The photographer and essayist Robert Adams wrote that “the job of the photographer is not to record indisputable fact but to try to be coherent about intuition and hope.”

The best images captured by Portland Press Herald photographers this year do just that. They are truthful, yet manage to convince us of life’s beauty.

There is the soaring delight of a young couple swinging in a snowscape by Derek Davis, or the almost holy light falling on a woman searching for rats under a bridge by Greg Rec. A sublime beauty transcends its subject matter in Shawn Ouellette’s photo of a surfer alone, looking out into an endless sea and sky. Ben McCanna’s photo of hazmat-clad firefighters at a training exercise combines wit with a freshness of vision. And Brianna Soukup’s graceful images of families dealing with tragedy show the love that binds them, and us, together.

Here are the photos from 2024 that left an impression on us.

See all of our 2024 Photos of the Year from across the Maine Trust for Local news.

 


Photo by Derek Davis

Children play a piano at Pumpkin Valley Farm during the farm’s two-day sunflower festival.

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This was a very fun assignment. I hadn’t visited a sunflower farm before, so I was in awe when I arrived and began wandering through the maze in the fields. There were stands you could climb to get above the sunflowers and take images looking down, and there were people dressed in sunflower-themed outfits. I also made images from low angles and used a telephoto lens to emphasize the detail of the flowers. I came away with many good photographs, but perhaps the best was this one of two young children playing a piano to an audience of yellow Helianthus heads.

Photo by Derek Davis

Maine State Police escort the body of Gov. Joseph Brennan, who died April 6 at the age of 89, into the State of Maine Room at Portland City Hall before a public viewing.

I never met the Portland native who served as the state’s 70th governor from 1979 to 1987, but the enormous impact he had on the state of Maine was apparent. I had also never covered a funeral service at City Hall. I knew I could not go inside, and my only opportunity to make a picture would be when the Maine State Police carried in the casket. While looking for a good position to capture the moment, I noticed how the shadow of the building created a wedge of sunlight that they would possibly walk through. I climbed up onto one of the pillars at the top of the stairs, and luckily for me, the procession went directly to the corner of sunlight, framing the scene almost perfectly.

Photo by Derek Davis

Dianuaku Paulo Bengui, 29, and Ezequias Kassinda Monteiro Zavarias, 30, who were both born in Angola, are married by officiant Katarina Reynolds at Portland City Hall on Aug. 30.

This was a dream assignment. Who knew that City Hall weddings were becoming so popular? Some of the weddings include a small ceremony in the State of Maine Room for an extra cost, but the majority happen right at the counter in the clerk’s office. On this particular day, a group of friends and family gathered in the small space while an interpreter translated from Portuguese to English, and vice versa. After the exchange of rings, the officiant pronounced the bride and groom married, and the witnesses drew close to snap photos and record video on their phones. I had to use a time-tested technique often referred to as a “Hail Mary,” raising my camera high above my head without being able to see through the viewfinder and hoping for the best.

Photo by Derek Davis

Megan Jones of Portland swings with her partner at the Eastern Promenade as heavy snow falls on March 23.

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Normally in Maine, people are pretty much done with winter by the end of March. Last year, however, the Portland area did not get as much snow as usual, and as this March 23 storm dropped large white flakes, people seemed to welcome it. I found this pair on the Eastern Promenade swinging away in silence, seemingly immersed in the morning tranquility brought by the storm. It was an unexpected and happy find to stumble upon, and I quickly positioned myself to capture the scene, focusing on the woman whose form — with legs outstretched — and colorful attire added to the moment.

Photo by Derek Davis

A woman is arrested while protesting the war in Gaza outside of Bath Iron Works, where a christening was taking place for the shipyard’s 41st guided missile destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher. 

We deliberated over whether I should go inside the shipyard to get photos of the ship’s christening, which wouldn’t have allowed me to cover much of the demonstration outside. The decision was made to stay outside of BIW, and it turned out to be the right choice. Nine people were arrested by Bath police and Sagadahoc County deputies. The juxtaposition of officers surrounding the woman and the protester’s facial expression make this image impactful. I used a wide-angle lens and got as close to the group as possible.

Photo by Ben McCanna

Hazmat suit-clad firefighters from Portland, South Portland and York County descend a grassy hill at Southern Maine Community College on June 6 en route to a training exercise that simulated a response to a chemical or biological attack.

My favorite photographic situations can be summed up in a single sentence: You don’t see that every day. I respect photographers who specialize in one area — portraits, sports, landscapes or weddings — but I think I would grow restless without the randomness of shooting general news. On this day, as teams of first responders were assembling at SMCC for a training exercise, I roamed the area with my cameras to get a sense of what they might do and where. When I spotted a group of firefighters in hazmat suits and realized they were about to walk single-file down a path through a grassy hill, I sprinted into position, hoping for the best. Lucky for me, the elements aligned with a clean background and resulted in something I’ve never seen before. This is the kind of image that puts gas in my tank.

Photo by Ben McCanna

Pigeons fly over Simon Smith as he plays the euphonium in Congress Square Park in Portland on April 17. Smith, a part-time music teacher at schools in Westbrook and Scarborough, said he was busking because it was vacation week and the students were home.

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In this job, we’re tasked with photographing the most serious subjects, from courthouse dramas to disasters, but I’d like to think the stresses and trauma from that coverage hasn’t diminished my sense of humor or wonder for everyday joy. On this day, I was asked to find a standalone photo to run as a centerpiece for the next day’s Local section of our print edition. I had about 30 minutes before the end of my shift and decided to try my luck in downtown Portland. When I spotted Simon Smith playing an instrument I’d never heard before, with pigeons swirling about, I knew I had a chance of making something fun. My boss, retiring photo editor Michele McDonald, likes to say the pigeons look like musical notes blasting free from Smith’s euphonium. Pure whimsy.

Photo by Ben McCanna

North Yarmouth Academy second graders Rhea Marotta, left, and William Cashman react as a passing vehicle complies with their classmates’ chants of “Honk if You Love Julia,” in support of NYA alum Julia Gagnon, who was a contestant on American Idol. The group stayed until they received 200 honks from passing motorists on Main Street beneath the U.S. Route 1 bridge in Yarmouth on April 30.

Newspaper photographers are sometimes exposed to hazards. When it snows, we drive into the storm. When it floods, we wade into the waters. And, when there’s a loud ruckus, we are there. This event, meant to drum up support for Julia Gagnon’s American Idol bid, was among the most ear-splittingly loud assignments I’ve ever encountered — and I’ve shot volleyball championships. More than a dozen grade-schoolers lined up under a bridge and shrieked their admiration for the singer, and shrieked louder whenever passing cars honked their approval. This cacophony was worsened by concrete abutments on either side that reverberated the sound waves. Suffice to say the decibel levels were well above a safe threshold. After making a few images from across the street, I decided to move closer to the source of the sound to capture the emotion at the heart of the commotion. Rhea Marotta and William Cashman delivered.

Photo by Ben McCanna

The sun sets over Little Diamond Island as Abel Kraft, 10, left, plays independently while his father Reed Kraft, of Peaks Island, completes the final steps of hauling out his powerboat at the public ramp on Centennial Street on June 9. The Krafts, and other members of the family, spent the afternoon boating on Casco Bay, which included flying kites off the stern.

My two favorite hobbies are incredibly compatible: photography and long walks on Peaks Island, where I live. Nothing is more enjoyable than taking a 4-mile stroll around the island’s perimeter — tides willing — and simply photographing whatever strikes me. Along the way, I’ll post the photos as Instagram stories. Sometimes the posts are portraits of my wife posing dramatically in a shaft of light. Sometimes they’re action shots of my dog running crazy-eights in the sand. But often I’m simply reacting to beauty in any of its forms, without prompts from a news assignment. It’s freeform bliss. And the stakes are low, which is good because not all photos are zingers. But on this night, the sky was captivating and the scene stopped us in our tracks. It helped that the Krafts are acquaintances and didn’t mind us gawking as Reed performed a daunting series of chores to free his boat from the mud of low tide and drive onto dry land while racing against a setting sun. The image was striking enough to endure beyond the ephemera of an Instagram story and eventually landed on the front page of the Press Herald. If only they all could occur so easily.

Photo by Ben McCanna

Bruce Unangst chews on a sensory toy as he leads Kylee Howard, his former behavioral health professional, through a bounce house at Ricker Hill Orchards in Turner on Sept. 22. Bruce’s mother, Sue Unangst, has been caring for her son, who is severely autistic, by herself since Howard left the profession.

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Photographers rely on the kindness, openness and trust of others. I met Bruce Unangst and his mother, Sue, about a week before this photo was taken. Reporter Eric Russell and I went to the Unangsts’ home in Winthrop to learn more about their plight. Bruce has autism spectrum disorder. He is nonverbal and needs help to eat, bathe and use the bathroom. Occasionally, he is aggressive toward himself and, during those episodes, wears protective gear. The visit was brief and the photographs lacked the intimacy that often occurs after the novelty of the camera wears off. During the visit, Sue mentioned that her family and some friends were planning an annual trip to Ricker Hill Orchards in Turner. “It’s one of the few traditions we’ve been able to maintain,” she said. My upbringing told me I shouldn’t interfere with their tradition. I should just let them enjoy their rare time together without being shadowed by a bulky paparazzo. But I also figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. To my delight, Sue welcomed the idea. I met the group at the orchard early on a Sunday and did my best to be unobtrusive and simply let them be themselves together. And it worked. The group settled into their activities, and Bruce was able to roam the grounds with fewer interventions. After some coaxing from Sue and Kylee Howard — his former behavioral health professional — Bruce entered a bounce house. And, for a few minutes, under a dramatic sky, a smile crept across his face as he engaged his surroundings. I felt blessed to be there to see it.

Photo by Brianna Soukup

Maria Griffin leans over to kiss her boyfriend, Harry Stuart, at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge in Portland on July 12. The two met on the dance floor of the bar several years ago. “I wouldn’t give him the time of day for two years,” Griffin said with a laugh. “But then he won my heart.”

I always wanted to take photos at Bubba’s. I remember walking in there for the first time — I instantly thought: “I must know the backstory of this place.” Eventually, I got the chance not only to take photos but to meet “Bubba” himself. The lighting, which creates a great vibe for patrons, made it pretty difficult for photos. Grace Benninghoff, the reporter, and I decided to get there early, before the bar was packed. Maria and Harry were two of the Friday night regulars we met. I caught this moment of her leaning over to give him a kiss after I had a brief conversation with them. I stopped back later that night to talk to them some more. That is when I found out they met at Bubba’s and fell in love a few years later. This moment between them felt like a perfect encapsulation of their relationship with this place. I’m sure they are far from the only people who have found some kind of love on that light-up dance floor.

Photo by Brianna Soukup

Emma Pidden waits for her bus on Congress Street in Portland on April 4. Pidden said she decided to take the bus into her office because she was worried about losing WiFi at home.

Photographing the first few big snowstorms of the year is usually fun, but by about March I’m ready to be able to feel my fingers press the shutter button again. That being said, this was a rare late-in-the-season snowstorm I enjoyed. I had just submitted my first batch of photos for the day and decided I’d keep driving around for a bit before I went to grab a cup of coffee and warm up. I saw Emma and immediately pulled my car to the side of the road and hopped out. I loved that she was the only person out there just powering through, wearing googles. It turned out to be a funny “springtime” in Maine photo.

Photo by Brianna Soukup

Farhana Ahmed has her photo taken by family members outside of Merrill Auditorium after Portland Adult Education’s graduation on June 27. Ahmed came with her family to Maine from Bangladesh in 2023.

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I’ve covered my fair share of graduations, but this year’s Portland Adult Education ceremony had to be my favorite. It was just so joyous. I often enjoy photographing behind-the-scenes or in-between action more than an actual event itself. That is where you find the less obvious moments. Amid a sea of people hugging and greeting their families outside of Merill Auditorium, I saw Farhana standing in the beautiful light and made my way over to her. I took closer photos of just her, but I ended up liking my first, wide photos better because they included her family working hard to get a perfect gradation photo for her. It just seemed really sweet to me.

Photo by Brianna Soukup

Norman Millette watches the Portland Veterans Day parade go by his barber shop on Congress Street in Portland on Nov. 11.

I wasn’t going to go to the Portland Veteran’s Day parade because there was another photographer covering the bigger parade in Biddeford and Saco, but I decided to pop down there quickly just to see if there was anything visually interesting. I got there right at the start, and it was pretty standard parade fare. I had been there only about 2 minutes when I spotted Norman Millette standing in the doorway of his shop. I waited for a break in the procession and crossed the street. I took a few photos then headed over to talk to him. I really like this photo because it feels timeless. Norman said he has been standing in that same doorway watching the parade for six decades. It makes me wonder how many other photographers may have taken a similar photo of him.

Photo by Brianna Soukup

Pat Moody, center, embraces his daughter Hayleigh Moody, 21, left, and his wife,Sherry Moody, right, during a ceremony dedicating Windham’s new basketball courts in his name on Nov. 3. Over 1,000 people attended the event honoring Moody, a Windham resident with terminal cancer who has been a long-time supporter of youth sports, especially basketball.

I got a quick moment to thank Pat Moody and his family for letting us be at this event, and told him then that I had just witnessed one of the most beautiful moments of community I’ve seen in my eight years working at the Press Herald. It was so clear how much Pat meant to his town. Hundreds and hundreds of people showed up to honor him. It was incredibly emotional and an assignment that will stay with me forever. Pat died just seven days after this photo was taken. It was truly an honor to be there and document that night.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Portland’s fireworks display seen from Bug Light Park in South Portland on July 4.

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We usually photograph Portland’s July 4th fireworks from the Eastern Promenade. This year, I decided to take a chance and photograph the fireworks from Bug Light Park in South Portland. The park was crowded, but I found a spot along the rocks where I could see the fireworks and include the small lighthouse in the photo. I think the risk paid off; this image with people standing along the rocks is very different (and I think better) than the images of fireworks I have made from the Eastern Prom over the years.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Sophia Conners, 7, rides a wave to shore with help from volunteers Colleen Clark, left, and Rich Laracy during the first Special Surfers session of the summer at Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunk on July 18.

Special Surfers have held events at Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunk since 2003, and I’ve photographed them more than a dozen times over the years. The organization’s mission is to introduce the thrill of surfing to people with developmental, emotional or physical disabilities. I always see beaming smiles and hear joyous laughter and shouts at these events. Last June, walking along the waterline, I was immediately drawn to the obvious joy of surfer Sophia Conners. Her expression in this photo perfectly sums up what Special Surfers is all about.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Pandora LaCasse in her Portland studio, where she creates and maintains the winter light forms seen throughout the city and other towns. This season marks 25 years that LaCasse has been installing the lights in public places.

When I found out that I would be making a portrait of Pandora LaCasse, who has been creating the fabulous winter light displays in Portland for 25 years, I knew I wanted to include one of her light forms in the photo. When I arrived at her studio, she was doing maintenance on three of them. As I set up my flash, she plugged in one form, and when I looked through the camera, all the lights were very far out of focus because of the lens settings from a previous assignment. I thought “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could keep the lights that far out of focus for the portrait so they would be more like orbs of lights rather than small pinpoints of LED lighting?” By positioning myself close to the lights around the form and using a very wide aperture — in this case f/1.2 on my 50 millimeter lens — I was able to keep those lights out-of-focus so it appears they are floating around LaCasse.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Stephen Gellman surfs a rapid in his kayak on the Mousam River in Kennebunk on May 2. Gellman, from Massachusets, works with Team River Runner, a national organization that introduces veterans to river kayaking as a way to heal from post-traumatic stress disorder.

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I was on my way home when I noticed two people hoisting whitewater kayaks onto their shoulders in a parking lot near the Mousam River in Kennebunk. We didn’t need a photo feature for the next day’s Press Herald, but I had never seen whitewater kayakers at this part of the river before and was intrigued, so I turned my car around and followed them to the river’s edge. They told me they were planning to surf the rapids right underneath the bridge that carries Route 1 over the river, and I immediately thought “What luck! I can photograph them from the bridge to achieve an aerial view.” I knew from past experiences photographing whitewater kayakers that there are moments when they can be quite still while surfing a river wave, so I set my shutter to a slow speed that would blur the water while bracing my camera against the railing of the bridge to keep it steady.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Brittney Smith looks for rats while walking underneath the Casco Bay Bridge in Portland.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got a January assignment to meet with people who were trying to capture and save rats under the Casco Bay Bridge in Harbor View Memorial Park. Some neighbors near the park complained of numerous rats after the city cleared a large homeless encampment there. A group formed to save the rats, saying that they were not wild but domesticated. Brittney Smith came from Fryeburg to set traps throughout the park. As she walked among the rocks, the late-afternoon sun shined on her like a stage spotlight, setting her apart from the surrounding darkness under the bridge.

Photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

A loon flaps its wings at dusk on Kidney Pond in Baxter State Park on Aug. 22.

When I was younger, my one and only goal when I went to Baxter State Park was to hike to the peak of Katahdin. As a young adult on one such a trip, my group and I arrived too late to score a parking spot near any of Katahdin’s trailheads. I was encouraged by a ranger to try another mountain, Doubletop, and sent to park by Kidney Pond. What started off as a disappointment turned out to be a blessing in disguise. On this trip, we found a new favorite camping spot at Kidney Pond and a new mountain we love to hike. So 20 or so years later, I was paddling with my wife, Amy, enjoying the mountain views and serenity of the pond when this loon popped up from the water and flapped its wings. It’s moments like this that bring me back to Baxter State Park year after year.

Photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Cooper Flagg dunks the ball on the first possession of the game at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Jan. 5. 

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The Cross Insurance Arena was packed with cheering fans eager to see Cooper Flagg and his twin brother, Ace, on their return to Maine after transferring to Montverde Academy, a private prep school in Florida known for its basketball program. The fans were not disappointed as Cooper scored the game’s first points with this monstrous dunk. He went on to score 23 points, and Ace added 6.

Photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Choreographer Michelle Kapschull, center, works with dancers as they rehearse for a performance based on Portland writer MZ’s novel “The Moorings of Mackerel Sky.” The dancers and choreographer are reflected in a mirror as they rehearse at Casco Bay Movers on Jan. 21.

The choreographer and dancers deserve any and all credit for this photo. They were dancing beautifully with colorful scarves; I was just hoping my photos would do them justice. After shooting from every angle I could think of, I focused my attention on their reflection in the mirror and waited for all the elements to line up.

Photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Kira Scholl, 7, and Dax Scholl, 8, of Cape Elizabeth wear eclipse glasses as they watch the sky through the sunroof of a vehicle at the Eastern Promenade in Portland on April 8.

As thousands of visitors flocked to northern Maine to watch the total solar eclipse, I was assigned to photograph Portland’s view. While not in the path of totality, Portland still had hundreds of people spread out throughout the city, and especially on the Eastern Prom, taking in the rare occurrence. I noticed these two kids watching through the sunroof of their parked vehicle with eclipse glasses on.

Photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Wess Moseman of South Portland watches the choppy waves roll in from his surfboard at Higgins Beach in Scarborough on October 7.

While feature-cruising on my favorite route — the coastal route from Saco to Portland — I came across this scene at Higgins Beach. I almost drove off as I only saw one surfer and the waves weren’t too exciting. But I decided to pull over and get out to take a closer look. I liked the view of him, alone, looking out at the water and the vastness of the empty ocean on this gray day. It gives it a different feel than other shots of surfers I’ve taken.

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