We captured a variety of impactful Maine scenes this past year. Snowy tranquility. Sports championship elation. Learning to ride waves at the beach. An Elvis impersonator awaiting his cue to take the stage.

Maine Trust for Local News photojournalists have uncovered the unexpected in many forms, sometimes leading to incredibly emotional moments. At Bubba’s Sulky Lounge in Portland, a couple shared a tender moment that seemed to encapsulate the bar’s experience. In Lewiston, a woman who had a bi-lateral mastectomy following her cancer diagnosis posed shirtless for a portrait photo, leading to a powerful moment between subject and journalist.

It is a great privilege to photograph the people and stories of Maine. Here is some of our best work across the Maine Trust from 2024.

See all of our 2024 Photos of the Year

Megan Jones of Portland swings with her partner at the Eastern Promenade as heavy snow falls on March 23. Derek Davis/Portland Press HeraldNormally in Maine, people are pretty much done with winter by the end of March. Last year, however, the Portland area did not get as much snow as usual. And as this March 23 storm dropped large, white flakes, people seemed to welcome it. I found this pair on the Eastern Promenade swinging away in silence, seemingly immersed in the morning tranquility brought by the storm. It was an unexpected and happy find for me to stumble upon them, and I quickly positioned myself to capture the scene. I focused on the woman whose form, with legs outstretched and colorful attire, added to the moment. — Derek Davis

Yarmouth’s Colter Olson, right, and teammate Ward Jenkins hug in the air after winning the Class B boys lacrosse state championship in overtime over York at Fitzpatrick Stadium on June 15. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

I knew when the boys Class B state championship for lacrosse was going into overtime that there would be an opportunity for an epic, intense, and enthusiastic celebration. Having played lacrosse in high school and college, I know how exciting these moments can be. I kept a close eye on anyone who appeared to take the game winning shot, and when Yarmouth scored the game-winning goal, I kept a close focus on the goal-scorer but used a wider approach to get the reactions of other members of the team. — Anna Chadwick

Maria Griffin leans over to give her boyfriend Harry Stuart at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge on July 12. The two met on the dance floor of the bar several years ago. “I wouldn’t give him the time of day for two years,” Griffin said with a laugh. “But then he won my heart.” Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

I always wanted to take photos at Bubba’s. I remember walking in there for the first time a few years after I moved to Portland, and I instantly thought, “I must know the backstory of this place.” Eventually, I got the chance to not only take photos, but I got to meet “Bubba” himself. When it came time to take photos of a night at Bubba’s, it was slightly challenging. The lighting, which creates a great vibe for patrons, made it pretty difficult for photos. Grace Benninghoff, the reporter, and I decided to get there early before the bar was packed. The bartender told us about a group of Friday night regulars in the next room. Maria and Harry were two of the people we met. I caught this moment of her leaning over to give him a kiss after I had a brief conversation with them. I stopped back later that night to talk to them some more. That is when I found out they met at Bubba’s and fell in love a few years later. The moment I captured between them felt like a perfect encapsulation of their Bubba’s experience. — Brianna Soukup

On July 4, Elvis impersonator Robert Washington of Auburn waits for his cue to jump on stage during the 27th annual Liberty Festival in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Because we cover the annual Liberty Festival each year on the Fourth of July in Lewiston, the challenge is not to find good pictures but to find something different than what we have shot in the past. Elvis impersonator Robert Washington lives in Auburn, so he is always a big hit and draws a large crowd when he performs. Unlike Elvis Presley, who probably had a quiet room guarded by security personnel, Washington tossed on his rhinestone-covered suit behind four walls of blue tarps and next to a portable toilet. I found my picture that was different. — Daryn Slover

Choreographer Michelle Kapschull, center, works with dancers as they rehearse for a performance based Portland writer MZ’s novel The Moorings of Mackerel Sky. The dancers and choreographer are reflected in a mirror as they rehearse at Casco Bay Movers on Jan. 21. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

The choreographer and dancers deserve any and all credit for this photo. They were dancing beautifully with colorful scarves; I was just hoping my photos would do them justice. After shooting from every angle I could think of, I focused my attention on their reflection in the mirror and waited for all the elements to line up. — Shawn Patrick Ouellete

Melissa Rivera, 47, shown Sept. 19 in downtown Lewiston, received her cancer diagnosis at the age of 44, and had a bi-lateral mastectomy. “I didn’t choose cancer. Am I going to do what society says I should look like?” Rivera said. “Everyone was assuming I wanted reconstruction. When you choose flat, there isn’t a protocol for that.” Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

When I met Melissa Rivera to create a portrait of her for her participation in the Dempsey Challenge, I didn’t randomly ask her to take her shirt off in the middle of the street. Before we met, I had looked through her Facebook profile, and had seen topless photos she had posted publicly. Even so, I was nervous about asking, especially since we were downtown, and I knew this photo would reach a wider audience. Melissa was completely on board. She shared that she had previously submitted shirtless photos to other groups she worked with, only to have them rejected as “improper.” She thanked me repeatedly for suggesting it. It turned into an incredibly emotional moment for both of us. We ended up crying and hugging. — Andree Kehn

Competitors exhibit bovines during the Maine State Holstein Show at the Windsor Fair on Aug. 26. Dozens of cows were displayed and assessed by judges with the intent of exchanging ideas about how to breed and cultivate superior Holsteins. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

Sophia Conners, 7, rides a wave to shore with help from volunteers Colleen Clark, left, and Rich Laracy during the first Special Surfers session of the summer at Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunk on July 18. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

Special Surfers have held their events at Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunk since 2003 and I’ve photographed the event more than a dozen times over the years. The organization’s mission is to introduce the thrill of surfing to people with developmental, emotional or physical disabilities. I always see beaming smiles and hear joyous laughter and shouts at these events. Last June, walking along the waterline, I was immediately drawn to the obvious joy of surfer Sophia Conners. Her expression in this photo perfectly sums up what Special Surfers is all about. — Gregory Rec

Lost Valley Ski Area snowmaker Nolan Johnson walks on the morning of Dec. 2 to the middle of the Big Buck trail at the Auburn ski area to check the texture of the snow coming down. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

It was getting close to the opening weekend of the season at Lost Valley Ski Area in Auburn with no natural snow on the ground. With a week of freezing temperatures forecasted for overnight, I figured the local ski area would be firing up their snow guns and making the white gold. I gave them a call and was told they would be cranking up their snow guns at dusk and through the night and morning until temperatures became too warm. Over the past 40 years, I have spent many hours taking photos of the process, so I was pretty familiar with what to expect. I arrived early in the morning as temperatures were beginning to warm. One of the snowmakers was heading up the hill on a snowmobile to check the snow. I walked about halfway up the trail and found a snow lance where there was a bright blue sky and the sun in the background, where I noticed footprints going out to the middle of the trail and anticipated what was going to happen. The technique is to walk out where the snow is falling and extend a hand. If the snow sticks to your jacket sleeve, the snow becomes too wet and it’s time to shut down the snowmaking. I had put myself in the right place at the right time. — Russ Dillingham

Confetti flies on June 30 as driver Howard Sharp, facing, and his son and navigator, Doug Sharp, of Rochester, New York, celebrate after being named grand champions and overall winners of the 2024 Hemmings Motor News Great Race on Water Street in downtown Gardiner. The men are in their winning car, a 1916 Hudson Hill Climber. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

My challenge in this photo was focusing on the winning team as they embraced in a cloud of confetti at the finish line of the Hemmings Motor News Great Race. The confetti and antique auto blended with Gardiner’s historic downtown. The flying paper obscured the faces of the father-and-son team in most of the photos. The moment ended as a downpour began. It was time to run to the car, dry off gear and edit. — Rich Abrahamson

Dirigo softball players practice juggling during a weather delay in a Class C South softball semifinal game against Hall-Dale on June 8 in Farmingdale. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Whenever an umpire sees lightning or hears thunder, softball rules require that play be stopped for 30 minutes. Even though it was clear and sunny at the field, they still had to wait the full half hour before resuming play. To pass the time while waiting out the delay I was trying to make some low angle pictures with something in foreground while showing the storm clouds in the distance. After getting some shots of a Hall-Dale coach raking the field, I saw the Dirigo team juggling in front their dugout. I went over and chatted with them while I held the mirrorless camera with a wide angle lens near the ground using the flip-up view screen to frame the pictures. — Joe Phelan

The sun sets over Little Diamond Island as Abel Kraft, 10, left, plays independently while his father Reed Kraft, of Peaks Island, completes the final steps of hauling out his powerboat at the public ramp on Centennial Street on June 9. The Krafts, and other members of the family, spent the afternoon boating on Casco Bay, which included flying kites off the stern. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

My two favorite hobbies are incredibly compatible: photography and long walks on Peaks Island, where I live. Nothing is more enjoyable than taking a four-mile stroll around the island’s perimeter — tides willing — and simply photographing whatever strikes me. Along the way, I’ll post the photos as Instagram stories. Sometimes the posts are portraits of my wife posing dramatically in a shaft of light. Sometimes they’re action shots of my dog running crazy-eights in the sand. But often I’m simply reacting to beauty in any of its forms, without prompts from a news assignment. It’s freeform bliss. And the stakes are low, which is good because not all photos are zingers. But on this night, the sky was captivating and the scene stopped us in our tracks. It helped that the Krafts are acquaintances and didn’t mind us gawking as Reed performed a daunting series of chores to free his boat from the mud of low tide and drive onto dry land while racing against a setting sun. The image was striking enough to endure beyond the ephemera of an Instagram story and eventually landed on the front page of the Press Herald. If only they all could occur so easily. — Ben McCanna