PHOTOS of the YEAR 2016
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PORTLAND PRESS HERALD / MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM
PHOTOS of the YEAR

Good photographers make great pictures from situations that are loaded with visual possibility. Great photographers make something out of nothing. The Portland Press Herald’s photographers consistently make interesting, beautiful, moody and emotional photos not only from important news events but also from the most ordinary events of our lives. In 2016, our photographers covered politics, from the heated presidential campaigns to the emotional election night gatherings. They traveled the state, photographing lobstermen in Stonington and residents of the remote town of Allagash. They spent time with people like Arianna, a 5-year-old girl who was living in the woods until her family found an apartment. And they captured everyday moments, from a game of pickup basketball to a bird’s-eye-view of a crane operator high above Portland. They made thousands of frames and drove thousands of miles to tell Maine’s stories. This collection represents some of their best work from the year.

FRIDAY, JAN. 6, 5:30 TO 7:30 P.M. | PHOTOS OF THE YEAR: OPENING RECEPTION
Meet the faces behind the lenses during the Photos of the Year exhibit. Hear the stories of each photo from the photographers themselves.
Portland Public Library. Free and open to the public.

SATURDAY, JAN. 14, NOON TO 1 P.M. | THE BEAUTY OF THE ORDINARY
Photographers Derek Davis and Gregory Rec exemplify one of the basic truths of photography: It’s not expensive equipment or exotic locations that make great photographs. It’s how a photographer sees the world. Derek and Greg consistently make extraordinary photos from the most ordinary situations - and they do it on deadline. Come talk with them about how they do it. Portland Public Library. Free and open to the public.

SATURDAY, JAN. 28, NOON TO 1 P.M. | ARIANNA’S STORY
Chrissy Chavez, Troy Jethro and their 5-year-old daughter, Arianna, lived in the woods in Portland for weeks this summer before finding an apartment in Auburn. Photographer Brianna Soukup and reporter Randy Billings will join Chrissy to talk about the complicated process of telling the family's story. They’ll explain how photographers and writers collaborate, discuss why Chrissy and Troy gave us access to their lives and relate what the experience has been like for all of them. Portland Public Library. Free and open to the public.

FRIDAY, FEB. 17, 7 TO 8 P.M. | HIT US WITH YOUR BEST SHOT
Many of us now carry a camera everywhere we go, thanks to the cameras in our smartphones. People document their lives constantly with their phones, so we asked readers to send us their best photo of the year via Instagram, using the hashtag #pphshot. At this talk, our staff photographers will discuss the best photos submitted and we’ll ask members of the audience to share their favorite apps for shooting, editing and displaying their photos on their mobile phones.
Portland Public Library. Free and open to the public.

View our 2015 Photos of the Year

Sama Alziadi, 4, and her father, Tariq, who are originally from Iraq, wait to be sworn in as new American citizens during a naturalization ceremony at Lyman Moore Middle School.
A word from the photographer… I arrived early to a naturalization ceremony being held at Lyman Moore Middle School in Portland. It was a busy event, with the entire student body present as well as the people waiting to be sworn in as U.S. citizens and their families. I can remember clearly the look of excitement and anticipation on 4-year-old Sama Alziadi’s face as she and her father, Tariq, talked together. I was drawn immediately to their sweet, upbeat connection. To me, their joy seemed to illustrate the emotion surrounding the process of becoming an American citizen.
Jill Brady STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Friday, April 8, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
Brady Ouellette hauls a small perch from an ice fishing hole while jigging on Basin Pond in Auburn.
Ben McCanna STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer…

When my family first moved to New England in the early ’80s, I remember my father – who grew up in relatively warmer climes of Pennsylvania – was amused by the novel sight of ice fishing.

“That looks like the most boring thing in the world,” he scoffed. “All you do is sit and freeze your butt.” Those words rang in my head as I drove to Auburn last February to photograph champion ice fisherman Brady Ouellette for our weekly Outdoors feature. “How am I going to make this interesting?” I fretted.

I had a long drive to ponder the question – to visualize the different angles through which I might view someone standing in the middle of an open, white plain. About midway through the drive, it occurred to me that I could get underneath Brady using a GoPro waterproof camera placed in the hole in the ice.

To get this shot, I mounted the GoPro to a monopod, stuck it just below the surface of the water, and triggered the shutter with a remote. I shot a 30-frame burst, which I thought would allow me to play with the water depth and maybe capture some ripples or bubbles. Instead, Brady immediately caught a fish and hauled it skyward.

Maybe ice fishing isn’t so boring after all.

Gray-New Gloucester Middle School students ride the Sea Dragon during a special physics field trip to Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco. Front, from left, are Eliza Hotham, 13, Samantha Fortin, 14, and Carolyn Marchyshyn, 13. Back, from left, are chaperone Laurie Fortin, Caitlyn Smith, 13, Mchale Bourne, 13 and Brooke Hewey, 12.
Carl Walsh STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Friday, May 20, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… I photographed this group of students on an academic field trip to the Funtown amusement park. After each thrill, the group tackled the learning part of the experience, trying to calculate and document the physics involved in the rides. It was certainly a fun way for them to go to school – and for me to go to work. As a photojournalist, I did what I always try to do: capture the essence of what is happening. For this particular image, I used a wide-angle lens, sitting in the seat just below them. This lens choice and the close perspective not only create dynamic visual possibilities, they provide an intimate view that best conveys the experience of the participants.
Robert Allen, 10, at the Attean Family Pow Wow in Gray. The boy’s family, who traveled to the event from New Hampshire, identifies as part of the Passamaquoddy tribe. He is dressed as a traditional Passamaquoddy dancer.
Brianna Soukup STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… It was rainy when I got to the Attean Family Pow Wow and there weren’t many people there. I had another assignment and I was hoping to get this one done first, so I stayed for a while, but had to leave before I was ready. I was not happy with what I had, so when my second assignment was finished I went back to the Pow Wow. I’m really glad I did. I met Robert and his family, who looked amazing in their handmade traditional outfits. I was really taken by how the blue of Robert’s eyes was made even more striking by the blue shades in his headdress, so I took this close-up portrait of him.
Aneury Tavarez of the Portland Sea Dogs chases down a fly ball hit to right field in a game against the Trenton Thunder at Hadlock Field.
John Ewing STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… When the Sea Dogs, Portland’s Double-A minor league baseball team, played the Trenton Thunder in July, Press Herald sports reporter Kevin Thomas asked me to get several photos of former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Keith Foulke working with Sea Dog pitchers. Thomas was writing an article about Foulke’s new role as a roving minor league pitching coach for the Sox. The Sea Dogs’ bullpen is located high above Hadlock Field’s right field fence, and while watching Foulke interact with relief pitchers I noticed the long shadows cast by the late afternoon light. Grabbing a camera with a wide-angle lens, I began to compose a photo of the interesting light and shadows. Sea Dog right fielder Aneury Tavarez suddenly sprinted to his right to track down a fly ball, giving me something more than the static photo composition I had originally envisioned. I got the requested photos of Foulke working with pitchers, and an interesting game photo as well.
Jeremy Dowd, a live-in intern at the Scarborough Fire Department, battles a brush fire along the railroad tracks near Highland Avenue and Black Point Road.
Derek Davis STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Friday, November 11, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… I have covered many fires and have captured much more intense and dramatic images from them, but this image is special nonetheless. The fire was not a big deal, although it had briefly threatened some nearby homes, spreading quickly in the high winds that day. Firefighters had it extinguished within an hour or so. When I arrived in the vicinity, I found a homeowner in his yard and asked if I could make my way to the train tracks through his woods. As I walked along the tracks, I came across this fire intern and a fire captain stamping out small outbreaks in the dry leaves using their feet and a hand tool. They were all alone in the woods as others worked on dragging the hoses down from the road. The captain didn’t seem to mind me hanging out with them, so I started making images and got this one of the intern just before another firefighter spotted me and made me leave the burn zone. I shot directly into the sun, resulting in a silhouette effect around the firefighter and interesting shadows made by rays of sunlight filtering through the smoke. I really love how the color of the flames and the leaves work with each other, blending in together.
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… This is a pretty straightforward image of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaking in Bangor at one of five visits to Maine during his campaign. I was placed in a designated spot with national and local media, where I waited for Trump to give his speech. I made several images but his expression in this one stood out. In my 24 years as a photojournalist, I’ve photographed every president since Carter except for Ronald Reagan, either before, during or after their service.
An early morning fog colored by a rising sun envelopes people and gulls alike on Old Orchard Beach. The fog eventually cleared, revealing a perfect beach day of sun and temperatures in the 80s.
Gregory Rec STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… I arrived at Old Orchard Beach in the pre-dawn hours to make photos of an artist who documents sunrises at the beach almost every day with her smartphone camera and draws on the inspiration of those experiences to create her paintings. Because I was so focused on making images for that story, when I made this frame, I didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t look at it on the camera’s monitor screen and say “Wow, that’s a great photo!” It wasn’t until later, when I was back in the office and editing my photos that this image caught my eye. I wasn’t sure the image was the best one from the beach that morning, but photo editor Michele McDonald and other editors loved it, which shows that every photographer needs feedback.
Jess McBreairty takes a moment before having his morning coffee and cigarette in the small trailer where he lives by himself in Allagash. He was one of the subjects of an undercover sting by the Maine Warden Service in 2014, along with his cousin, Carter McBreairty.
Gabe Souza STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… This photo was one of the last pictures I took on my way out of town after a week in Allagash documenting the aftermath of a controversial sting operation by the Maine Warden Service. It was a difficult story to illustrate. I needed to spend time getting to know each of the subjects and make compelling photos after the story had essentially already happened. I stopped by Jess McBreairty’s trailer on the way out of town to say goodbye and he let me in, a big step for a man who had his guard up around outsiders. He lives a very frugal life, often without enough money to feed himself or the resources to heat his small trailer. This was just a quiet, genuine moment before he rolled his morning cigarette, and I thought it reflected a lot about his life.
From left, Arianna, 5, Troy Jethro and Chrissy Chavez sit on a curb at Kennedy Park in Lewiston while waiting to hear from a property management company about a possible apartment. The three were homeless, living in a wooded encampment in Portland that was being shut down that day by Police. The family had nowhere else to go.
Brianna Soukup STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… This photo is from a story that I worked on with reporter Randy Billings about homeless people living in the woods behind the Pine Tree Shopping Center in Portland. We had met Chrissy, Troy and Arianna earlier that week. Troy and Chrissy’s situation was perhaps even more dire than that of others because of Arianna. They knew they had to get her into a home. This was the third straight day I had spent with the family and by this time they were used to me and understood why I needed to take photos, even when they were upset. I had been waiting for a moment that would sum up what I had seen thus far — a scared and frustrated couple and a carefree and bubbly little girl. To me it seemed like Troy and Chrissy tried hard to make their situation seem as normal as possible for Arianna. That impressed me. Then I saw Troy and Chrissy disheartened, hoping for a call they weren’t sure would ever come, with nowhere to put their daughter to sleep that night, contrasted with Arianna, oblivious and carefree, playing with a water bottle next to them.
Arianna lays out some of her belongings in her bedroom at her family’s new apartment in Lewiston.
Brianna Soukup STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… Reporter Randy Billings and I spent another day in Lewiston waiting to hear from a landlord about an apartment for Chrissy, Troy and Arianna, the homeless family who had been living in the woods. The landlord put the family up in a motel the night before and told them that he would try to have the apartment ready for them the next day. Troy and Chrissy were still on the edge of their seats. What if he never calls? What if he is just saying this to get us to leave him alone? Finally, in the early evening they got the call that they could get the keys. I took some photos of the family when they first walked into the apartment, but I didn’t feel like I was capturing anything great. Then I followed Arianna into what Troy had told her would be her bedroom. She sat down in the empty room and started "unpacking" her things. She seemed so happy. Seeing that moment — I hoped that feeling would be conveyed in the photograph.
Lily Nygren, 17, digs for clams along the Nonesuch River in Scarborough.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Monday, August 1, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… Lily Nygren won her clamming license at the annual lottery at Scarborough Town Hall this past spring; I was there covering the event. I kept her in mind and eventually revisited the story for our business section. Lily, 17, started her day just before sunrise, stomping through the mud in her polka-dotted boots. She was quickly filling up her basket along the banks of the Nonesuch River when I made this image. The calm river and its muted colors in contrast to Lily’s colorful gloves and whimsical boots are what I like about the image.
Jack Fiorini of South Portland, left, and Tyus Sprague-Ripley of Massabesic react to a Massabesic turnover late in the fourth quarter of the Class AA south regional final at Cross Insurance Arena.
Derek Davis STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Friday, February 19, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… This was not the big state championship game (it was the one before that), but it had that big-game feel. South Portland was just managing to stay alive and advance in the playoffs after a disappointing season, and because of that they were the underdog in this contest. It was a back-and-forth game, and South Portland had to come back to win it. The intensity in the building was palpable, and I was hoping to come up with an image that expressed that feeling and told the story of the game. South Portland came up with a big turnover and and the moment presented itself. Sometimes as photographer you get lucky, and this was one of those times for me. The image is a bit loose, and has more dead space then I would prefer, but the expressions on the players’ faces, the cheerleaders’ faces, and the hand gestures make up for it.
Marie Christie and Caleb Dunlap, a couple with Down syndrome, share a kiss during Night to Shine, a dance party for people with special needs.
Ben McCanna STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Friday, February 12, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… Nobody wants to be a third wheel, but there I was tagging along on a date to a formal dance. Luckily, Marie Christie and Caleb Dunlap – a couple with Down syndrome – were so enamored with each other, they hardly seemed to notice me and and reporter Leslie Bridgers. Whether riding in a limousine, eating dinner or twirling on the dance floor, they never hesitated to say “I love you” or share a kiss, despite the proximity of a lens. For this photo, I used a handheld flash and a slow shutter speed. The flash froze the couple in a kiss, while the relatively long exposure allowed the background lights to blur from the motion of dance.
Sisters Caitlin O’Connell, left, and Jenny O’Connell comfort each other at Bayside Bowl as results show Donald Trump taking a significant lead in the presidential race late on election night.
A word from the photographer… Photographing people who are experiencing grief is one of the toughest things we do as photojournalists. At this gathering of Hillary Clinton supporters in Portland on election night, a group of people who had volunteered for Clinton’s campaign in Maine, including these two sisters, became overwhelmed with emotion when results began to show that Donald Trump was leading Ciinton in key battleground states. After I made a few frames of them consoling each other, I spoke with them, apologizing for invading a sensitive moment but explaining that it was important to show people the depth of their anguish because it showed how important the election was to them.
Gregory Rec STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tuesday, November 7, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
Opiyo James, 14, right, and Wani Donato play basketball at Payson Park in Portland.
Derek Davis STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… It was late afternoon and I was finishing up an assignment when my editor called and asked me to look for a feature to carry the local page. For some reason, she thinks I have this ability to find great features right on deadline. I headed down to the Payson Park, knowing that there would most likely be kids playing basketball. Recently I had driven by the courts and thought, “I wonder if I could climb up on top of the basketball hoop? It might make a nice shot.” I’d had success finding features there before, but always from ground level. These two boys were so into a heated, one-on-one game that I don’t think they found it odd that a photographer was hanging upside-down trying to inchworm himself to the top of the hoop. It was worth the effort to get this shot – and I tricked my editor again into thinking I’m some kind of feature wizard!
A jogger is reflected in a flooded section of Back Cove Trail one soggy morning.
A word from the photographer… Back Cove in Portland is always busy with people enjoying the outdoors. It’s a beautiful backdrop to the city, and has become one of my “go to” places for finding interesting photos of people. I went there feature hunting on this gray morning, and everything felt very still and quiet. The previous day it had rained hard, and a storm brought heavy winds. But the storm was gone now; nothing was moving except for the faithful bunch of early morning runners, bikers and walkers who frequent Back Cove. As I made my way around the cove, I spotted this tree, standing defiantly by itself. I pulled the car over and lay on the ground to make full use of the reflection from a flooded out area of the trail, and made this image of a runner passing by.  
Derek Davis STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Friday, March 11, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally at the Colonial Theatre in Keene, N.H., galvanizing a crowd of mostly young people with a speech criticizing Wall Street, pharmaceutical companies and career politicians.
Gabe Souza STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… Columnist Bill Nemitz and I were sprinting around New Hampshire, quite literally, trying to catch up with all the presidential candidates we could in the week leading up to the state’s primary. We arrived late to this Bernie Sanders rally and I ducked in a side door as Sanders was taking the stage. By this point I had photographed a number of candidates and didn’t want to make the same standard photos of each at the podium. I remembered watching Sanders on television and noticing that he speaks with his hands quite a bit. The angle in the "pit" was right, so I positioned myself directly under the podium and waited until I had this photo.
Lobsterman Bob Williams ties his boat up at the bait shed at Greenhead Lobster in Stonington on the day the Zone C lobster council held a vote to close the zone — the last Maine lobstering zone open to newcomers. Williams, who has been lobstering in the waters off Stonington for 61 years, was in favor of the closing.
Gregory Rec STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tuesday, September 8, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… I photographed Bob Williams after he pulled in to Greenhead Lobster to offload his catch and pick up bait. Reporter Penelope Overton and I spoke with Stonington lobstermen about the proposal to close down Zone C to new lobstermen. I felt lucky that Williams was willing to speak with us and allowed me to photograph him. With 61 years of lobstering experience, he had strong opinions. He, and for that matter, his boat, had the weathered appearance of a life spent at sea. I have photographed in Stonington Harbor in all kinds of weather, and I think I prefer when it is foggy. The fog creates a sense of timelessness in this hard-working fishing town.
Halsey Knapp, 45, from Houlton, operates a crane from high above the city. Over the summer Knapp worked on the construction of 667 Congress St. — a work-in-progress apartment building at the site of the former Joe's Smoke Shop. Longfellow Square is pictured top right; Avon street is to the left.
Ben McCanna STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Monday, July 11, 2016
Portland Press Herald Archives
A word from the photographer… Be careful what you wish for. When I asked a general contractor if I could photograph a crane operator for our weekly On the Job series, I never thought she’d say yes. Construction workers generally avoid liability, right? So even though I'm deathly afraid of heights, I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. The contractor would say no, and I would remain safely on terra firma. No such luck. As I climbed a series of ladders toward the top of the crane — roughly eight stories high — I learned something new about heights. Everyone knows you "don’t look down," but it’s equally important to avoid looking "out." Once I ascended above the roofs of other buildings, I made the mistake of glimpsing the totality of blue sky all around me, and felt a rising sense of panic. When I reached the top, however, I was able to settle my mind with the task at hand. For this frame, I extended a monopod-mounted GoPro onto the roof of the crane, triggered the shutter with a remote, and captured crane operator Halsey Knapp through his sunroof. When I asked Halsey whether he was afraid of heights, he offered a brief, deadpan answer: "Don't appear to be."