A Graceful Exit – My Favorite Photo of 2026

Poor Hamish.

I had another image all lined up and written about for my 2026 Favorite Photo of the Year, a black-and-white photograph of a celebrated boys’ choir processing in song down the aisle of a storied Manhattan church. Hamish edited it and dutifully and generously placed it into the queue.

Then this scan came back from the lab, leaving me with a conundrum.

In many ways this second frame is a departure for me: bright color; taken with a vintage camera that I’m still learning to use; and shot at a focal length, 28mm, that I seldom employ.

Rather than emerging from a darkroom print, as has so much of my work this year, including the choir image, this one is a straight scan from a professional lab, lightly tweaked in Photoshop.

Most galling: I didn’t even remember taking it. There was a two-month delay between firing the shutter and delivering the film to the lab, during which this particular image faded from my memory.

As I looked over it, struck by the colors and by the juxtaposition of the disappearing figure and the shabby New York City subway staircase, it came back to me. I remembered being disappointed when taking the photo at not having been quicker on the uptake. The woman’s silver lamé skirt and shoes were indicative of a broader fabulosity. I felt I’d flubbed the opportunity by not getting in closer, quicker.

Instead of a failure, however, this partial portrait has edged out the boys’ choir and every other contender—in the process becoming my favorite photo of 2026.

(…for now…)

Thanks for reading.

FEATURED IMAGE: A Graceful Exit. Nikon FE. Nikkor AI 28mm f/2.8. Kodak UltraMax 400 at 320. Processed and scanned at PhotoLife Brooklyn.

You can see more of my work at www.leica1933.com.

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