Stage II
Typeface selection is a critical skill for visual communication. One option made the image look like an insurance ad, another's thick-to-thins and oblique angle complicated the message, and a third made the image look like a Christmas card.

Final
Our final type selection (ITC Avant Garde) retains a clear, crisp edge suitable for the wintry scene. The geometry of the photo is carried through in the "circle and stick" letterforms, while the roundness of the face keeps it from being too cold. The light clouds at the photo's top lead the eye to the left edge of the quote, which leads nicely into the shadow driving over to the tree's base. The quote attribution in the lower left anchors the composition so the long horizontals in the left two-thirds are balanced by the verticals of the tree and type in the right one-third. Designspeak aside, the result is a lovely image with quiet strength.