photo.

At a little place on the Alabama-Florida state line is the Flora-Bama Lounge. To kick off the New Year, they hosted a Polar Bear Dip.