TOP 10 Photo Shoots of 2024
We asked Minnesota Women’s Press creative director Sarah Whiting to pick her Top 10 photo shoots from 2024. She generally shoots at least five stories every month for us. This is what she narrowed down to, and why.
Verna Littlewolf. She captivated me with story after story as we photographed in her front yard.
Xay Yang. We shot in the Hmong market, which was very special to her, and found a booth that was similar to the one her mother used to run.
Soophia Ansari. The connection to the camera, and the way the wind blew her hair caught my eye for this shot.
Carla McClellan. This was shot at her retirement party, where she took some time out from donuts and friends to pose for me. I like showing off her inner strength, just as necessary for her position as a Black female firefighter as her physical strength.
Dr. Catherine Squires (l) and Dr. Taiyon Coleman. They were talking and laughing the entire shoot, even when we ended up going out in the cold.
I love photographing Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. She rarely has much time, but always brings her full self. She radiates joy.
Valerie Oliveira (l) and Sayge Carroll. These two were fun to shoot because they had a genuine affection for one another. This was originally shot horizontally, but the moment was so sweet that I decided to crop it vertically for the cover.
Marla Khan-Schwartz. It wasn’t until I showed up at the shoot that I realized Marla was one of my neighbors — I had met her at a few different neighborhood gatherings. She was game to get in the water with me, which is always fun.
Brianna Gibson. I was honored to help tell her story as a disabled veteran, and see how she had landed on her feet through the VA, as well as through her own personal advocacy.
Angela DiMarco at the outdoor preschool she owns in Rochester. There is something about her calm demeanor surrounded by the playing children that speaks to the power of controlled chaos. Plus I love the fake iguana one of the kids perched on her arm.
For 2025 coverage, Minnesota Women’s Press earned a community leadership award, three photography awards, and four editorial awards, including for coverage of social issues and for our Spring 2025 “Know Your Rights” special section supported by Unidos MN. Our publisher was named Journalist of the Year by Violence Free Minnesota for gender-based violence coverage.
