This portrait of the geisha Makiko of Gion Kobu was taken while Makiko was showing me poses from a dance, but it is not a pose from the dance itself. Makiko had paused to think for a moment, and I asked her to hold the pose. It just felt right to me, and I wanted to capture that moment.

Most people would probably not consider this a holiday image, but I consider the end of one year and the beginning of the next as a time for reflection and contemplation, not just celebration. I like to look back on the past year briefly, look ahead to the new year and what it will bring, and think about where I am in my life right now. I hope everyone takes at least a few moments to do the same.

This will be my last post of 2012. I'll see you again on the second or third Sunday of 2013.