Having been with the Naples Daily News for over two years, I have gotten to know this community very well and have been incredibly impacted by the people in it.
This collection of photographs doesn't necessarily represent my best work, but more the moments that mean the most to me from the year.
Some of these moments have just been really exciting to photograph, like professional bull riding from the skywalk in Germain Arena or rugby practice on the beach at sunset.
Other photographs are of people who have made a significant impact on me, like Jordan Beaubrin, who is a sexual abuse survivor and uses bodybuilding to find her strength, or personal trainer Sammy Callari, who uses his friendship with 13-year-old Parker Seward to raise awareness about the abilities, not disabilities, of those with Down syndrome.
Some of the most important moments were also the hardest to document; like 6-year-old Maria walking through what was left of her family's trailer after Hurricane Irma hit Immokalee, or April Ruiz mourning the loss of her Marine brother.
As we begin a new year, I look back on 2017 and feel nothing but gratitude toward the people who have trusted me to tell their stories.
