If you’re celebrating, then I hope you have a Merry Christmas! We’ve reached the final episode for 2018 and what better way to send us off than by looking back at the top photography themes and stories that made headlines this year. Fortunately, my guest knows a thing or two about what makes a great story. Alex Cooke is the Editor in Chief at Fstoppers and has been involved in writing and coordinating the publishing of over 4,000 photo stories this year, including my articles!

Each year, certain dominant themes tend to crop up and make us stop and think. Social media has been in the limelight this year, especially when it comes to Facebook. Instagram has also had its share of news, from the influencers who scam their followers to those who go into debt trying to appear “en vogue”. Of course, mirrorless cameras had a huge year with a bevy of new offerings from Sony, Canon, and Nikon. And how could we forget about our beloved drones and the foolish operators who ruin it for the rest of us? Fortunately, Alex and I share our thoughts on all of these topics, in addition to sharing our predictions for what we’ll see in 2019!

Before I go, I want to take a moment to thank all of you who listen to the show every week, write in to tell me how much you love it, and for being such amazing supporters. 2018 was a bumpy year and we had some hiccups with the show, but I’m more excited than ever about what we’re going to do and I am SO happy to have you along for the ride!

• Woman Lands Herself in $10,000 of Debt Trying to Become ‘Instagram Famous’ [via Fstoppers]
• These Instagram Followers Got Scammed, and so Can You! [via Fstoppers]
• Drug Dealers Arrested After Crashing Their Drone in Prison With Footage of Themselves on Memory Card [via Fstoppers]
• Dumb and Dumber: A Drone Flies Dangerously Close to an A380 During Take Off [via Fstoppers]
• London Gatwick Airport Shut Down After Drone Sightings [via Fstoppers]
• What Would Actually Happen If a Drone Hit an Aircraft [via Fstoppers]
• Why Are We So Surprised By Facebook’s Data Scandals? [via Wired]