2022 Photos Of The Year
The best photojournalists carefully observe the world. They notice the most authentic details and bring them to us in ways we are unable to forget. Photographs by themselves may not be able to change the world or stop a war, but they can pinpoint what we have in common, what's worth our investment, our hope, our struggle and our fight. They can help us see our surroundings more clearly. They can inspire us to action. Here we share some of the best of the year from the photographers of the Portland Press Herald.
2022 Photos Of The Year: Life without a home
Jeanie Cannell, her husband and his daughter lived in a van at the Kennebunk travel plaza on the Maine Turnpike for three months, unable to find affordable housing even though two of them work full time. They have gotten help from strangers – money, meals, even months in an RV at a campground, since Jeanie told their story in July. But a long-term home remains elusive, for the Cannells and thousands of other Mainers. Photos by staff photographer Brianna Soukup
2022 Photos Of The Year: Seeking new lives in Maine
Hundreds of asylum seekers continued to arrive in Maine in 2022, overwhelming cities and towns' ability to house them and provide basic needs. While asylum seekers fleeing violence in their own countries are allowed to remain in the U.S. while making their case to immigration courts, federal law requires a months-long wait for work permits. In May, Portland announced it could no longer guarantee shelter or aid for asylum-seeking families, many of whom were housed temporarily in hotels. Throughout the year, Press Herald photographers documented their new lives in Maine.
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