My favorite pictures from 2009

Instead of a "best of" gallery, this is a series of pictures from the last year that stuck out because of a story behind the picture or because the picture is different in some way.

I've learned a lot in the last year and have a long way to go. I hope that you enjoy viewing these pictures as much as I enjoyed making them.

Onlookers wave flags as the U.S.S. New York sails through heavy fog on the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The ship was built with about eight tons of steel from the World Trade Center site and is on its way to New York for a commissioning ceremony.

The fog made for a more interesting picture. I shot this while on assignment for the AP, and they ended up selecting it as one of approximately 150 best domestic news pictures of the year.