Ricardo De La Torre hugs Adela Mor
Sunrise Outreach members lay their hands on and pray for Gideon Merchant Thursday, April 9, 2009, during their morning stop at Naches and Chestnut Avenues in Yakima, Wash.. From left are Jeff Brooks, Jackie Archibald, Frank (who asked his last name not be used) and Debra Harrington. Merchant said he has been looking for a job and "in desperate need of spiritual healing" when he by chance walked up upon the group and asked for them to pray for him.
"This photo is a powerful, genuine and meaningful moment that I was lucky enough to witness and then be able to share."
--Andy Sawyer
Yakima County Coroner Maury Rice has announced that he will retire March 31, 2009 after serving for more than 10 years. Rice, 75, is battling prostate cancer and says he doesn
Denise Mettie helps her son Evan get comfortable for the first night he will spend at their home since his injury in the Iraq war in 2006. One of the best things about being at home, she says, is simply that she can tuck him in at night and wake up and have coffee with him in the morning.
"This photo is the closing photo of a story I worked on for over a year, documenting Denise Mettie as she worked to get her son Evan home. Through the year I spent with them, I was inspired by Denise's tireless advocacy for her son and her faith in his recovery. I am so grateful to the Metties for allowing me into their lives and am thankful that I could share their story with the rest of our community."
--Sara Gettys
Youngsters and adults beat the heat under a spray of water at the One World, One Valley, One Nation celebration on the 4th of July, 2009 in Yakima.
"This is just a fun photo for me that draws a person's eye from the dominant red umbrella into the bright sunlight and children playing in the water."
--TJ Mullinax
West Valley High School soccer players celebrates a goal made during a shootout against Kennedy during the Class 3A soccer quarterfinal in Yakima, Wash. Saturday, Nov. 13, 2009.
"I like the range of emotions that show how much the players really care about the game."
--Andy Sawyer
Raft guides from All-Star Rafting gather for an impromptu yoga session on Highway 12 Tuesday, September 15, 2009, while waiting in traffic stopped for bridge replacement work on the road. The Maupin, Oregon-based company runs whitewater trips on the Deshutes River, and was taking a staff trip to run the Tieton during flip-flop.
A thunderstorm lights up the sky as it passes through the valley Thursday, July 30, 2009.
"That was a big storm that passed by. I brought my oldest daughter, Lucy, out to watch as I photographed. With my camera on a tripod, I opened the shutter and guided Lucy to look north for the lightning."
--Andy Sawyer
Ellensburg residents Larry Birdwell and his daughter Casey Birdwell evacuate their home as flood waters rise on Dollarway Road on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.
"The flooding in January, 2009 was memorable because it was the first piece of local hard news of the year. Reporter Phil Ferolito and I drove all over the Ellensburg area and found many families who needed to abandon their homes to escape rising floodwaters."
-Kris Holland
New York Teriyaki restaurant owner Soo Lee works on his golf swing during the pre-dinner lull Monday, February 2, 2009. Lee says "I practice a lot. 100 swings per day."
"I found this PhotoJournal image on my day off. I went to eat at the New York Teriyaki on 72nd Avenue but left my camera at home. The following week I drove by the restaurant several different times hoping to find the owner, Soo Lee, working on his golf swing again. On my second attempt I saw him swinging his club through the window and captured a fun image of a restauranteur doing something out of the ordinary."
-Kris Holland
Isaiah Garcia glides down the slip and slide during the Salvation Army day camp at Milroy Park Wednesday, July 8, 2009.
"Ah, to be a kid again. This group of summer camp kids were bombing down a steep slip-n-slide at Milroy Park and I was lucky enough to happen by at the right time. This boy in particular would get a running start, leap into the air feet-first and slide on his backside to bottom of the hill at what seemed like 100 miles per hour. For me, this is a photo of what it means to be a kid on a hot day in Yakima."
--Kris Holland
Cowboys relax between events at the annual Yakama Treaty Days rodeo June 7, 2009 in White Swan, Wash.
"I chose this image of cowboys kicking back at the annual Yakama Treaty Days rodeo because I think it captures a small piece of what it's like to be a cowboy, or, at least the boot of a cowboy. The sole of this cowboy's boot gives us a peek into what it's like to live his lifestyle. They say you shouldn't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. I appreciate cowboy culture, but I don't think I'd want to walk a mile in those shoes!"
-Kris Holland
Members of the Selah Dolphins Swim Team prepare for the Mid-Valley League Championships with fun non-traditional events during a "relay meet" on July 28, 2009.
"This Dolphins swim meet, which included balls, water noodles and watermelons usually don't happen very often and was as fun to watch as it was to shoot. To me this photo is all about how the subject plays within the many shapes around her."
--TJ Mullinax
Seattle Mariner's Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki embrace at the conclusion of the season ending win against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field on Oct. 4, 2009.
"This photo is not as much about the two men of Mariners' history as it is about the fan holding the sign punctuating the moment. For fans, the '09 season was saved by Griffey's positive return. However this photo should never have been taken because I was in the wrong place, near third base, when I should have been behind Ichiro with the rest of the photographers that day."
--TJ Mullinax
Karen Callahan helps carry belongings from the Simmons family home on State Route 410 in the Nile Valley on Oct. 12, 2009. The home was destroyed by a landslide the day before which also closed the highway and blocked the Naches River. On Oct. 12 residents were escorted into the slide area to remove personal belongings on Oct. 12, 2009.
"To me, this photo shows Simmons family friend, Karen Callahan taking a resistant, albeit defiant route over the destructive path of the slide."
--TJ Mullinax
Travis Truckenmiller works the night shift Aug. 28, 2009 to repair the Naches River Bridge which was damaged in 2006. The repair work was a major undertaking during the summer of 2009, forcing a reroute of Interstate 82 and putting construction crews from around the state in Yakima for over a month.
"To me this photo of Travis Truckenmiller highlights the risks and solitude the night crew faced on their shift. The clean lines of the bridge show evidence of restoration and points to the worker."
--TJ Mullinax
A prayer for city officials, including Yakima City Manager Dick Zais, center, was offered at the annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast May 7, 2009 in Yakima, Wash. Don Vedder, left, and Jeff Brooks, right, were among those praying for the city officials.
"This photo is one of my favorites because it presents content - praying over Yakima city manager Dick Zais - in a graphically interesting manner. As a bonus, there's the subtle detail of diversity - white, black and brown - praying together."
-Gordon King
Roy Rivas crosses himself as he kneels at the Korean/ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall before the start of a Memorial Day service there May 25, 2009. Though he didn't know anyone whose name is on the wall, his kneeling in respect is appropriate because he thinks of them as brothers-in-arms, said the U.S. Army veteran.
"Just a quiet, personal moment that reflects Mr. Rivas' emotions about Memorial Day. Also, it demonstrates the validity of the photojournalist's adage of "go early and stay late" for the best photos. This was shot before the start of the ceremony at the memorial."
-Gordon King
(L-R) Tater, Tiny and Moxie wait for the start of the annual Halloween costume for pets Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 at the Big R store in Yakima, Wash. The pug mixes are owned by the Dee and Alice Arnold family of Moxee. Tater, dressed as a pumpkin, won first place in the 20-25-pound class.
"How can you not like dressed-up dogs? My only regret about this photo is that I ruined a pair of pants lying on the asphalt to take the picture."
-Gordon King
Cancer patient Michelle Berthon goes to yoga class at the Yakima Family YMCA Oct. 6, 2009. Yoga "gets me more in tune with the mind-body connection," and helps her better cope with her cancer, says Berthon. "It helps get your mind off the pain" of the cancer, she says.
"The light really makes this photo and it's why it is one of my favorites. I was grateful that Michelle chose to lay her yoga mat down underneath the only light that was on in the otherwise-dark room. The repetitive pattern of the upstretched arms adds to the graphic appeal of the photo. As she battles cancer with a smile on her face, Michelle is an inspiration to me."
-Gordon King
The Lynden High School Lions celebrate their state championship win over Archbishop Murphy High School at the state class 2A basketball championship on Saturday, March 14, 2009 at the SunDome.
"Championship games are fun to shoot -- emotions run high on both teams. Although I had several nice jubilation shots from Lynden's win, I liked this one the best because of the connection of the girls and the clear emotion on all of their faces."
-Sara Gettys
Marissa Beranek talks to her fianc
Graduating seniors wait for the Davis High School graduation ceremony to start at the Sun Dome on Wednesday, June 3, 2009.
"Sometimes it's hard to see something new after you've photographed several graduations. I liked the shapes that the students' hats made as they waited for the ceremony to begin."
--Sara Gettys
Frank Kock came to check on his neighbors, who live on the Nile Road after a landslide on State Route 410 blocked the Naches River and sent water flooding onto their land.
"Although this was a simple head shot -- Frank had a fascinating face and direct gaze that made me stop when I was editing photos after a long day of trying to get access to the flooded Nile valley. I have two regrets -- one, that the photo ran so small that I don't think the readers got to approach the photo and Frank in the same way I did and two, that I didn't have more time to get to know him."
-Sara Gettys