Wanda Love, of north St. Louis, throws her arms up in jubilation as red and white confetti rains down upon St. Louis Cardinals fans on March 30 during Opening Day celebrations outside of Busch Stadium. The team would later go on to finish in last place in Major League Baseball's NL Central.
St. Louis Public Radio photojournalists weave quilts of visual moments through still images and videothat document our region and provide insight, context and understanding about the people who live in it.
Whether it's the pomp of the Fourth of July parades in Webster Groves and southern Illinois, the experience of people living on the streets of St. Louis, or puppies parading through Soulard Mardi Gras, we show the ways our region is vibrant, resilient and captivating.
Each December, the visuals team at STLPR combs through tens of thousands of images and discusses the moments — large and small — that defined the year. We think beyond whether an image is aesthetically pleasing and consider why it matters. When we’re out making pictures, we often hear this question, sometimes with a smirk: "You make pictures for radio?"
Yes.
While our work may not be shared over radio waves, STLPR believes that visuals are a crucial part of helping people understand the issues that drive the region and the communities that make our home what it is. (That’s one reason why we're helping to train the next generation of visual storytellers.)
Our inbox is always open to interesting story ideas and news tips, or to chat about our photojournalism at news@stlpr.org. Thank you for supporting our efforts to continue making pictures for radio.
— Brian Munoz, STLPR interim digital editor and staff photojournalist
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Margaret “Mega Legs” Wilson, 42, of Carondelet, dances during the Artica Urban Art Festival on Oct. 8 in downtown St. Louis. The eclectic menagerie of performances celebrated its 22nd year on the Mississippi riverfront, next to the historic Cotton Belt Freight Depot.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Kathleen Cash, 57, of Ferguson, rests her eyes on Oct. 2 in front of City Hall in downtown St. Louis. “I fell for the moratoriums like everyone else,” she said after being evicted from her suburban St. Louis home in 2020, then experiencing homelessness for several years alongside her husband and two dogs. “No one realized what it's going to be like when it was time to catch up.”
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Hadah McCoy says goodbye to two of her dogs on Oct. 3 outside City Hall in downtown St. Louis. McCoy and her husband were unable to bring their three dogs to the shelter they were offered when a homeless encampment was cleared out on the steps of the government building.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis City SC midfielder Miguel Perez (28) celebrates a goal by Tomas Ostrak (7) on March 18 during a match against the San Jose Earthquakes at CityPark in Downtown West. Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team made history by winning an expansion-record 17 games and becoming the first team to win a conference title in its initial season, despite being picked by many to finish last.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Hundreds of Club America fans celebrate the Mexican team defeating St. Louis City SC, 4-0, on July 28 outside CityPark in Downtown West.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas launches the ball on March 30 during the team’s Opening Day matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays at Busch Stadium.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Kevin Taggert wipes his face with a towel on July 27 outside Taylor & Page Auto Repair in Lewis Place. Temperatures soared near 100 degrees while he worked on automobiles.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Nate Williams gives Thomas Quaye a haircut on Oct. 10 at a homeless encampment set up outside the Municipal Court building in downtown St. Louis. Williams, who gives those experiencing homelessness haircuts through “Haircuts 4 The Homeless,” was unhoused himself after falling into debt.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Kayla O’Neal, 28, holds Caine, her 2-week-old baby, on Jan. 27 at her home in St. Peters, Mo. According to the state's health department, Black women in Missouri are three times as likely to die while pregnant or within a year of pregnancy than white women. In response, Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill into law that extends Medicaid benefits for new moms from 60 days to a full year postpartum.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, center, on Feb. 23 during a press conference regarding calls for her resignation at the Mel Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. Gardner ultimately resigned from her post after criticism over a backlog of cases in her office.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Newly sworn-in St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore pauses after taking the oath of office from Missouri Supreme Court Judge Robin Ransom on May 30 at the Mel Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. The former federal prosecutor and private practice lawyer was tapped to replace Kim Gardner.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Steve “Doc” Dachroeden, right, and Jacob “Flick” Steve examine a pinball machine on June 21 at the Silver Ballroom in Bevo Mill.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Becky Kling, 62, of Creve Coeur, looks at “Jalapeño,” a 5-month-old kitten, on Jan. 31 at the APA Olivette Animal Shelter in Olivette. Kling said she lost four of her pets in the past year, including her 20-year-old cat, and was considering adding a pet.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Dozens of fans cheer as a miniature dachshund races fellow dogs on Feb. 12 during a wiener dog race after the 30th annual Purina Pet Parade in Soulard.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
June Canada, of Fairview Heights, walks past Vintage Vinyl on May 24 on the Delmar Loop in University City. Canada said she didn’t previously know Tina Turner, St. Louis’ "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," had died. “I’m sad to hear that,” she said. “I just loved her.”
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Chardonnay Reed, 27, of Pagedale, looks down at her daughter on June 24 during the 2023 St. Louis Open Black Rodeo at Chaifetz Arena in Midtown.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
LEFT: Jermey Bryant, 17, listens to rap artist YoungBoy Never Broke Again on June 24 while waiting to get into the St. Louis Open Black Rodeo at Chaifetz Arena in Midtown. The traveling event, visiting St. Louis for the first time since 2018, was Bryant’s third time watching rodeo. RIGHT: Dobie Headerick, 12, pulls up from deep while being defended by Marcelo Caceres, 23, during a rain-soaked pickup basketball game on Oct. 25 at the community basketball courts in Tower Grove Park in south St. Louis.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
People walk atop a stone-covered landfill on Tuesday at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center in St. Charles County.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Lois Gain, 12, of Affton, gestures to the crowd while dressed as the Statue of Liberty on July 4 during the annual Community Days Parade in Webster Groves.
Tristen Rouse and Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
LEFT: Jack Gietl screams while wearing American flag-themed face paint after the match on June 28 at CityPark in Downtown West. RIGHT: Fireworks blast over the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse on July 4 during the annual Fair St. Louis fireworks show along the Mississippi River. This year marks the United States' 247th Independence Day.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Thundercat performs on Sept. 10 during the Music at the Intersection festival in Grand Center.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Sophia Lewis, 13, of Maryland Heights, helps hoist a giant rainbow flag down Market Street on June 25 during the St. Louis PrideFest Parade in downtown St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
The crowd erupts in applause as Central Visual and Performing Arts High School dance students hit a final pose in a tap dance number on May 15 during a showcase at the school in Southwest Garden. The performance marked the first time CVPA students took the stage since a deadly school shooting the prior semester.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
LEFT: A man holds a candle during a prayer vigil for the one-year anniversary of a school shooting at a building shared by Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience on Oct. 24 at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in Shaw. RIGHT: Two people embrace during the vigil.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Sylvie Kiefer, 17, hugs her boyfriend, Alexander Collins, 17, after Collins finished testifying in opposition to a proposal that would force transgender students to use bathrooms based on the sex assigned on their birth certificate during a Francis Howell School Board meeting on Oct. 26 at the Francis Howell School District Administration Building in O’Fallon, Mo. Testifying initially left Collins in tears as Kiefer comforted him.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Rabbis Daniel Bogard, right, and his wife, Karen, with their 9-year-old son, embracing Elvis and Violet, the family’s golden retrievers, on March 22 at their home in St. Louis County. The Bogards’ son is one of the transgender Missourians affected by anti-trans policies, rhetoric and legislation — including the banning of most gender-affirming care for minors in the state.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Carlie Jefferson laughs as she falls into a splits in front of Amy Antenhill on Oct. 3 at the 12th and Park Rec Center in Lasalle Park. The class teaches circus skills to children through a partnership among local foundations, the city parks department and Circus Harmony.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
From left: Connely Zuber, 9; Tripp Zuber, 12, and Holden Basseen, 11, watch as a Whitetip Reef Shark swims by on July 25 at the St. Louis Aquarium in Downtown West.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Hunter Johnson, 29, of New Braunfels, Texas, serves the ball on Aug. 10 during the Association of Pickleball Players Sunmed St. Louis Open Tournament at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park. Johnson defeated Jack Foster, of Vero Beach, Fla., in the men's singles quarterfinals during the tournament.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Antoine Huey attends the picket line on Day 5 of the United Auto Workers strike on Sept. 19 outside the General Motors Assembly Plant in Wentzville. Despite the Wentzville GM plant production workers voting against the deal, the agreement between the UAW and the automaker passed nationally, giving longtime workers a raise of about 33% over the life of the contract. Some newer workers and temps will see their pay more than double.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Javon Greenwood Jr. carries the cover of his soap box car to an art room on June 9 at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation building in East St. Louis. Using classroom paint, he and Tremell Kellys planned to paint their cars and decorate them with stickers and decals.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Michael Vigdorchik, 77, of Creve Coeur, listens to fellow members of the Jewish community on Oct. 15 during a pro-Israel rally outside the Jewish Federation of St. Louis in Creve Coeur. Israel and Hamas have been at war since Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked southern Israel.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Lamya Abukanan, 23, of Ballwin, participates in a pro-Palestinian rally as tensions and the death toll rise in Israel and the Gaza Strip on Oct. 15 at Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Lamar Johnson waves to the media on Feb. 14 after being released from custody at the Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. Johnson was released after being convicted of a murder he didn't commit and imprisoned for nearly 30 years. “I thought I would have some time to rest, but it kind of feels like I'm ready to hit the ground running,” he said while looking around downtown St. Louis. “I want to work to try to rebuild my life.”
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Corrections Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah exits the City Justice Center ahead of a press conference on Nov. 28 on the steps of the city’s jail in downtown St. Louis. Members of the St. Louis Detention Facilities Oversight Board had called on Mayor Tishaura Jones and Public Safety Director Charles Coyle to ask her to resign after a breakdown in communication and transparency with the board.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
A member of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ staff walks past a window, through which a village of tiny homes meant to serve the city’s unhoused population can be seen, on Sept. 14 at Jefferson Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive in north St. Louis. The city has recently paid for 50 additional units to be added to the village.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Jordyn Rubin, an educator at the Vivian D. Adams Early Childhood Center, goes over counting next to student Sophie, left, as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Principal Melanie Hood and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton cheer on Feb. 16 at the school in East St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Missouri state Rep. Sean Pouche, R-Kansas City, reacts after being handed an oversize Minnie Mouse for losing his fantasy football league on May 12 during the last day of the legislative session in Jefferson City.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Festivalgoers react as Sandroniia Williams, 54, of downtown St. Louis, busts a move on Sept. 10 during the Music at the Intersection festival in Grand Center.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
Aaron Fowler poses with his sculpture “Live Culture Force 1’s, 2022” on Aug. 25 at the St. Louis Art Museum. Fowler’s work will be on display at the museum through the end of the year as part of “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century” exhibit.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Sexyy Red performs for a sold-out crowd north of 7,000 on Oct. 30 at Chaifetz Arena in Midtown. The 25-year-old rapper from north St. Louis is known for her unfiltered stage presence and for working with artists such as Da Baby, NLE Choppa, Drake and St.Louis-born Sza.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Megan Green on Nov. 29 in her office at City Hall in downtown St. Louis. Green celebrated her first full year in office, handily winning the aldermanic presidency and building a progressive coalition of legislators.
Tristen Rouse
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St. Louis Public Radio
A video camera is set up in the balcony of the historic Washington Theater on Nov. 16 in Quincy, Ill. The theater opened its doors in 1924 and has been added to the Register of Historic Structures. It's now undergoing a substantial restoration push.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Jody Laberson, 48, of the Missouri Senate’s maintenance team, hangs up a deer mount, originally hunted by Republican Sen.-elect Nick Schroer's grandfather in 1992, on Jan. 3 at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.
Brian Munoz
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St. Louis Public Radio
Randy Reece, 71, of Princeton Heights, performs an improv rendition of “New York, New York” as a roughly 30-foot, 8,500-pound replica of the Statue of Liberty is delivered on May 18 at the National Building Arts Center in Sauget. The Brooklyn Museum donated the piece to the group, which also maintains collections of historical architectural artifacts from Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities.
For more on how STLPR photojournalists Brian Munoz and Tristen Rouse capture stories with cameras and mics in hand, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast, or by clicking the play button below.
Meet the STLPR photojournalists who tell stories one frame at a time
