Press Herald’s 2020 Photos of the Year

We will never forget 2020, a year of tumult and heartbreaking loss. The coronavirus pandemic shook the world, the Black Lives Matter movement focused our attention on systemic racism, and the U.S. president was impeached. Schools and businesses closed. People lost their livelihoods and their lives. Millions of people protested, and a record number of Americans voted. And as the year came to a merciful close, hope emerged.

These narratives played out across the country and in the streets and homes of Maine. Our photojournalists told them in the images they made.

This year, instead of choosing the ‘best’ photos of the year, we’re telling the story of the year in pictures. Wearing masks and staying socially distanced, the photojournalists of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram recorded this historic year with grace, poetry and courage.

In photos: Lighting up the night

The winter solstice, the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, takes place at 5:02 a.m. Dec. 21. The long nights of a pandemic have been made beautiful, though, with holiday lights throughout our cities and towns. Many people put their displays up earlier than usual this year as a way to bring joy and help dispel the gloom of a difficult year. Press Herald photographers recorded some of the colorful beauty.

In photos: Mainers talk about what they’re grateful for

Thanksgiving is over, but being thankful doesn’t have to end with the holiday. Despite the hardships of the coronavirus pandemic, finding reasons to be grateful can help make our lives better. Research has shown that gratitude can have health benefits, from sleeping better, to feeling less stress and more contentment. Throughout November, Press Herald Staff Photographer Brianna Soukup recorded images of Mainers who told her what they are thankful for.

Apple-picking time, a fall tradition in Maine, has arrived

An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away, and even during a pandemic, apple picking can be a healthy outdoor activity, with masks and precautions in place.