2023 in photos: The images that defined the year across the St. Louis region

St. Louis Public Radio photojournalists weave quilts of visual moments through still images and video that document our region and provide insight, context and understanding about the people who live in it.

Whether it's the pomp of the Fourth of July parades in Webster Groves and southern Illinois, the experience of people living on the streets of St. Louis, or puppies parading through Soulard Mardi Gras, we show the ways our region is vibrant, resilient and captivating.

Each December, the visuals team at STLPR combs through tens of thousands of images and discusses the moments — large and small — that defined the year. We think beyond whether an image is aesthetically pleasing and consider why it matters. When we’re out making pictures, we often hear this question, sometimes with a smirk: "You make pictures for radio?"

Yes.

While our work may not be shared over radio waves, STLPR believes that visuals are a crucial part of helping people understand the issues that drive the region and the communities that make our home what it is. (That’s one reason why we're helping to train the next generation of visual storytellers.)