Photos: Gazette Visual Journalists Showcase Their Favorite June News Photos of the Month

I was struck by the enthusiasm and bedside manner this little girl brought to her playtime at the Iowa Children's Museum. Colbie Fisher, 6, of Mount Vernon takes the temperature of a baby doll held by Playologist Madison Magnall in the newly renovated CityWorks Children's Hospital exhibit at the Iowa Children's Museum in Coralville on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

A monarch butterfly feeds during a dedication of the Orlan Love Prairie hosted by the Monarch Research Project and Linn County Conservation at Squaw Creek Park in Marion on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. The 6.6-acre prairie, honor former Gazette reporter and columnist Orlan Love, was planted in 2017 and is one of five prairies planted at the park in the last two years. Dedications usually don't make for interesting photos unless of course the dedication is for a prairie filled with butterflies.(Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

Tessa and her friend were swimming in Lake Macbride on a hot, muggy day in June. They were having a great time searching for 'hidden objects' and playing underwater games of their own making. I waded into the water with them until it reached my shorts and got a taste of how refreshing it felt to escape the humidity. Tessa Mann, 12, of Cedar Rapids plays in the water at Lake Macbride State Park Beach in Solon on Thursday, June 27, 2019. The lake saw its first ever microcystin warning issued by the DNR following a harmful algae bloom caused by rainy weather and vegetation growth, according to the park's manager. The warning has since been lifted by the DNR. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

Two-year-old Mya Black of Cedar Rapids enjoys a snow coneat a Back to Summer Party! to celebrate the end of the school year hosted by Redmond Park CR and the Wellington Heights Neighborhood Association at Redmond Park in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, June 6, 2019. The event included a grill out provided by the First Avenue Hy-Vee, games and acitivites for children and adults and Cedar Rapid Fire Department trucks on display. I liked the light on the girls face and the repeating pattern of the snow cone behind her. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

Steve Timm, head of avionics at Collins Aerospace, photographed in Cedar Rapids on Monday, June 3, 2019. Timm spoke with The Gazette shortly before the announcement of a proposed merger between Raytheon and United Technologies Group, the parent company of Collins Aerospace. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Whenever I go to a county fair, I walk the livestock barns looking for a shot like this. I think it illustrates the attachment the children have for their animals. I would imagine it goes the other way too since Annabelle was comfortable with Alease laying on her. Alease Knapp, 12, of Prairieburg, Iowa, lays on the back of her Charolais named Annabelle during the 130th Linn County Fair in Central City, Iowa, on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Professor Gurnett is a fascinating guy. I enjoyed listening to anecdotes of his childhood and career as he was being interviewed. It also bought me time to figure out how I was going to photograph him. This is a simple two-speedlight setup. I zoomed one to produce a narrower beam of light and raked it across the chalkboard. I ended up putting another flash with a dome diffuser on it on a bookshelf to his right since I couldn't fit my light stand with my umbrella into the space. University of Iowa department of physics and astronomy professor Don Gurnett poses with a model of the Voyager I spacecraft in his office in Van Allen Hall in Iowa City, Iowa, on Friday, June 7, 2019. During his time at the university, which started in 1957 when he was a 17-year-old undergraduate, Gurnett has worked under James Van Allen; founded and established the field of space plasma wave physics; designed and built instruments for more than 35 space missions – including the Voyagers, Galileo, Cassini, Mars Express, and Juno. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Someone walked by Dick Vitale as he was walking through the children's hospital and did a double-take as he recognized the sports broadcaster. It was fun to watch people's reactions as he made his rounds. Sports broadcaster Dick Vitale gets a tour of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City on Thursday, June 20, 2019. Vitale, who is in town for a fundraiser, is a national spokesperson for pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation for Cancer Research. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

I liked this moment of Gander as an impromptu personality portrait. The lighting is kind of harsh but you work with what you're given. I like the color in the background as well as his smile and the sunglasses. Turns out Ganzeer is a pretty big deal. I would have never known it from his humble nature and his rapport with the young, aspiring artists taking part in his public art workshop at the museum. An Egyptian artist pretty much exiled from his native country after his artwork criticized the government that took power after the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak following the 2011 revolution. Internationally renowned street artist Ganzeer smiles as he stands in front of a replica of the Berlin Wall during a street art workshop at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

I like finding quiet moments out of the seeming chaos that is the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Hall of Fame celebration. There is so much energy that I could feel walking along First Avenue as supporters from various candidates cheered and waved signs trying to attract the attention of motorists. A supporter of Democratic candidate Cory Booker uses a campaign sign to shade himself from the sun along First Avenue near the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

I like finding quiet moments out of the seeming chaos that is the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Hall of Fame celebration. There is so much energy that I could feel walking along First Avenue as supporters from various candidates cheered and waved signs trying to attract the attention of motorists. A supporter for Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris stands in a sea of Amy Klobuchar along First Avenue near the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

I like finding quiet moments out of the seeming chaos that is the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Hall of Fame celebration. There is so much energy that I could feel walking along First Avenue as supporters from various candidates cheered and waved signs trying to attract the attention of motorists. Scott Foens of Marion, Iowa, waves the Stars and Stripes as he campaigns for Democratic Candidate Cory Booker along First Avenue near the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

These two seemed to be enjoying each other's company, which was the whole point of the event. Betty embraced the room full of chatty children (Iris was there looking after one of them), and surprised us all when she announced she was 100 years old. Betty Keiper (left) of Cedar Rapids talks with Iris Ho of Cedar Rapids during a program called 'The More We Get Together' at Ladd Library in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Keiper, who is 100 years old, farmed with her husband for over 40 years before moving into Atkins and later an assisted living facility near the library. The program offers parents and kids a chance to work with senior citizens on crafts, cooking projects and reading. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

I had already finished photographing this KidsPoint class and moved on to other areas of the nonprofit when we saw the children gathering on the front steps. While the downtown trains are an annoyance for many downtown workers, for the preschoolers it was a highlight of their day. James Garsayne cheers as he watches a train go past with his KidsPoint classmates on the steps of Waypoint in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. KidsPoint is a daycare and preschool program offered by Waypoint. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

I prefocused at the height of the saucer swing's arc then just panned the camera along that arc and shot a frame or two when Bryce reached that point. Kids are fearless. I filed a couple photos that I also liked where both brothers were in the frame. Bryce Hargrow, 11, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, gets a push on the saucer swing from his twin brother Braylon as they play on the new playground equipment at Daniels Park, 940 Oakland Road NE, in northeast Cedar Rapids on Sunday, June 30, 2019. The playground includes a structure with equipment for children ages two to five years, and a second structure that is geared towards children ages five to 12 years. In addition, there are five pieces of stand-alone equipment, slides, a saucer swing, and musical instruments like plastic drums and plastic gourd shakers and learning panels throughout the playground. A net climber was purchased with funds donated by the Cedar Rapids Area Kiwanis. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

This was a shot I made after I had packed up my lights. I noticed the light from a window had a warm, directional quality.A vanilla pound cake with homemade caramel glaze for Mad About Food column by Michelle Madden. Photographed in southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Every cat at the SAINT Annex had a story to tell, but Jake was the reason we were visiting and seemed happy for the attention. Jake the cat is recovering from multiple broken bones and a collapsed lung in the SAINT Annex at Chesapeake Central Equestrian in Solon on Thursday, June 13, 2019. Jake was named for Jake Heiar, who found him on the highway and brought him to a vet for emergency care. Critter Crusaders funded his care and he's now in recovery at Trish Ringgold's foster care room. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Wildlife can be anywhere. I saw this American kestrel looking at it's reflection in the window of a car parked outside of The Gazette building. I only got off a few frames as I walked from the building before it flew away. I was heading to the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Hall of Fame celebration at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

I spent several weeks following the progress of these caterpillars in my own garden, and was excited to watch as they devoured an entire milkweed plant. Monarch caterpillars feed on milkweed in southeast Cedar Rapids on Thursday, June 13, 2019. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

The BBQ smelled great as I walked onto the amphitheatre grounds. The day had been rainy, so vendors had only a few visitors, though they still displayed their trophies from past BBQ Roundups with a sense of pride and confidence that they'd win again this year. DeArmond ‘De' Price, grillmaster, prepares ribs at Blazin' Broncos BBQ's stand at the BBQ Roundup at the McGrath Amphitheatre in Cedar Rapids on Friday, June 21, 2019. The annual festival concludes at 5 p.m on Sunday evening and serves up live entertainment and family activities alongside hearty servings of barbecued ribs, chicken, brisket, and pork from grillmasters from across the country. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

Phil had a great sense of humor and kept making jokes about how fast his chair can go. When he and his wife go for walks, she rides a bicycle so she can keep up with him. Shortly after leaving the house, the skies opened up and all of us got rained on, despite the fact that he raced off ahead of us to try and beat the storm. Phil Hayes of Cedar Rapids leaves his home in the Oakhill-Jackson neighborhood via a ramp on the front of his house in Cedar Rapids on Monday, June 24, 2019. The Department of Justice has closed the file on an Americans with Disabilities Act settlement that compelled the city to bring its public projects into compliance with the act, but some residents say the city has not gone far enough. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

Sense of place is important in our work at The Gazette, so when given the opportunity to see the roof of Veterans Memorial Building, just after sunrise, I made sure to capture the river and surrounding buildings. Paul Pestel (left), Veterans Memorial Facilities Director, and Tony Hlas, maintenance supervisor, position a mural for installation onto the columns of the Veterans Memorial Building in Cedar Rapids on Friday, June 7, 2019. The mural is part of the HOPE Mural Project organized by Jason Everett of Cedar Rapids, and features letters created by Cedar Rapids artist Melissa Collins (H), Iowa City artist Mike Stenerson (E), and Kurdish artists Awa F. Bakr and Vanila Van. The mural will be displayed through June 24. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

I was waiting on the second floor of the downtown library for a program to start in one of the community rooms when I noticed how the reflections of bicyclists would get truncated or deformed. This was the best photo I made before the program started. A bicyclist is reflected in the windows at the Cedar Rapids Public Library as he pedals along Fourth Avenue SE in southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

I was hanging out in the park working on another story recently and looked around to see a woman giving a haircut. She did three haircuts while I was there and didn't ask for payment, but said she was glad to be able to do something for people in the same situation as her. 'When people get up out of the chair, they smile, and that's what I like,' she said. Brooke Schwartz has her hair cut by Talina Royce in Greene Square Park in downtown Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Schwartz is homeless and Royce says she moved to Cedar Rapids from Newton and recently became eligible for Willis Dady's Rapid Re-Housing program, which offers short-term rent assistance to those experiencing homelessness. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

It was pretty cool to watch Michael Nugent race around the track in a car with which he's got so much history. He never stopped smiling and you could tell he was very excited by the whole experience of coming to the U.S. to bring it home to Ireland. Michael Nugent removes his helmet after driving his car around the track at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, June 13, 2019. It has been 40 years since Nugent and his brother saw the car after winning the 1980 Irish National Championship with it. Nugent's son surprised his father with the purchase of the old car. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

I was assigned to illustrate a story on bicycle lanes in Iowa City. I used a slow shutter speed of 1/40th of a second to blur the bicyclist to convey the sense of motion. A cyclist pedals in the bicycle lane along S. Clinton St. at the intersection with E. Washington St. in Iowa City, Iowa on Friday, June 7, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)