St. Petersburg Times photographers' favorite images of 2009 (17 images)

(St. Petersburg, August 28) As a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. I pursued photojournalism instead because I wanted to make photographs that affect positive social change. This one doesn't do that, but it does make me thankful to be able to witness such a beautiful thing, even if I never did become an astronaut. The photo is a 30-second time exposure of the Space Shuttle Discovery launch, as seen from Demen's Landing in St. Petersburg. [CHRIS ZUPPA, Times]

(Largo, June 30) The U.S. National Synchronization Team uses a swimming technique called "spulling", with which the hands are used to create the necessary force to allow the swimmers to thrust their bodies above the water's surface and enable the legs to perform. This photo was made during a practice in June at the Southwest Recreation Complex pool in Largo. I am fascinated by the grace of this sport. It is difficult to see what is taking place under the water, so I used an Ewa Marine Bag to partially submerge the camera to help reveal the technical complexities and athleticism needed to keep the swimmers' bodies in synch. [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD, Times]

(Tampa, September 22) In addition to teaching religion classes, Sister Mary Jackson coaches several different sports at Villa Madonna School in Tampa. During recess you can find her in her sneakers, playing with the kids. Sister Mary is outgoing, energetic and truly happy about sharing the word of God to all the people she touches. The kids seem to love her and I feel like this photo captures all of these elements. [KATHLEEN FLYNN, Times]

(St. Petersburg, September 26) This was free day at the Museum of Fine Arts. To me, this photograph is about discovery and identity. The 6-year-old child, Aurora Smith, patiently walked with her mother, Alison Smith, through much of the museum, but it was at this moment that she seemed to burst out of her shell. I think she found two "little people" in frames who she could relate to. Also, one has a furry creature, much like her bunny that she carried. It was an unexpected moment of excitement in an otherwise placid atmosphere. I also like the way the child's stance mimics her mother's. In these tough times, it's always nice to be reminded of such playful displays of whimsy. [LARA CERRI, Times]

(St. Petersburg, January 9) I really enjoyed watching Shirley Tigg, owner of Shirley's Soul Food Kitchen in St. Petersburg, her son Landry Tigg, and friend and customer Peggy Elias watch President Barack Obama give his inauguration speech from Tigg's business. They were so proud that a person of color had been elected President of the most powerful nation on earth. "I'm just glad. I really never thought I'd live to see this day," said Shirley Tigg. [SCOTT KEELER, Times]

(Tampa, July 28) Clarence Jones, 20, visits his the grave of his friend Torrie McDuffie at Rest Haven Memorial Park in Tampa. Several of Jones' friends have died as a result of gun violence. This is a moment when the subject's words stay with me. During the assignment, he constantly asked the deceased: "What is the American dream?" His ernest search for answers raises so many questions for me. [ATOYIA DEANS, Times]

(Tampa, February 18) This photo of Ryan Crowther and Cindy Lyons at the University of South Florida Marshall Student Center just sums up what a great day should be - relaxing and having fun on a sunny day. [DANIEL WALLACE, TIMES]

(Land O'Lakes, November 4) This picture was taken when I was walking around a midway as workers were setting up for a festival called Swampfest. This little girl completely ignored me and jumped into a bag of unopened stuffed prizes. I looked down, made three frames and then she ran off. This picture did not make it into the newspaper, but it remains one of my favorites because of the colors and lines that came out of a chaotic and fleeting moment. [KERI WIGINTON, Times]

(Washington, D.C., January 21) President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama wave to the crowd during the 50th Presidential Inaugural Southern Ball at the Washington DC Armory. Obama was sworn in earlier in the day as the 44th President of the United States of America. This is a moment in history I was able to witness and photograph, and I'll never forget that day! [WILLIE J. ALLEN, JR., Times]

(Valrico, November 28) Laura Refitt, 35, of Dover, holds her daughter Serena Reffitt, 8, as they wait to go search for two-year old Luis Martinez in Valrico. "It's sad, I've got four kids," says Reffitt. "He's so innocent and little... I just pray he's hiding somewhere scared." Volunteers and Hillsborough County Sheriffs Deputies continued their search for two year old Luis Martinez, who disappeared the previous Friday afternoon and was last seen playing in a neighbor's yard. Approximately 200 volunteers had come out to help on Saturday morning. This moment happened very, very quickly, and I was only able to make a couple of frames of it. Without even talking to this woman beforehand, I knew what was going on: a mother holding her child hoping she never went missing like the boy, Luis Martinez, for whom they were searching. I spoke with her later to confirm what I had witnessed. To me it represents some of the best and worst in the world. The circumstances surrounding this picture are tragic, yet these same circumstances brought out the best in a community, with hundreds of strangers teaming together on a moment's notice to search for a lost boy. [EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN, Times]

(New Port Richey, July 29) My favorite features are often found when I’m not searching for them. I was wading through shallow water, camera in hand, while snorkeling in the Gulf as an evening, summer storm rolled in. The weather that I thought would cut the trip short instead provided warm light, and a picturesque backdrop complete with a rainbow. [BRENDAN FITTERER, Times]

(Gaza, February 12) This photo, of Amna Rezeg leaving the remains of her home in the Abed Rabbo neighborhood of Gaza, reminds me of the human capacity to thrive in adversity. Pictured is what used to be the walkway to their middle class home, the hole in the background was their front door. Within days after the tanks, soldiers and most of the media left, the family children were up for school, in clean cloths, with their homework ready for the teacher. As an act of personal defiance, the family is living in the remains of their home indefinitely instead of moving to a nearby UN sponsored refugee camp. In the three week Israeli offensive more than 1,300 people were killed, and over 5,400 wounded, mostly civilians. More than 21,000 buildings were destroyed, including over 4,000 homes, according to the Palestinian Authority's Central Bureau of Statistics. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT, Times]

(St. Petersburg, December 10) Pictured through the back door of the hearse, Barbara W. Griffin (facing camera) gets a hug after her mother's funeral at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church. Griffin's mother, C. Bette Wimbish, 85, was the first black person on the St. Petersburg City Council. This was one of my favorite images mostly due to the tender moment. I was photographing Mrs. Griffin receiving hugs when the back door of the hearse opened. The window of the vehicle seemed to frame their hug perfectly and added a nice visual layer to a peaceful moment. [DIRK SHADD, Times]

(Brooksville, September 16) Brooke Spaulding, 10, hugs her father, Sgt. First Class Michael Spaulding, in her Pinegrove Elementary School classroom. Spaulding, 39, left for Afghanistan in June for a year-long tour with the C Company 4/23 5th Striker Brigade, US Army out of Fort Lewis, Washington. His three children expected him back for a two-week leave in March but the dates got pushed up and his wife Tammy kept the secret so he could surprise them at school Wednesday. The morning I spent with the Spaulding family was one of the highlights of my year. Watching each of the kids' faces as they realized that their father, who they thought was still overseas, was standing in front of them was simply amazing. It was a beautiful family reunion, and I was honored that they let me be a part of it. [WILL VRAGOVIC, Times]

(Miami, July 29) "This is the worst form of punishment," said Terry Allen Norton, 55, a registered sex offender, about living underneath the Julia Tuttle Causeway in Miami. "It's physical and mental punishment." Norton said he was with a girl that he later learned he was 16. In 1998 he was found guilty of "deviate sexual assault in the 1st degree." In 2007 he was convicted of failing to notify sheriff of relocation when he moved to another jurisdiction. This photo of sex offenders being forced to live under a bridge in Miami reminds me of the importance of what we do. This was a story I pitched to the paper after hearing about these guys on NPR. This story reminded me about the importance of remaining open-minded and fair. The part of me that hates the thought of any child being harmed was ready to convict these guys without a trial. I wanted to hate them. I wanted to know that they got the punishment that they deserved. But when I met them I was reminded that the world is not black and white, and in all that gray there are multiple sides, unfair judicial systems and human beings. [MELISSA LYTTLE, Times]

Macario Ramirez unpacks "Florida Radiance" strawberry plants as workers in the background plant the new variety of berry on Three Star Farms in Dover in October. You have to be patient many times while trying to make a successful photo. I made an initial photo of the farm worker unloading the stacks of new strawberry plants, but then I noticed that the truck was approaching the workers in the fields, adding a nice layer to the image. Next, I saw a tractor in the distance, so I waited until it all came together. The resulting photo has multiple layers: the worker, the rising sun, the rows of plants and then the tractor in the distance. [SKIP O'ROURKE, Times]