What makes a photograph, "the photograph?"
For photojournalism, two principles dominate: composition and storytelling.
Composition is what makes a photograph “pretty.” It uses artistic principles to draw the eye of the viewer and offer dichotomy or balance.
Combining these aesthetics with storytelling — the journalistic principle of “telling a thousand works” — make a “pretty” photograph transcendent. It becomes meaningful and impactful to the viewer. This is what Tribune photojournalists seek out to achieve every day.
This year, Salt Lake Tribune photojournalists captured events and moments that resonated with Utahns and the world. From documenting political movements, to events that brought the world’s attention to the state, to sports action and artistic expression, the power of photography is able to tell a story in a unique, revelatory way.
Even more so, represented are the “quiet moments,” the time in photography that strays away from the pivotal action and instead focuses on a scene that can tell a story in a more intimate way.
Scroll down to see the visual moments that both defined this year in Utah, and for the lesser-known events that brought joy, meaning and reflection from our photojournalists.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Highway Patrol officers stand in front of graffiti at the steps of the Utah Capitol during a demonstration on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Members of the Salt Lake County Firefighters union chant "veto" during a protest against HB267 at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 7.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) People run after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A small bouquet of flowers are pictured in the courtyard at Utah Valley University on Friday, Sept. 19, on the spot where Kirk was shot and killed.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tyler Robinson speaks with attorneys before a hearing in Provo's 4th District Court on Thursday, Dec. 11. Robinson is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Demolition crews level the Fleet Block with the memorialized faces of people killed by police, including Jovany Mercado Bedolla, on Thursday, March 20.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) President Russell M. Nelson greets 8-year-old Ella Hadley, from Syracuse, at the conclusion of General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sunday, April 6.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dallin H. Oaks, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks during a session of General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Oct. 5.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Hundreds march from the State Capitol on Mar. 29 with transgender pride flag.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Medical personnel attend to a man after a shooting during a "No Kings" march in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14. Marcher Afa Ah Loo was killed by an event volunteer "peacekeeper," who was eventually charged in his death.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Thousands attend a "No Kings" rally at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 18.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Emma Petty Addams of Mormon Women for Ethical Government embraces other plaintiffs at a news conference in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 25, after Judge Diana Gibson ordered new Congressional maps that comply with the 2018 Better Boundaries initiative guidelines. At right is Katharine Biele, of League of Women Voters of Utah.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) A hiker at Lake Powell near Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Ariz. on Tuesday, May 20.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brighton High School graduate Andrew Quilter skis at Snowbird on Monday, May 26.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Hornet and Hollow Knight portrayed by Kalyn Marcus and Joshua Hafen, at FanX on Saturday Sept. 27.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) People leave Centennial Park as law enforcement investigate after a reported shooting at WestFest in West Valley City, Sunday, June 15. Four people, including a pregnant woman and an infant, were shot dead by a teenage gunman.
(Benjamin Zack | Special to The Tribune) Kenna Birkholz, 12, looks out over the area where the Willard Peak Fire burned up to edge of her backyard in North Ogden on Thursday, Aug. 14.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) A field of wheat in Corinne on Friday, July 18.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A long hose extends into the north arm of the Great Salt Lake, Thursday, Aug. 14 as Lilac Solutions staff test a program for extracting lithium from the lake without depleting water.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Thousands run past the governor’s mansion during the Salt Lake City marathon on Saturday, April 26.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) holds on to Utah Utes guard Hunter Erickson (0) during a game in Provo on Saturday, March 8.
(Alyssa Pointer | Special to The Tribune) Erin Lee receives hugs from her 3-year-old twin daughters, Daisy and Fiona, while lying on the floor at their home in Douglasville, Ga., Sunday, May 4. Erin has myalgic encephalomyelitis and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. These medical conditions leave Erin feeling tired throughout the day and make it hard for her travel, including to her Latter-day Saint congregation. Laying down allows Erin to use less energy when interacting with her twin daughters.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) A backyard pool abutting desert in St. George on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dancers rehearse a performance to raise awareness about the state of the declining Great Salt Lake in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 22.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The muralist GOMAD works on a project during the South Salt Lake Mural Fest, on Thursday, May 8.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic is defended by a Los Angeles Lakers player in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 18.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Trevor Hull loses his sunglasses as he hits the pond for the 4th annual Eagle Super Pond Championship at Park City on Saturday, April 12.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Swoop mascot nearly loses his head as Utah football hosts Cal Poly in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 6.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Shay Wright holds her infant daughter AmyLou Martin as she stands beside the casket of her husband Tanner Martin, the man who chronicled his cancer battle alongside his wife's pregnancy, during his graveside services in American Fork on Saturday, July 5.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Briel Adams-Wheatley climbs the 41 stairs of the Utah Capitol to honor the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Saturday, July 26.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU's Jane Hedengren (146) leads the pack at the start of the NCAA cross country regional championships in Salt Lake City, on Friday, Nov. 14.
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