Dec 31, 2024 - Business
Olympics, assassins and MAGA, photographers reflect on 2024
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Secret Service tend to former President Trump onstage at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pa. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Several photographers spoke with Axios to reflect on a year full of stunning photos.
Why it matters: News photographers capture key moments and emotions that enhance the storytelling and provide insight into the larger context of an event.
Anna Moneymaker's photo from the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shown above, made headlines around the world earlier this year.
- "I think what is interesting from the whole historic event is how I was one of four photographers in the buffer for his rally and not one photographer got the same picture as the other. We all had different angles, and that shows the importance of multiple visual journalists being present for campaign events so that every angle can be documented," says Moneymaker.
"Most photographers had no idea what was happening as they were focused on the trophy celebration. Swift quickly moved to a restricted access portion behind the stage. I thought this could be bad for visuals, but still forced my way as close to the barricade as I could," says Patrick Smith.
- "Not long after, Travis Kelce had made his way to her. Then it happened. A hug. A whisper. A snuggle. A kiss. A lot of smiles."
- "It was more than a kiss or embrace — it was a moment that humanized these larger-than-life celebrities and something the world had been waiting to see."
"By February 2024, scenes like this were a near-daily occurrence at Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah," says Ahmad Hasaballah.
- "This man is mourning his daughter, Kenzi Abdel Rahman Jumah, who was killed in a house hit by an Israeli strike. More than half of Gaza's population were clustered in Rafah at this point in the war, as Israel's campaign against Hamas pushed farther south. The experience of covering such farewell moments was very moving as a photographer living in Gaza."
- "I expected that one day I would photograph my family in this situation, which happened when I photographed the farewell of my cousin, who was killed near Khan Yunis. I later lost my father in this war, although I did not get to see him and say goodbye to him. I knew the meaning of loss."
"When I'm covering hurricanes, I am always trying to show the people who are affected by the storms," says Joe Raedle.
- "This moment came when I was driving through a neighborhood after Hurricane Helene had passed through, and I was looking to capture images that showed the power of the winds. The jumble of power lines and the lone figure walking near them was a juxtaposition that I felt showed this. The images we capture and transmit in real time during and after natural disasters can, hopefully, help bring the needed emergency relief for the areas and the people affected by the disasters."
"I live almost two hours from Altoona, where Luigi Mangione was recognized and captured at a McDonald's," says Jeff Swensen.
- "A defining moment can be a facial expression or even body language, and Luigi has captivated an audience and attracted attention to the health care system in America. The perp walk in NYC on Dec. 19 was diametrically different than the brief second in a garage behind a courthouse in the middle of Pennsylvania. This image here with just his eyes and eyebrows shown was reminiscent of what we had all seen while they were searching for him."
