01/28/2026
Best of 2025
Every year, I make this same post about the torturous exercise that I do - taking stock of a whole year’s worth of images, & distilling it down to 100 images that are my favorites. It’s brutal, but so useful to give myself some feedback.
Whenever I start this project, I always go into it feeling like the images I took in the previous year were… lacking somehow. But once I compile the final set, it’s a bit of a sigh of relief. What I saw were moments of joy, clients that have continued to trust me to document their important work, people who were vulnerable & trusted me to take their portraits, quiet moments of reflection, & new adventures as a family. Last year had me in Chicago, Austin, Ft. Lauderdale, New York, Shenandoah, Williamsburg, New River Gorge, & Hawaii. Hawaii was particularly special, because it only happened because another client had to switch their conference to virtual last minute, so I got to re-approach an existing client that I had previously had to decline due to the conflict, & they graciously let my wife & son tag along! It was fun letting them see what I do, & have my son shoot alongside me a bit.
While not really fitting in my “100 best photos” theme, I did want to mention that I’ve been incorporating video more for my clients over the last year. I’ve done a few things in the past for clients, but on the sly. I decided to lean into the medium & offer those services more fully. I’ve been so fortunate to have a colleague nearby who’s a great editor, & she’s been helping turn mountains of footage into engaging content. Check out some of our work at: https://www.samlevitan.com/video
As usual, I am forever grateful & indebted to my colleagues, collaborators, clients, fellow APA|DC members, & family. They put up with my strange job. My wife, son, & father-in-law keep things going at home when I’m away & our doggo, Rufus, who reminds us to stay positive each day.
2026 is looking to be another odd one, but with a lot of adventures in store. I’m looking forward to putting together another set like this next year!
For a more pleasant viewing experience, click here:
http://www.samlevitan.com/2025best/
- Enjoy!
-Sam
