Photo essay: A collection of our favorite Houston Landing photos for April 2024
By Marie D. De Jesús / Staff photographer,
2024-04-24
Last week, I started typing up a list in the Notes app on my iPhone entitled “Compelling Visual Storytelling Scenes.”
Photos have always given me perspective, and I wanted to compile a list of scenes that stirred a strong sense of emotion in me. Some of the pictures on this list are from moments we photographed at the Landing; others are photos made by other colleagues.
I created the list to inspire both you, the reader, and our newsroom – reporters, editors and photographers alike – as we continue to brainstorm and dissect which elements make for a captivating photo.
The list includes examples of real moments:
A father fighting back tears at his daughter’s high school graduation while facing an imminent deportation order
A truck driver taking a break from their route to play the guitar in a field
A man training his dog without a care in the world with a refinery literally on fire in the background
This month, Houston Landing’s best photography captured several scenes I know will be engraved in my memory:
Iqra Ali and Ali Aamar trying a football toss at an arcade during an Eid al-Fitr celebration in Houston, photographed by independent photojournalist Mark Felix
Beautifully silhouetted actresses playing the roles of Jesus Christ’s followers before the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, by staff photojournalist Antranik Tavitian
Houston Mayor John Whitmire, who, instead of standing behind a podium, stakes a sign into the ground while announcing that the controversial Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library will remain open, a moment-based image taken by independent photojournalist Meridith Kohut
Moments ground us, and April’s selection of Landing photojournalism memorializes those moments — whether it’s independent photographer Annie Mulligan’s picture of third graders at Anderson Elementary School gasping in awe at the solar eclipse, or a snapshot from independent photographer Meridith Kohut of 10-year-old William Lee launching a dragon kite into the air during the Hermann Park Conservancy’s Kite Festival.
I urge you, as a Landing reader, to spend some time with this month’s compilation of photos and to challenge yourself to consider how a picture turns a story from a string of words into a moment encapsulated in color and shape.
The list in my iPhone’s Notes app came from my desire to encourage our staff to reconsider how journalists incorporate and prioritize visual storytelling in our overall work. Photos comprise individual moments of time, yes, but they also complete — not just enhance — the overall story we publish.
People follow as Jesus Christ, played by Marcos Gonzalez, walks while carrying his cross during the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Houston Landing) (Left photo) Portuguese Man o’War spotted by volunteer Jo Monday while patrolling down Galveston Beach on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Galveston. (Marie D. De Jesús / Houston Landing) (Right photo) Portuguese Man o’War spotted by volunteer Jo Monday while patrolling down Galveston Beach on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Galveston. (Marie D. De Jesús / Houston Landing) Perla Ortiz, graduate research assistant, digitizes documents donated by A. John Castillo at Arte Público Press, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Houston Landing) (Top left) Hamza Junge performs Wudu before Zuhr prayer during an Eid al-Ftir celebration at Jones Creek Ranch Park, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Richmond. (Antranik Tavitian / Houston Landing) (Top right photo) Mustapha Nyallay and his son Mustapha Nyallay Jr. take a picture together during an Eid celebration held by the Clear Lake Islamic Center at Marquee at the Mainland, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Texas City. (Mark Felix for Houston Landing) (Bottom) Iqra Ali (center) and Ali Aamar (right) and try the football toss during an Eid celebration held by the Clear Lake Islamic Center at Marquee at the Mainland, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Texas City. (Mark Felix for Houston Landing) Mayor John Whitmire sticks a ‘Yes, We’re Open’ sign in front of the Eleanor K. Freed Montrose Library on April 15, 2024, in Houston, Texas. (Meridith Kohut for The Houston Landing) William Lee, 10, launches his dragon kite at Hermann Park Conservancy’s Kite Festival on April 7, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Meridith Kohut for the Houston Landing) (Top left) Performers showcase colorful wardrobes during a portion of Once Upon a Time To Happily Ever After, which is a Bollywood performance at Miller Outdoor Theater on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Houston. (Douglas Sweet Jr. for Houston Landing) (Top right) LaKendra Howard performs “Angelitos Negros” during the Black Houston Symposium at the Moody Center for the Arts on Friday, March 22, 2024, in Houston. (Annie Mulligan for Houston Landing) (Bottom) Messiah Randle, 6, learns the basics of African drumming during a music workshop at the Menil Collection’s third annual Neighborhood Community Day on April 6, 2024 in Houston, TX. (Meridith Kohut for Houston Landing) (Left photo) An Art Car drives through an underpass during the 37th annual Art Car Parade on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Houston. (Mark Felix for Houston Landing) (Right photo) A man waves to the crowd from his Peeps-covered car during the 37th annual Art Car Parade Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Houston. (Mark Felix for Houston Landing) Actresses playing followers of Jesus Christ are silhouetted before the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Houston. (Antranik Tavitian / Houston Landing) (Left photo) Children enjoy the climbing space in the Space Adventure area in the Commons at Hermann Park during the opening celebration on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Houston. (Darío De León for Houston Landing) (Right photo) A woman gets her hair colored with temporary hair dye during a community block party to celebrate Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Houston. (Mark Felix for Houston Landing) State Rep. Jarvis Johnson twirls Gayle Brown, 81, during fashion show during an annual Spring Fling Senior’s Brunch at Acres Home Multi-Service Center , Monday, April 15, 2024, in Houston. Rep. Johnson will be running for state senate in Senate District 15. (Antranik Tavitian / Houston Landing)
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