A while back I went to a lecture by the illustrious portrait and fashion photographer Richard Avedon. He stressed the importance of a subject's hands to the success of the portrait.

That tip has stuck with me. Often a person's face looks pleasant, but their in-front-of-the-lens nervousness finds expression in tortured finger clasping or awkward hand placement. (The entry image on Avedon's website is of him, apparently holding hands with a subject during a photo shoot.)

Days before his scheduled deportation, I was assigned to photograph Obain Attouoman, a beloved Boston, Mass., high school teacher from the Ivory Coast. I shot images as Attouoman and students from Fenway High School planned rallies and press conferences on his behalf. The mood was upbeat, and the photo we ran echoed the excitement.

However, when I pulled Attouoman into an empty office for a portrait, he presented a different front.

Normally, I would have coached him on his body language, especially his hands clutching a rolled up sheet of paper. However, in this case, I feel his posture expresses his simmering frustration.

I'm still scraping the ice off my car windows these days, but at least the serenade of recently returned songbirds lets me entertain thoughts of spring and thawing.

I thoroughly enjoy capturing the passing seasons with my camera, but I think this frosted morning stream scene in Weston, Mass., not only says winter, but "cold."

One of my editors remarked, "You look at that picture in summer and you'll shiver!"