“Van got up from his chair to gather the cast-off newspapers. Lev took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. ‘I don’t mean to offend the journalists; they aren’t any different from other people. They’re merely the megaphones of the other people.” ― Barbara Kingsolver, The Lacuna

Had you asked me in 2001, I would have said my megaphone would have been my pen and paper, if not a microphone today, it is with much joy that a Nikon D5 has become my megaphone, and with it I shot with great voracity your stories.

For those of you who know me best (or have in any way engaged in a discussion about the would-be, could-be of the world), I have the heart and soul of a journalist. Because of that internal fire, I go about photography in much the same way: I search for the accurate, independent, impartial truth. I try my best to remove myself and the black box protruding from my face from the moment—your moment—to leave only you and your memories visible. No photographer, no camera, just the moment as it was (and will now forever be).

Once a year, however, I feel I need to put my objectivity aside and let myself be visible as well. Specifically, I like to let my love for you shine through. This has been an amazing year, full of your tremendous stories that you so kindly let me report and record. It is not just a job, to me, when you invite me into your homes or to your wedding or family reunions, it is an incredible passion for me, and the greatest opportunity, and it allows me to do what I have long known to be my purpose: To tell a great story. Your greatest stories together have become an amazing anthology of 2017. Thank you a million times from the bottom of my heart.

Here is a brief reminder of how amazing this past blogged year was…