Twelve Moments from 2025
Musings and anecdotes from a busy year of photography
It’s just past 9PM on New Year’s Eve in Toronto. The boys are queuing up Avengers: Endgame while my wife and I have our second screens in hand. Hers is an e-reader, mine a MacBook Air to put the finishing touches on the first story of the year.
Over the last twelve months, I’ve travelled nearly 125,000 km around the world. Today, I wanted to share some reflections on a few moments that stood out to me. And in a small way, reveal some wisdom from each experience.
Enjoy.
January
While visiting a tannery in New York, I bumped into two individuals who had to be the most stylish men on the block. I struck up a conversation, and within a few minutes, we had an appointment for a portrait session the following day.
Photography is an art, and art can’t exist solely in the presence of commerce. It’s a practice that demands effort. What I mean is that while some of us may lean on photography to earn a living, we can’t mainly rely just on transactional moments to practice the art of photography.
I’m always looking for every reasonable chance to practice my craft. Every opportunity behind the camera is an opportunity to sharpen the sword. And that sharpening shouldn’t happen only when I’m paid to do it.
The gentleman in the photo above, along with his friend, gave me an opportunity to practice my craft during the very same weekend I was introduced as the global ambassador for the Leica SL3-S. It was an immediate reminder that meaningful milestones are the byproduct of honest and intentional practice.
February
The following month, I found myself in Tokyo with a group of musicians to debut a music video I’d filmed the year prior. With a few days to spare, I roamed the streets to practice some photography purely for the joy of it. On one of those outings, I was absolutely floored by this individual.
“Take your art seriously, but don’t take life too seriously.” It’s a phrase I echo often, something I picked up from Bruce Gilden. This photograph captures that essence perfectly. Here stood an older gentleman living his best life, a spirit not unlike the individuals I’d met in New York earlier.
The more I travel, the more I encounter these reminders to never lose touch with who I am as a person. While it’s necessary to obsess over the work in the pursuit of greatness, I can’t let that consume my humanity.
March
Around four years ago, Pandora’s box was opened. Generative AI will eventually find its way into every piece of technology we interact with. You can choose to fight it, but it won’t be long before that feels like holding back a tsunami with silverware. Truthfully, I think it’s more appropriate to dance with AI. Whether we move with, passed, through, or alongside it.
I spent the bulk of March working through a backlog of images. As I reviewed some market shots from India, it became clear where my photography would stand as AI intertwines with the medium.
With generative AI getting better at faking reality, people are pivoting from inherent belief to immediate skepticism. Outside of increasingly narrowing environments, this creates a barrier between audience and artist. We now have to push through a protective shell to communicate a story. That push? The force that’ll make the process easier? It lies in the imperfections of visceral authenticity.
As I build my documentary work, I’ll be looking to capture scenes that feel lived-in with a hint of wonderment. And where possible, leverage a little motion and reduced sharpness to root the experience in time. At least, that’s the plan.
April
While on production in April, I really started to reap the benefits of spending over a year building a creative team. All those days of training passionate individuals had finally coalesced into a unit capable of executing at the highest level. That isn’t a revelation.
The real discovery was realizing how this work prepares them for what’s ahead in their journeys. I got to where I am because my reps and experiences compounded into a collection of unfair advantages. These are the very things that allowed me to find my market. The more I weave the team into my creative process, the more I help build their library of unfair advantages. And in a tiny way, setting the stage for the best work that’s ahead of them.
May
I’d been running a lean Leica kit for years, but by May, I’d acquired the key pieces to build a stable that covered the full scope of my work. However, this wasn’t a trophy or a gift. It was a responsibility.
These creative tools demand our best. To truly unlock their potential, we must deeply understand their capabilities. I started the month with a test shoot to put in the necessary reps, kicking off a pursuit to extract greatness from these tools. It’s much like a chef wielding their favourite knife. The blade doesn’t create the masterpiece. It requires a disciplined hand to make the cut.
Every camera. Every lens. Hell, even the software. It all feeds into a lifelong process of constant learning. This doesn’t just arm me with the knowledge to extract the best performance from my gear. It sets me up to share those valuable insights with you. Win-win.
June
At the end of June, I joined a group of photographers invited to the 100-year celebrations at Leica headquarters. It was an incredible experience that you can read more about here. But what I reflect on most is the sheer serendipity of it all.
For example, I never set out to meet Steve McCurry in my life, even though his work has been incredibly influential in my journey. Yet, simply by following the path I was on, I found myself sitting across from him one night, exchanging stories and portraits.
You can’t force these things. The best moments are often the ones you never expect. It brings to mind the words of Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” For me, that means focusing on the photography with intention. If I can continue to do that, everything else eventually finds its way.
July
In July, I got my hands on some early rolls of Leica Monopan 50. It’s a black and white film I wrote about last year. In the process of putting that story together and testing the film in a multitude of situations, I managed to burn some holes in my Leica M6 shutter curtain.
After forgetting I’d removed my red filter and pointing a wide-open lens at the sun a little too long, I was left with two small burns in the curtain. This served as another reminder that in the pursuit of meaningful work, there are bound to be setbacks.
Here’s the thing, I try to view these moments with curiosity looking at an unexpected reaction in the lab. “How do we move forward?” Asking “what if” and shift from an emotional reaction to an inquisitive one. This helps to remove the emotional energy behind setbacks and allows me to focus on actionable items. It’s a small thing, but this is where the real lessons are found.
August
Toward the end of summer, I found myself in a helicopter soaring high above the glaciers of West Greenland. It was part of a story I was putting together about the first 35mm film camera used to document this region. It was within this process that I really found a rhythm for writing about big concepts from small slices of history.
There’s an infinite amount of inspiration around us. It’s happening all the time, and perhaps more importantly, it happened on a monumental scale long before we existed. Harnessing that requires patience. It requires the discipline to look past the bark of the individual tree and finally appreciate the ancient forest that surrounds it. See the forest from the trees.
September
In September, a small group of Leica ambassadors were invited to join the brand in Italy to preview the Leica EV1. Alongside members of the press, we spent a few days exploring the Italian countryside and trading stories. These moments are rare, and I’m grateful to have been a part of the experience.
It highlighted a vital truth about the creative journey. We often get caught up in the chase for growth, treating our portfolio like a high score that needs to be beaten. But growth is an arbitrary metric; community is a lifeline. There’s an immense power in finding the people who speak your language and share your obsessions. Growth might open doors, but it’s your community that makes the room worth staying in.
October
After years of planning, I finally had the chance to attend the Dussehra festival near the southern tip of India. While the spectacle was what drew me to the region, I quickly learned that the heart of the story lay within the community that travelled there year after year.
Traditions like this possess a grand aura to them but we can’t lose sight of the people who give these rituals meaning. They are the custodians of history. It’s a powerful reminder that the past isn’t just a memory we leave behind. It’s the blueprint that informs our future.
November
I’ve always known that teaching would be a cornerstone of my creative journey, and last year is when it truly took shape. From local meetups to workshops in remote corners of the globe, I was able to distill years of experience into meaningful moments for the community. While specialization often leads to great work, I believe a meaningful pursuit is just as important. If not more.
I’ve realized that making myself available to my community isn’t a secondary task to squeeze in when time permits. It’s a discipline in itself. I look to bring the same level of focus and intention to teaching as I do to photography. There’s a unique growth that comes from articulating your instincts to others. By committing to these shared experiences, I’m not just helping others find their eye. I’m refining my own.
December
Last month, I visited the town of San Pedro in Belize. Alongside a group of artists, we offered our support to an underserved community, looking to learn how we could best help the youth there. During that time, I witnessed our artists creating beautiful murals across the island. One artist, Floyd Mendoza, absolutely stupefied me with his speed and detail.
While prepping his wall, he threw on a pair of VR goggles to lay down the outline. It’s not something he usually does, but with only a few days to finish, it was a necessary step. In that moment, I saw technology intersect with the decades-old art form of graffiti, creating a process that fundamentally shifts how we approach our work.
The future guarantees a heavy dose of change and uncertainty. It’s easy to look at that shifting landscape with apprehension. But if you look closer, there’s a world of opportunity waiting there. When we embrace new techniques, we aren’t just speeding up the process. We’re unlocking entirely new ways to tell our stories.
Upcoming Events & Workshops
Leica Akademie: Video for Photographers (Seattle)
In March of next year, I’m leading a three-day workshop for photographers who are new to video. Whether you’re looking to create short films, branded content, or simply elevate your visual storytelling, this workshop provides a practical introduction to filmmaking. Learn more here.
Arctic 2026 Photography Adventure
In 2024, I traveled to Svalbard with Quark Expeditions and it was unforgettable. I’m planning a return trip in 2026 with a group of photographers. This is not a workshop. It’s an excuse for like-minded storytellers to visit one of the most remote places on earth. If that sounds like you, fill out this form to learn more.
Next year, I’m heading to India again for our second street photography adventure across the North and South. Seats have just been made available for those looking for a deep, immersive photography experience. Learn more here.
Previous Favourites
The BIG December Contest
If you’ve been hanging around Church & Street for a minute, you know December means it’s time to go big. And this is hands-down my biggest giveaway yet. Here’s all the goodness one lucky person is taking home:
What’s a Church & Street party without my pals at ShopMoment.com? This year, we’ve decided to stop messing around and just drop a $500 Gift Card straight into someone’s account. Go nuts. Treat yourself to all the gear.
You know I drag my Espresso Display everywhere. And since I can’t stop talking about how essential it is, I put together the ultimate travel bundle so one of you can upgrade your adventures and stop hunching over a tiny laptop screen. One winner will receive a 15” Espresso Pro 4K display, Stand+, and Nylon Case.
This is my personal favourite. Two Wolves was, without question, my best shot of 2025. This image won’t even be available for purchase until next year, but one of you gets to own the first print.
How will I pick the winner? Make sure you’re signed up for this newsletter then leave a comment on at least one post from this month. I’ll be randomly picking one person, confirming they meet the requirements and contacting them directly before announcing the winner publicly.
As always, this contest is void where prohibited by law. Good luck!
What’s Next?
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for being a reader of Church & Street. Whether you’re new here, or have been following along for years, I truly appreciate the support. And I look forward to sharing an incredible year of stories ahead.
GB
Great post, bro, happy new year!