See the staff’s 2022 Gazette favorite news photos

2022 has been challenging for me, professionally and personally. Photojournalism, like all passion jobs, is particularly susceptible to burnout. Over the course of the last year I’ve fallen in and out of love with my work and career. However, sometimes all it takes is a little glimmer of light to help remind us why we do what we do. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to spend an entire day and night with the Lagunas family during the quinceañera of their daughter, Adilene. The faith they showed in me and the access they granted me on such a special day is something I’ll never forget. I hope that I never fall short in repaying both their, and the community’s, trust.

Geoff Stellfox

Being a photojournalist is the greatest accomplishment in my life. Reflecting over this past year, I have had the opportunity to cover some amazing events, but this continuing story on homeless people in Cedar Rapids is particularly important to me. As someone who has witnessed a mother fall into homelessness, this topic hit home on a personal level. The photo of Mary and Johnny gives an insight into life for a lot of homeless residents living in the city. Snow was falling at the time this picture was taken and the couple had resorted to burning hand sanitizer in their tent to try and stay warm. This is the reality for a number of people in the area and the number is increasing. Moments like this are pivotal in my career to remind me how important my job is in helping to share local stories within my community. I am extremely grateful for the stories people have allowed me to tell this year and I know the weight it carries. In 2023 I hope to capture more eye-opening content that will spark a conversation or change.

Savannah Blake

I didn't know Dorian McCall was going to strike a yoga pose and belt out an aria when I photographed one of his coaching sessions. I had to react quickly to find the right composition since I didn't know how long McCall was going to hold the pose. His expression and body language makes the photograph. The challenge of capturing a moment like this, that reflects a subject's personality or conveys the essence of a story, motivates me on a daily basis and is one of the reasons why I have been a photojournalist for over 32 years. Not every story has to be a monthslong project. Good, daily journalism is our bread and butter. The mark of a good photographer is that they can come back from any assignment thrown their way with creative photography that informs and maybe wows our readers and makes them want to know more.

Jim Slosiarek

One of my goals entering 2022 was to earn a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. I had flown drones previously for recreational purposes, and had some experience with the possibilities for visual journalism they offer.

After studying and passing the test I was able to begin to use the drone as another tool to illustrate the stories we tell at The Gazette. When I first began learning photography in high school and college I was drawn to landscape photography that captured the sense of scale of the environment. The shift in perspective that even relatively simple drones offer allows for the creation of images that illustrate that sense of scale even when there is not a mountain available to climb for that different perspective.

This image is an example of how that higher perspective and sense of scale can work well in a photojournalism context. The flood gates being installed along the Cedar River are large-scale feats of engineering. Using the drone allowed me to show the size of a gate juxtaposed with the downtown building as well as to place the gate within the location where it was being installed. I look forward to continuing to use drones and other tools to illustrate the stories we tell at The Gazette.

Nick Rohlman