And even in moments of chaos, an image can save a quiet moment. Angela Peterson photographed Sheena Scarbrough being comforted after her daughter’s killer was found guilty. Jovanny Hernandez followed stories of immigration throughout the year, including Judge Hannah Dugan’s obstruction charges and Yessenia Ruano’s decision to return to El Salvador after exhausting options in Milwaukee. 

This is a curated selection of images chosen for their impact, artistry and ability to represent Wisconsin’s rich cultural diversity. Within this collection, you’ll find photographs that are historic, artistic and ones that simply make you smile. They demonstrate the staff’s skill and dedication in presenting an authentic perspective on life in Wisconsin. 

Angela Peterson

This is my favorite photo of 2025 because of the raw emotion of these young men embracing each other after ending a group therapy session. They are part of Bridge to Brighter, an organization that offers housing and life skills to young men who are aging out of the foster care system. On this evening, reporter Bridge Fogerty and I were observing a listening session. The men, between the ages 18-24, spoke candidly about the hardships of growing up without a family. And we heard the pain in their voices as they shared experiences about living with strangers. We were touched by their shared bond and how they created their own family within the program.

− Angela Peterson

Mike De Sisti

Looking back forces me to realize just how much ground I’ve covered photographically in 2025. From the community’s reaction to the loss of beloved Brewers’ broadcaster Bob Uecker and the nonstop fascination with the newly graffitied lakeshore landmark Deep Thought, to the deportation of a schoolteacher with U.S.-born children and the tornadoes that tore through small Dodge County communities. It’s been a year.

But when I’m asked to pick a single favorite image, I keep coming back to my firefly.

It’s a photo I’d wanted for years. I’ve taken wide, long-exposure shots of the night sky and captured fireflies by stacking multiple images, but I’d never managed to catch one solitary bug lighting up. My attention span probably matches theirs. After six or seven minutes of waiting, I’d usually give up.

But on this warm July evening, I was in the backyard with my daughters, trying to coax our indoor cat, Emily, out of her carrier. As we sat there with treats in hand, waiting her out, darkness settled in and out came the fireflies.

I grabbed my camera. After a few minutes of chasing one around the yard, it finally settled on a blade of grass. I waited. It flashed a burst of green bioluminescent light, I fired off a couple frames, and it flew away.

“Got it!” I yelled, as my kids, either uninterested or simply used to me doing this, barely looked up. But it made my night.

Maybe even my year.

− Mike DeSisti

Mark Hoffman

This photo of Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) warming up before their National League Championship Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers captures his work ethic. The graphic nature of the images works for me. It’s something you will not see on television. It’s a quiet moment. Capturing moments that would otherwise slip between the cracks is what makes still photojournalism work.

− Mark Hoffman

Jovanny Hernandez

An image of a young Ojibwe spearer captures a quiet moment in which a young man learns the traditions of his ancestors. Spearfishing is part of a long continuum of cultural knowledge, identity and the expression of treaty rights. A mark in Wisconsin’s history, from the controversial Walleye Wars to a new generation learning these skills.

This image captures the enduring connection between people, nature and history. I am honored to have been welcomed into the lives of the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Nation to document the importance of these relationships for future generations. 

− Jovanny Hernandez

Scott Ash

I have been blessed to photograph many events and gatherings throughout my career. Once in a great while, I’ll be fortunate to capture a moment that transports the viewer back in time. A nostalgic reminder of childhood, family and community.

− Scott Ash

Hannah Schroeder

I have spent the majority of the past five months, since I started at the Journal Sentinel, covering the historic flooding in August that devastated the community and its aftermath. Up until this point, I would have chosen a flooding photo as my top photo of the year due to the impact on the community.

However, I recently moved from a small town in New England and studied in rural Ohio, both of which have informed my perspective as a community photojournalist. My favorite moments tend to be intimate, emotional moments that unfold at community events and in day-to-day life. Documenting notable moments around the city and state, like this image at St. Rita Church in West Allis, brings me pride as a journalist. I spoke with countless community members at this final church service who were raised, baptized and married in this church. You could already feel the community’s loss long before the church closed its doors. Though my image, I hope to convey the difficult emotions of the congregation on this day.

− Hannah Schroeder

Angelica Edwards

I made this image while working on a story with Alyssa Salcedo, where we shadowed students at Notre Dame School of Milwaukee’s boys’ and girls’ middle school campuses volunteering in their communities.After photographing a group of boys assembling winter clothes kits at St. Vincent de Paul on West Madison Street, I went over to School Sisters of St. Francis Sacred Heart Retirement Community in Burnham Park. That’s where I met the eighth-grade girls helping seniors with a coloring activity, which involved rolling a die and coloring in a section of a turkey with the color corresponding to the die number.

I went from table to table, observing the girls’ lead a coloring activity, and converse with the seniors. I noticed eighth-grader Tairy Ramirez coloring with 88-year-old Sister Catherine Ollmann and was drawn to their laughter and made a couple of images of them interacting with each other. I selected this photo because I love the endearing moment shared between them and feel like it captures the energy and excitement shared by all of the students and sisters in the room. 

− Angelica Edwards