Light is one of the key elements that differentiate a good photograph from a snapshot. That’s why I’m always surprised by the number of people who don’t care about correct exposure and use the worn-out cliche, “I’ll fix it later in Photoshop.”

“May the glow of the Christmas tree and the company of loved ones warm your heart this Boxing Day”

Each year on Christmas day I’ve published a letter that I originally received year ago from a reader who was concerned about how the events of 9/11 would have on her personal photography that I think is just as meaningful today. My response to that reader has grown into what I like to think of as my “Dear Patricia” letter and it’s shared with you today in the hope of drawing some hope maybe inspiration on how to approach your own photography during 2025

“Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values.”— Thomas S. Monson

Fisheye, I can hear some of you asking. You probably won’t use that lens much either! I don’t agree. First of all, I love shooting wide-angle lenses. One of the first lenses I did back in the day when I bought a brand-new Nikon F2 was a 16mm f/2.8 lens.