2024's Worst Pictures of the Year - By Yours Truly

A Masterclass in missed moments and the 'riveting' stories behind them

The back of my lens cap as photographed at the National Eucharistic Congress.

It may seem strange, but when a group of veteran photographers get together, the conversation inevitably descends not to the best photos they’ve taken but to the worst.

That usually includes shots that they’ve completely missed, having the completely wrong camera settings, or missing focus, to name a few.

I’m not sure how this popular pastime came to be, but it makes for entertaining conversations.

It’s also quite humbling and makes you realize that as accomplished as one might be, there’s still a metric ton of photos that never see the light of day.

For example, once upon a time, I was one of the privileged few photographers allowed into St. Patrick’s Cathedral to cover Pope Francis leading Vespers during his U.S. visit. The photographers in my company were some of the best wire services photographers in New York, and that’s saying something. I, on the other hand, was there because a kind and gracious Archdiocese of New York had decided to show great mercy upon my ‘hoping to be like those guys one-day’ self.

Everyone had a long lens on a monopod, all trained on the altar where Pope Francis and Timothy Cardinal Dolan were seated, waiting for some defining moment to capture.

It appeared that the moment would occur as both walked towards each other with the intent of a handshake or embrace. And it did. All at once, you heard ten cameras on their highest frame rate, capturing every nuance at 10+ frames per second.

They joyfully embraced, smiled, and exchanged a few words, and it was perfect

Well, almost.

As they turned to walk away from each other, the whirring cameras stopped. Each photographer frantically peering into the tiny screens on their state-of-the-art cameras, searching for the perfect image to send in.

For some reason, maybe so I could tell this story, I looked up and over to the altar.

That’s when it happened.

Pope Francis abruptly stopped. Turned back towards Cardinal Dolan, his face breaking into an enormous smile, reaching out his arms, and gave two big thumbs up.

My jaw dropped.

THAT was the event-defining image. And it wasn’t on a single memory card of any of the photo pool...BECAUSE WE ALL MISSED IT.

Pope Francis doing his impression of the Fonz…

Now THAT was perfect.

Well, it’ll live forever in my mind’s eye…but nowhere else.

So, in that spirit, the spirit of occasional incompetence, looking the wrong way at the wrong time, and gloriously missed opportunities, I present you with what are a few of my worst photos of the year.

There could be more or worse ones; in fact, I’m sure there are, but these are a few that rest on their own woeful merits.

And so in no particular order…

What could have been the most perfectest, Pulitzer-worthy photograph of all time of the skull of St. Thomas Aquinas…had someone not stepped directly in front of the camera.

I only added this photo to show how sharp the focus was on the audience, which I was “clearly” trying to photograph.

Had I tried to ruin this photograph, I couldn’t have done a better job. And I’m sure that my friends the Dominican Nuns of Summit (pictured) who I tutored in photography earlier that day would agree.

And then there’s chaos. In the struggle to lift the Statue of the Blessed Mother for the Feast of the Assumption in Chinatown, a number of concerned citizens stepped in to help… literally, as you can see.

Had I been a better photogra….I mean, had Seinna the Monastery Dog been a better model, this would have been fine…

Then again…

And here we see Sister Joseph Marie OP, prioress of the Dominican Nuns of Summit, expertly cleaving a large block of butter into more manageable lots.

Now, if I were trying to photograph the Sister's habit at the Rosary Pilgrimage in Washington, DC, this wouldn’t be on this list. But as it is…well, I think you get the idea.

It’s priceless photos like this that I always try to reverse-engineer…so I might never repeat them again.

And here we have a magnificent image of the Faithful processing with Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, joyfully as they enter Brooklyn…but you already knew that.

And no photo essay would be complete without featuring my good friend, Roselle Reyes, and her crew from EWTN at the kickoff to the Eucharistic Pilgrimages in San Francisco, California.

Meanwhile in New York.

And meanwhile, on the Ohio River…if only that darn bridge weren’t right there…

And speaking of celebrities, here we have the illustrious J.D. Flynn and his son, who presumably takes better photos than this, in Indianapolis just before the start of the massive Eucharistic Procession that made history…unlike this picture.

Now, if I were trying to take a photograph of the dashboard, I’d say I nailed it. But the truth is that I was trying to take a picture of this tiny restaurant in Huntington, Indiana, where I had breakfast with the legendary editor of Angelus Magazine, Richard Beemer.

This series of photos, along with similar photos from pretty much every single solitary assignment I do, has a running theme.

I’ll let the genius of this photo speak for itself.

But let this one speak as a lesson to future generations: when you shoot manual and are in a dark Church, remember to change the settings when you step outside…unless this is how you like your pictures to appear.

I have no idea…We’d arriveed at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Lower Manhattan, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Shrine, which was a stopover on the Seton Pilgrimage Route…and well, there you go.

And in the event you were wondering if there was handicapped accessible parking at St. Patrick’s Church in North Platte, Nebraska, well, now you know.

But all kidding aside, one of the crown jewels of Catholic New York is the Lady Chapel within St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC. Here’s a photo of the floor.

What makes this photo so incredibly memorable is that it was taken on a boat carrying the Blessed Sacrament, Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Colacicco,Bishop Whelen, the Perpetual Pilgrims and my pal, Molly Lewis as we set sail for the Statue of Liberty for Benediction in New York Harbor. But you probably got all that from the photo.

And no photo essay would be complete without one from the Priestly Ordinations at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue-America’s Parish Church, the heart and soul of the city.

And I’d be seriously amiss if I’d left this classic photo out of Cardinal Tagle venerating the Altar at the Church of St. John the Evangelist.

And lastly, these two clowns who hid my lens, laughing, obviously impressed by their shenanigans…or, on second thought, probably laughing because I missed focus. Well, the jokes on them. I was trying to focus on the ceiling.

So to all of you who aspire to be great photographers…

To all who yearn to create great art…

Know this: Every now and then, despite your best efforts, phenomenal access, and cutting-edge equipment, you may produce an exquisite piece of trash.

And that’s okay.

Because of all the art forms, photography with humility with a dash of humor, makes one a better photographer—and perhaps, a better person. After all, it’s not just about capturing the perfect image; it’s about embracing the imperfections, learning from them, and laughing at yourself along the way. So go out there, keep shooting, and remember: even your worst shots have a story to tell.

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You have my heartfelt thanks for your generosity and support and please keep me in your prayers, and know of mine for each of you. God Bless, Jeff