Henri Cartier-Bresson, the iconic French photographer who coined the concept “the decisive moment,” once said that to take a photograph is to put “one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis.”
We have an unusual job as photojournalists. We tell stories with pictures. We see people on the best day of their lives, on the worst day of their lives and everything in between. People trust us as they share delicate moments that are important to them. Sometimes those moments are painful. Sometimes those moments are happy. In return, we hope to capture something that is meaningful in hopes of building bridges and understanding within our community.
As we look back at the thousands of photos we made this year, the moments that rose to the top made us think, made us look and made us feel.
– Amanda Cowan, Photo Editor
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Photographer's Comments: Elizabeth Nicholson was walking her horse around the Clark County Fairgrounds after being evacuated from a boarding facility in Washougal because of the Eagle Creek Fire. On their walk, she paused for a moment and her horse pressed its head into her body. What struck me about this moment was the look of relief in the horse’s eyes. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to capture this tender bond between horse and owner during such a tough ordeal.
(Ariane Kunze/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: Weather features are a big part of a photojournalist’s duties all year long. Weather is always newsworthy, especially when it is extreme one way or the other. We had an extended hot streak over the summer so I went out to try to find something that not only illustrated the fact it was unusually hot but also that wildfires had filled the air with terrible smoke and haze. I went to Wintler Park because that is a spot where people tend to gather when the temperature soars. I had been roaming around for a bit but not having much success when I saw this lady with her dog from across the beach. I noticed the Portland International Airport flight tower barely visible through the thick smoke and hustled through the sand to line up the shot before the moment was gone.
(Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: For Erin Maher’s story, I hoped to capture Maher’s love for her kids and her positivity. Maher and her family welcomed me into their home and allowed me to spend multiple evenings documenting dinnertime and bedtime. As the family grew comfortable with me at their home, I hoped to find moments that showed how much Erin cherishes time with her family. This was a quiet moment between Erin and Illianna that I felt many parents could relate to. It was a sweet and simple expression of affection but an important symbol of Maher and her daughter's connection. Illianna turned 1 on Dec. 30. Maher's doctor declared no evidence of disease after her test results in early December came back clear.
(Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: Like most of the country, I had been following Colin Kaepernick and the NFL Black Lives Matter protests with a great deal of interest. As the prep football season rolled around, I made sure to keep an eye on the sidelines during the National Anthem to see if any of our athletes would be part of the nationwide movement on a local level. I saw this powerful but subtle moment happen before the Prairie verses Evergreen football game. Our sports editor, Micah Rice, asked me if I had anything of the protests when I went up to the press box at halftime. I showed him the photo and he followed up with Prairie sophomore A.J. Dixson after the game. “It’s just what we believe in, with what’s going on in America now,” Dixson said. “We believe it’s right to do that right now.”
(Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: As Connor Foppe’s friend, Randy Yeakley, was trying to tip Foppe and his sled upright, the two teens became overwhelmed with laughter. What I loved about this moment was how something that could have been extremely frustrating instead became a reason to laugh and be silly. Foppe’s whole life changed after his stroke. His determination to overcome the struggles he faces is truly remarkable. After watching him at practice for over an hour, I knew this photo had done the best job at capturing his positive attitude and lighthearted spirit.
(Ariane Kunze/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: This summer, staff writer Katie Gillespie reported on what appeared to be a trend of elevated teen suicides in 2017 in Clark County. By documenting the personal stories of families who lost children to suicide, we hoped to spread a greater understanding of the emotional and personal impact that suicide has on families. We also hoped to reduce the stigma that exists around suicide while honoring the lives of those who died. Ann Bucklin was one of the parents we profiled, having lost her daughter Heidi to suicide six years ago. Bucklin let us into her home and life, trusting us with an incredibly personal and delicate story. We felt that this moment, when we came with her to visit her daughter’s grave, showed the deep emotional toll losing a child to suicide has on a mother, and brought humanity to the numbers Gillespie's story presented.
(Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: This was my first time covering a fire and I didn't know what to expect. I had driven to Washougal to take some pictures of the Eagle Creek fire but was disappointed to see that smoke blocked almost all of it. However, a long exposure revealed some parts of the fire, leading to a unique and slightly ominous scene above a church in a small town.
(Andy Bao/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: Upon arriving at the crowded, chaotic annual Christmas in the Park, a snow machine with about a dozen children crowding around caught my eye. After lifting my camera high above the crowd and holding the shutter down, hoping I might actually get a usable image, I noticed this young girl. She had her head turned upward, a look of pure bliss on her face. I was instantly reminded of my own childhood – the magic and wonder of snowflakes gently falling on my cheeks. After snapping a few shots of this brief, blissful moment, I had a moment of sheer panic. The girl was walking away, through masses of people, and I needed her name! I did my best to weave in and out of the crowds, finally catching up to her. I shot hundreds of other images that evening, but this shot best depicted the innocent joy experienced at the holidays.
(Ariane Kunze/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: I have had the idea to do a photo project on rugby since I was in college. This year, I finally had the chance as I followed members of the Clark County Chiefs throughout their season. One of the most distinctive plays performed by rugby players is the lineout, where the play is restarted after the ball has gone out of the field of play. I tried to capture this play with different lenses and a number of different angles throughout the season. However, as I was editing, I continued to be drawn to this moment by Chiefs’ player Robert Ahloo. I loved his focus with the ball just at his fingertips as his teammates supported him. That brief, intense moment combined with the reaction of his opponent made this photo one of my favorites.
(Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: In photojournalism, we work to move past the posed moments to capture an unexpected or deeper emotion. In October, our health reporter Marissa Harshman and I went along with O’Brien and his mother to his prosthetic arm fitting appointment. After Travis tried on his arm the prosthetist offered to take a photo of the son and mother together with their cellphone. I took a few photos as they posed, but waited in case something more happened, and after the posed photo June reached in to give Travis a tighter hug and became emotional. Travis returned the tight squeeze and closed his eyes for a second. I felt that this moment captured their relief and gratitude that Travis is now in recovery.
(Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian)
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Photographer's Comments: I always enjoy seeing how different sports teams warm up before their games. Some are more lax than others, but Columbia River here in this photo spread out on the field and ran drills almost like an army. I used a slow shutter speed to emphasize their team's coordination through motion, creating an interesting and uncommon photograph of a popular sport.
(Andy Bao/The Columbian)
Check out more of our favorite photos from 2017:
Favorite News and Feature Photos:
Favorite Sports Photos:
