Olivia Newport Ally's grad

Photo by Larry Mohr

What makes a picture a favorite?

Sometimes it’s startling vibrancy of color.

Sometimes it’s tender sentiment.

Sometimes it’s the response it evokes, from laughter to sadness to awe.

And sometimes it’s the story it tells.

The picture I am using here is somebody in my extended family on a very proud day. At this time of year, thousands upon thousands of people have this kind of proud day. What blows me away is not the event, but the story. The day was bursting with accomplishment. The moment was crammed with swelling hearts. The venue was crowded with people. But in this picture what matters is that photographer and subject found each other in that split second, and in a sea of stories, theirs is the only one that matters.

• What favorite picture do you have that tells a favorite story?