Stephen M. Katz's favorite photograph for 2008

Rarely does a week go by that someone doesn’t ask me, “What is you favorite thing to shoot?” or “What do you like most about being a photographer?” And the answer is always the same: you, the subject.

All good photojournalists have a natural curiosity about the world around them and enjoy meeting new people from all walks of life. My favorites are the most common of individuals. I am not easily star-struck, and I get no pleasure from waiting in a crush of media and spectators to capture a glimpse of somebody famous.

For me, the most interesting people to cover are those like Archie Kimberlin. Archie is everyone’s favorite uncle; a plain-spoken man, humble and kind. Time flew by as we sat beneath a tree in his backyard. I learned about something I knew nothing about – pigeon racing – and I had the chance to lose myself in the tales of a man whose life contains lessons we can all learn something from. These are the moments I cherish in my job – the subjects I never forget.