As 2010 passes by and 2011 begins, I want to say thank you to all who have helped me become a better photographer this past year.

The first mention has to go to Chase Jarvis and the creativeLIVE organization. As a teacher myself, I am totally amazed by how creativeLIVE is changing the model of education. Their free online seminars were a real touch point for my learning this year. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch some of all 6 photography master classes for free throughout the year, and each one was an amazing learning opportunity. Thanks to Zach Arias, Jeremy Cowart, David DuChemin, Tamara Lackey, Jasmine Star and Vincent LaForet – you have made a difference in my work and life!

Joe McNally is always an inspiration – he blends fantastic writing and teaching with such depth of experience and knowledge that it’s hard to believe you actually get to tap into it through his videos and blog posts. Thank you!

I would be remiss in not mentioning the Strobist blog by David Hobby – year after year it continues to be an incredible source of information about off-camera lighting and photography in general. I’m currently reading Light: Science and Magic based on the continued mentions on his blog, and it is another great resource.

Gary Cosby’s A Little Newsphotojournalism blog was another source of great inspiration this year. Like myself, Gary is a Christian and he has a wonderful ability to write about the intersection between his faith and his work. He went through a tragic year, losing his young son to Down’s Syndrome, but throughout the whole ordeal his honest writing and willingness to share his pain, hope and faith were inspiring.