AS A RULE I HATE personal end-of-year reviews for the same reason you probably do: these humblebrags of tragédie moderne do little to secure a global peace where zero-calorie foie gras not only exists but is a birthright. Yet my situation is different (no, seriously). My Top 10 list is my reward to my ADD brain for staying focused throughout the year long enough to accomplish, well, stuff. Without further ado, following is my own rundown of favorite photo shoots and other moments that brightened my year (and brain).
 

10. OLE!
 

My first-ever international photo exhibit, featuring the Islenos people and culture of St. Bernard Parish in Southeast Louisiana, opened in November 2014 on the Canary island of Tenerife, Spain, and was attended by government and military officials (see above). But the reason this footnote wound up on this year's list is because in mid-2015 the exhibit began touring the other Canary Islands with tentative plans for the photo collection to hit the Iberian mainland in the not-too-distant future. (Yes, yours truly took the oversized photo hanging on the wall behind the dignitaries. Hey, just sayin'.) 

9. REEL WORLD

Despite all odds I cobbled together my first sizzle reel -- a best-of collection of my photographic work in various genres, designed ideally for potential clients with ADD or who are otherwise too busy to peruse my website. Check out the reel here:  http://bit.ly/1JhPnlI. (Spoiler alert: It doesn’t totally suck. Honest.)

8. GOOD ENERGY

It's a blast teaming with new corporate clients to help translate their branding and marketing goals into visual realities for the company’s website, social media platforms, advertising programs, brochures, you name it. No more so than the day I staged a day-long photo shoot with the "green team" of Diversified Energy to shine the spotlight on the company’s friendly and knowledgeable staff utilizing state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and technologies needed to turn homes into energy-efficient abodes. Go team!

7. ABOUT FACE

Senior portraits are always fun when my subjects are willing to experiment with the cinematic approach I bring to the genre. For instance, Michaela (top) had zero interest in cliché senior photographs of her sitting in a grassy field and staring at a handful of dandelions. Instead she was keen to explore her "inner-swamp princess." Lighting the swamp scene was tricky but I had my buddy Tommy along to help me achieve my goal of creating the look of a circa-1930s hand-tinted photograph. Michaela looked "like a storybook swamp fairy," said a friend. My half-day session with Duy (above) included cruising around New Orleans, employing urban grit and downtown cool as backdrops. But we also made time for an evening shoot at a New Orleans hotel rooftop because I wanted to create the look of an emerging, young man-about-town at his dapper, sophisticated best. 

6. THE 'JAMES' GANG

I love food/restaurant photography. Fortunately, I had the pleasure twice this year of being hired to shoot food-related projects -- French Press Coffeehouse (top) and El Paso Mexican Grill (above) -- for my friend and former Times-Picayune colleague James Haik, who oversees his multimedia advertising/marketing/public relations company Yee-Haw Media Productions. James also has a crackerjack graphics team that makes my work look amazing as his artists did with this billboard (above right). Working with the top-notch crew at Yee-Haw Media never gets old.

5. 'KICK' IN THE PANTS

It was a thrill last year shooting unit stills for the multimillion-dollar movie "Kickboxer: Vengeance," starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, scheduled for release in 2016. But even that paled by comparison when Radar Pictures this year began releasing promotional images I shot during film production in New Orleans. Damn it's nice when your hard work finally sees the light of day. 

4. TURKISH DELIGHT? ER, NO

This year for the first time I had one of my copyrighted photographs appropriated without my knowledge, permission and/or payment -- a Bozo no-no. (Friend: "Does this mean you've finally made it?" Me: "I'll have my people call your people.") The image, “Gerona, Spain, 2 A.M.” (see above) was used as the sole photograph in a YouTube video featuring the classic song, “Vaya Con Dios.” Turns out the person was a scarf-wearing hipster (whose photo and name I have blackened out) living in Turkey. Fortunately the British-style civility of my friendly cease-and-desist request made the matter disappear immediately. To which I say to Mr. Scarf, "Teşekkür ederiz!" (that's Turkish for thank you).

3. COPY THAT!

One of this year's highlights was being hired as editor at TravelHost New Orleans (a quarterly print and online magazine, distributed throughout the city’s newsstands, hotels, tourism-related venues and digital social-media platforms), to oversee a savvy staff of well-tuned beat writers covering the Big Easy’s multifaceted entertainment, food, historic architecture, music, recreation and tourist attraction scenes. Click http://bit.ly/1joayqc to check out first issue I had the pleasure to edit.

2. HOUSE RULES

Photographing upscale architecture and real estate is a passion I developed early during my days as staff photographer at The Times-Picayune. So I cherish every professional opportunity to create and deliver to clients exceptional images that capture the equally noteworthy environmental spaces I shoot. One of my favorites was this one-of-a-kind, Contemporary Mediterranean masterwork featuring Venetian- and Spanish-Revival accents, Italian marble floors, brilliantly articulated tray (or recessed) ceilings, and a kitchen whose domed ceiling soars to 20 feet. Simply irresistible!

1. NEW WEBSITE, NEW LOOK

It is a great pleasure to announce my completely redesigned-for-2016 website featuring a new and bold, sophisticated look that includes larger full-screen layouts and easier-to-scroll photo galleries. Check it out at www.jamesgaffneyphotography.com and let me know what you think -- comments are always welcome! 

Meantime, Happy New Year everyone, everywhere …