LI Life: The year in pictures

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which means the scores of images published in LI Life this year could tell a book’s worth of Long Island stories. From the rich golden hues of a perfect fall day, to families who put their all into planning a quinceañera for their daughter, to those obsessed with growing an award-winning pumpkin, our photographers were there to capture these amazing moments. As we get ready to ring in the new year, let’s take a look back on our 2024 editions and celebrate the incredible people we call our neighbors.

JAN. 21 Journalist Cheryl Wills holds a 2011 photo of herself standing at the Door of No Return, on Gorée Island in Senegal, from which enslaved Africans were led to ships, never to return to their homelands. Wills discovered through DNA testing that her genetic roots are from western Africa and believes her ancestors arrived in the United States on slave ships.

FEB. 11 Students in the Uniondale High School Show Choir, Rhythm of the Knight, rehearse for a March 2024 competition. Under the direction of its leader Lynnette Carr-Hicks, the show choir has performed on the “Today” show, CNN and Steve Harvey's talk show.

MARCH 10 Harper Bella photographed more than 30 people who lived or worked in Wyandanch during the COVID-19 pandemic for her Flower of Honor project. Several of the people highlighted are featured in a mural on display through 2028.

APRIL 7 Bay Shore artist TJ Savino was exposed to art therapy while recovering from depression. He has since found success taking items like ordinary kitchen utensils and transforming them into whimsical sculptures.

APRIL 14 Henry Horstmann deploys his cape with flair during a Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island performance of “Very Truly Yours” in East Meadow. The opera company marked its 70th anniversary this year.

APRIL 21 A baby Great Horned Owl found in Garden City was brought to Sweet Briar Center in Smithtown for care. Long Island wildlife rehabilitators say they receive a spike in calls during the spring baby season.

JUNE 9 Malverne High School 2024 graduate Suborno Bari, 12, was one of 10 Extraordinary Seniors profiled by Newsday in June. Suborno, who has been recognized by former President Barack Obama and has written two books, is pursuing a double major in math and physics at NYU.

JUNE 30 Trinity Lutheran Church in Hicksville brings trained dogs to nursing homes, libraries and schools through its K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry program. The children at Calvary Nursery School in East Meadow are encouraged to pet Abraham, above, and the other comfort dogs.

JUNE 30 Chuck Vinciulla, right, visits Vincent Ricciuti, a Korean War veteran, at a nursing home in Amityville. Vinciulla, a Navy veteran, was honored in June by the Rotary Club of Amityville for decades of community service.

JULY 28 The opening reception for the Shinnecock Speaks exhibit at Ma’s House drew a large turnout. The gallery on the Southampton reservation offers exhibit space for Black and indigenous artists.

AUG. 11 Madison Tomaszewski, 15, of Laurel, second from right, competes in Riverhead Raceway’s youth program. Just 16% of league members are girls, but gender differences typically fade away during a race, she said. “Everyone pretty much gets treated equally on the track,” she said.

AUG. 11 Bob Spiotto performed a one-man show as P.T. Barnum at the Bethpage Public Library in July. The Holbrook actor also has portrayed Michelangelo and comedian Danny Kay.

SEPT. 8 Jay Williams hits a ball during a Rockville Centre game of beep baseball, a sport that gives blind and visually impaired athletes the chance to play competitively. Williams is a member of the Long Island Bombers, the only New York-based beep baseball team.

SEPT. 8 John and Rita Sepenoski, of Southold, have visited over 100 countries. Above, their farmland has been in his family for over a century.

SEPT. 22 Karl Reamer in his Patchogue backyard farm. Reamer said he kept making his garden bigger and bigger until he didn’t have any yard left. Reamer retired from his job as an estimator for a commercial printing company in 2021 and joined the Long Island Homesteading Forum Facebook group. He soon began bartering his bounty for items like eggs, but also groceries including Gatorade and turkey bacon.

OCT. 6 Sreelakshmi and Srinivas Jayashankar at their East Meadow home, where they assemble scenes for Navaratri, the Hindu festival that celebrates the Mother Goddess. Their display has become a source of cultural pride for some in Long Island’s Hindu community.

OCT. 6 Kelly Castellon shows off her $2,300 quinceañera dress at Asarela Boutique in Freeport. Some Latino immigrants said they are determined to give the next generation the extravagant celebration they may have missed in their home country.

OCT. 13 Scott Armstrong’s 1,339-pound pumpkin took first place at the Hicks Nurseries weigh-off in Westbury this year. The Commack resident is among those who grow the extra-large gourds for competition.

OCT. 20 Newsday traveled across the Island to capture the beauty of a perfect fall day. Here, a swan glides across Upper Cascade Lake in Brightwaters.

OCT. 27 Anthony Smith, 16, of Long Island Paranormal Investigators, uses a radio frequency device to make contact with spirits at the Katie’s of Smithtown bar. The group has 33 dues-paying members who document the paranormal.

NOV. 10 Nicole Zeitzer Johnson with her daughter, Josie, 13, who was born with FOXG1 syndrome — a rare neurological condition. She cannot walk or talk, is fed through a feeding tube and has epilepsy, but her family says she embraces life with joy.

DEC. 8 Guy Brogna, a former touring musician, at his store All Music in Plainview. Brogna has adapted by offering repairs and lessons, remaining open for business while other music stores have closed.