Stanley Rammelsberg

My maternal grandfather was dubbed the "master of the fork and knife," by my brother, a man who was born in Cincinnati, but lived most of his adult life in Indianapolis. Stanley worked a bunch of sales jobs, selling everything from clothing to jewelry, struggling to support his wife Flora, daughter Judy and son Mike. He had a rough life, but nothing seemed to bring a smile to his face more than seeing his grandkids. And for that, you've got admire him. This is a portrait I shot of Stanley in the 1970s.

Alex Kruglov

Alex is extremely well-read (three books at all times, a mix of non-fiction and fiction), can talk jazz, creates personalized playlists when friends come over, and could answer to the name "Sasha." Alex is a great dad and really good at working physical and virtual rooms. Hello pop.in! http://pop.in

Michael Oldenburg

DJI's Michael Oldenburg is great at what he does, will go the extra mile (and then some) to show me a new product, demo it really well, and is fun to share a gluten-free meal with.

Anthony Quintano

There is no storm, natural disaster or tech event Anthony Quintano would miss. And he shoots killer drone shots and sunsets from his perch on Oahu. What's not to admire about that?

Mr. Jinx

Most of the day is spent sleeping, except when we walk into the room, and he starts to sense that he might be able to get something to eat. Jinx loves to drink water--out of the kitchen or bathroom sink, and no morning is complete without stepping into the show after we do. 17 years, and he's as hungry and thirsty as ever. And always happy to raise his head for a cat smile when we enter the room, for a pat. That's admirable.

Dave Granowsky

"Smile while you're sleeping, laugh while you're awake." That was per my late grandfather, Dave Granowsky, an immigrant from Ukraine (then part of Russia) and his motto. It's how I've tried to live my life as well. I even smile when I wake up too.

Theresa Chong

I first met my friend Theresa on video shoots for USA TODAY and we've stayed in touch through the years. Theresa is a dedicated multimedia journalist with a keen interest on science. She also has a terrific YouTube channel called Chewable Structures, where he she makes fun food out of things, like the Golden Gate Bridge. This photo is a frame grab from the video we did together on how to photograph the San Francisco icon.

Jerry Graham

The one and only Jerry Graham, my dad, the original Jerry Granowsky, who taught me: how to write conversationally, enunciate, light up a room with charm (I'm not as effective) laugh (Marx Bros. WC Fields) enjoy life. Sadly for him, the sports thing didn't rub off.

Buffy's former publicist left Hollywood to raise her kids in Bozeman, MT, and never turned back. In Bozeman, she became the queen of carmel, or make that, Good Karmal, delicious treats that follow the fortune cookie model--what fun quote will be wrapped along with the chocolate sea salt? Https://www.goodkarmal.com

Mr. Jinx

Most of the day is spent sleeping, except when we walk into the room, and he starts to sense that he might be able to get something to eat. Jinx loves to drink water--out of the kitchen or bathroom sink, and no morning is complete without stepping into the show after we do. 17 years, and he's as hungry and thirsty as ever. And always happy to raise his head for a cat smile when we enter the room, for a pat. That's admirable. And yes, he hates meeses to pieces too.

The great Christopher Michel

Encouraging, inspiring, awesome. Three words that pretty much sum up my friend, the San Francisco investor and uber photographer Christopher Michel.

Edward C. Baig

Ed is my USA TODAY colleague, my NY counter-part, my partner in crime. We watched the iPhone get born and grow together, and may I say, to the outside world, he's the "nice one."

Cindy Schwarzstein

Cindy runs Cartwheel Art, a Los Angeles company that specializes in giving tours of the downtown LA art scene, especially the Arts District and is a tireless promoter of what's happening in the City of Angels.