Best Of 2025 Part II - Photos

Continuing with my wrap up of 2025. These are not necessarily the best of my photos from last year in terms of being technically correct or outstanding overall quality, but they are my favorites because of the subject, the circumstances surrounding taking them or some personal connection. I believe the most important thing about a photograph lies not in the technical aspects but simply how it makes you feel.

           

Art alley in Rapid City. I often encounter good subjects there, some I know and some are strangers. Both instances are represented in these two pictures. Taken with my vintage Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 using 35mm black and white film. 

Another black and white. Digital this time. Taken at Mt. Roosevelt near Deadwood.

Two from the county fair last summer.

Experimented with the editing process by adding a saturated neon effect to this one. I think it only works because I was there during and right after a rain shower. Might have been rather dull otherwise.

                                   

I felt a little out of my element at this photo shoot in Spearfish Canyon. But the models were amazing and it was a lot of fun.

Another one from Spearfish Canyon. So much color there in the Fall.

I came up with this one for an exhibit at The Matthews Gallery. It was part of a show called "Mind Matters" dealing with the subject of mental health, dependency, recovery and associated themes. I called this image "A Bitter Pill." 

         

Can you tell I like shooting in black and white?

"15 Birds". A good example of a minimalistic style. Lucky to have gotten the composition just right, in my opinion.

         

I learned about Wabi-Sabi...a traditional Japanese style of art involving the concept of finding beauty in decay and imperfection. These are my interpretations.

Just for fun. Caught this guy at a political demonstration in Rapid City.

And...of course...I still shoot a lot of Polaroids so I had to include at least one -

Just kids being kids. Taken at the Black Hills Pow Wow. 

I'll be back out there in 2026 with my digital, my 35mm, or one of my Polaroid cameras. I might even break out my 1970s Kodak 110. In any case, I plan to follow the advice of Audrery Hepburn in Funny Face when she exclaimed "Take the picture! Take the picture!"

Roger O'Dea     1/2/2026

Best of 2025, Part I - Books

I like to read. So I've compiled a list of my favorite books of 2025 for those of you who share my literary enthusiasm. My hope is that you may find something of interest in the following list. It's a good list.

Poetry about life in the United States that are more like short stories than poems.

Fun read. Set mostly in western and southwestern South Dakota. It's fiction but lots of references to familiar places and actual events. And some of the characters are eerily similar to real people I've known.

This one is shocking and pretty scary non-fiction. If A.I. continues to develop on its current path we may all be doomed.

Speaking of being doomed, this one is a variation on the theme. It's dark humor and a very cleverly written novel. I couldn't wait to find out what was in that damned box.

More poetry. This time based on Lakota culture. I had the privilege of meeting the author in person. Cool guy. Wonderfully illustrated by Thomasina Topbear.

Another one with a Native theme. A journey of personal discovery.

A work of fiction but the further I got into it, the more I realized this could be real. Possibly a harbinger of things to come. I hope not. 

I didn't write this to be an advertisement but it's true that I acquired all of these from Henry's Books in Spearfish, South Dakota. It's a great little bookstore. Not as huge as Barnes and Noble or Books-A-Million  and not as easy as just clicking on a keyboard to order by mail, but it's also not as sterile or impersonal. People there will actually talk to you, make recommendations and truly appreciate your business. And it's kind of like the record store...it's a place where you can just go and visit your friends. 

Roger O'Dea   12/31/2025

I Know The Future - 2026 Predictions

This will be my first time predicting events for the year ahead. I was inspired by reviewing predictions made for 2026 by some random psychics. And I use the word "psychic" loosely. Their predictions are general, non-specific, and sometimes ridiculous. Here's what I mean -

Judy Heavenly's credits include creating the Blue Dot for National Enquirer. Her claim involves "infusing a blue dot with psychic energy." Just cut it out of the tabloid and carry it with you to the nearest slot machine or lottery retailer and you will win big. Here's what she says about 2026:

President Donald Trump will emphasize America's dominance in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, oil production, and energy independence. Key word is "emphasize." Since he emphasizes everything he says, that one is easy.

Democrats and Republicans will be challenged to collaborate on a renewed economic strategy to restore prosperity. Challenged? Obviously. But challenged doesn't mean they will actually work together to accomplish anything.

Mobile robots will work alongside human employees in warehouses, autonomously navigating aisles to collect packages. Isn't that happening now?

The Toronto Blue Jays will win the 2026 World Series in baseball. Now that one is unusually (for her) specific. BetMGM says right now they are not the favorite. This is one easy to track. And futures bets for 2026 baseball are open now so I might put twenty bucks on it. 

A few more for 2026 from various sources: 

Clint Eastwood will pass away.  Well, he's 95 so...

Several major corporations will announce they've achieved AI systems capable of genuine innovation, not just pattern recognition. Seems like we're already there, or very close at least. We've been headed in that direction for several years.

There will be technological breakthroughs and changes in communication and commerce. Happens every year.

So if that's all it takes to get published, I can do that. My predictions for 2026:

A politician will get caught in a lie, then claim ignorance or "not my fault." I can guarantee that one.

Streaming services will raise subscription prices. Just like every other year. 

Aliens from outer space will make official contact with humans and explain where we went wrong and messed everything up, and tell us how to fix it. That's probably more wishful thinking than an actual prediction.

We will ignore the advice of our alien visitors and try to fight them. They will win the fight, then leave, taking with them our last best hope for saving ourselves...from ourselves. Because we continue to be our own worst enemies.

Evil will persist and evil deeds will increase. But honest and decent people will continue to do good things. 

Residential home prices will tumble. I don't see how a two bedroom, one bath with no garage and no finished basement can continue to sell for three hundred large. 

I will break 90 on the golf course. Don't bet on this one. However, it's not entirely out of the question.

ZZ Top (what's left of them), Buckcherry, and Big Skillet will appear in concert at the Buffalo Chip. Just like they do every...single...year.

That's probably enough. So, to wrap things up, I sincerely hope every one of you have a good year in 2026. To my friends close by - let's get together more often. To my friends far away - I miss you, and if it's possible at all, let's make an effort to get together at least once. To my acquaintances - let's try to become friends. We don't need to hang out often or during the off hours at the plant, but knowing someone even just enough to be able to call them a friend is somehow...comforting. In the immortal lyrics of a favorite Bob Dylan song - Stick with me baby. Stick with me anyhow. Things should start to get interesting right about now.

Roger O'Dea    12/29/2025