As we head into the new year, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the one just passed and consider how it might shape what lies ahead. The following summarizes a year filled with highlights:

2024 began with a goal to further the followICM project I started the year before. While 2023 was a year of exploration and discovery, 2024 became a year of tuning the process, resulting in many of my favorite images to date.

Highlights of 2024 include:

• Completing the development of the followICM project.

• Recording an online interview with the editor of FRAMES Magazine, where my body of work and ICM techniques were explored.

• Receiving a Bronze award in the Color/Storytelling category of the 1839 Awards 2024 Color Competition.

• Experiencing (and photographing) my first total solar eclipse.

• Presenting my perspectives on ICM photography to members of the Westbridge Camera Club in Ohio.

• Having an article spotlighting the followICM process published in ICM Photography Magazine.

Looking ahead, my goals for 2025 echo one set at the start of last year. In my first blog entry of 2024, I wrote about the importance of capturing a sense of feeling in what we photograph. As I’ve often said, the images that resonate most with me are those that create a strong emotional connection.

This coming year, I hope to further explore this idea, aiming to infuse a greater sense of emotion into my work—not just for my own satisfaction but as a way to forge deeper connections between an image and its viewers. While achieving this can be elusive, I believe it’s a worthwhile pursuit.

To wrap up, I’ve included some of my personal favorite images from 2024. While they might not be the most popular or technically ‘best,’ they are the ones that currently bring a smile to my face.

I’d love to hear about your goals for the year ahead—feel free to share them in the comments below.

HAPPY 2025, everyone!