Continuing with our favorite images from 2009, I thought I’d put a break in the middle of the year to highlight the part of my job that I had the hardest time learning, since I didn’t come from a photography background. Studio.

Working with Strikeforce has enabled me to spend time with many fighters on their roster taking portraits. Each event I take portraits of about twenty fighters.  It’s been a splendid journey.

I consider myself closer to a photojournalist than art photographer, only because I’m kind of awful at speaking with people, directing them to do what I see in my head. This year afforded me many chances to improve that part of me and I’m grateful.

Either tomorrow or Thursday we’ll wrap up the year with the rest of the images.

Here’s my favorite studio work of the year.