Growing up, my mom taught me the importance of writing thank-you notes to people who sent me birthday or Christmas gifts. She believed that thank-you notes helped confirm that her gifts arrived safely. She even told my grandmother to stop sending us gifts if we didn’t send a simple thank-you note, so she was serious about it.

I have tried to keep up my reputation as a thankful person by using email, text, and sometimes hand-written notes to express my gratitude for gifts, meals, or advice. This time of year, thankfulness is on everyone’s mind, especially with Thanksgiving coming up.

It is also the end of my art festival season, where I have met many people who appreciate my art. Some of you have bought pieces for your home or office, which helps me create even more art. Many of you have connected with my images in ways I truly appreciate. I have noticed visitors taking their time to look at the subjects I photograph, reflecting on what they saw, and tapping into memory to understand the image more fully.

As I think about these interactions, I am thankful for how much you and your connections with my are enrich my life, and I hope my work can do the same for you, even if only for a little while.

Until we meet again, see things differently!

BTW, the image in the header, "Approaching Centennial," was taken during a return to Davenport, Iowa, this summer. I lived in Davenport for about 15 years of my life and photographed the Centennial Bridge multiple times. This time, however, I was grateful to remember Ansel Adams' advice to take a picture, then turn around to see what might also make a good photo. Here, I saw the curved approach to the bridge itself and, when paired together, the image made a striking diptych.