In photography, knowing your WHY can guide each choice you make, from composition and lighting to the themes you explore, ensuring your work feels authentic and meaningful. But it’s not just about the art of photography, but expressing what and how you feel and believe. Today, on this last celebratory show before Christmas, 23 of this year's guests once more reveal their own WHY in a compilation of inspiration to close out on the year.

From the mailbag, Mark Christensen sets out on his first street mission, Harald Kahles has some ideas for specials in ’25, Susan Larsson has found a social replacement for Insta, Peter Turnbull is making environmental portraits, Glenn Sowerby has found the secret for enjoying photography, and Allin Sorenson with a story of 370 million pairs of eyes staring down the lens of a television camera lens at Christmas.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

PHOTOGRAPHY IS MY ANCHOR is something that’s said by one of my three guests today. A friend of the show, Andrew Gifford, through his Instagram grid, describes in pictures the most potent personal photo project, which conveys how it feels to have M.E. in a story of resilience. Then Dana Stirling’s book ‘Why am I sad?’ is a testament to just how important creative expression is during times of adversity, and a former guest of the show Jack Lowe, who’ll be appearing in a longer interview early in the new year, shares a very special project called ‘A photo for you,’ probably one of the simplest but most profound ideas I’ve heard about this year.

Also, from the mailbag, Melissa Berman finds that her late uncle was somewhat of a photographic legend as his pictures of New York in three decades from the 60s go on display at one of the world’s most prestigious photo events, Craig Wilson is celebrating originality, Rikki-Paul Bunder has set himself a weekend photographic challenge with rules of curiosity and the photojournalist Peter Dench has a reminder for December’s assignment.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Today on the show, we recognise love as "Universal, regardless of identity and sexuality." Valérie Jardin's ONE LOVE is a new black-and-white photography project in America celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, aiming to inspire greater understanding and acceptance, sharing stories of love in its most authentic form.

Lydia Robinson's 'Queer Love' started as a passion project based around queer relationships and documenting couples in the UK. Through this series, Lydia aimed to show a more intimate and personal insight into LGBTQ+ relationships and how they are no different than cisgender heteronormative partnerships. She is recognised as an emerging talent by many publications, including Gay Times.

Also, from the mailbag J. Reed Gidez is living my dream on Route 66, Shiraz Chanawala has started making 30,000 step walks finding the therapeutic process of photography both mentally and physically, our man in Finland, Pekka introduces us to Harry Potter-like wizardry to rescue lost digital files and a NEW assignment courtesy of the photojournalist Peter Dench lays in wait for you as we’re now in December.

Links to all guests and features will be on the showpage, my sincere thanks to MPB who sponsor this show and the Extra Milers without whom we wouldn't be walking each week.

WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.