This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

This summer, CalMatters marks its 10th year of publishing the trusted, nonpartisan journalism essential to millions of Californians who want to know what’s going on in their state. For 10 years, CalMatters has done the dogged digging necessary to hold the powerful accountable and give voice to the voiceless.

And crucial to that decade of storytelling has been telling California’s story through photographs and illustrations.

CalMatters’ visual journalists and freelancers have captured a full range of experiences across the Golden State: from state legislators to the unhoused, from the Mexican border to Oregon, from moments of celebration to grief-stricken disasters and emergencies.

Each part of CalMatters journalism builds a stronger relationship between the community and our government: from public record and quotes to words, visuals and data interactives. Here, we have some of the stand-out visual journalism over CalMatters’ decade of journalism.

First: A crew works on the installation of solar panels on the roof of a South Sacramento home on May 18, 2015. Last: A vehicle is checked during a smog test in Stockton. Photos via the CalMatters archive
First: Then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Sacramento, on June 13, 2018. Photo by Robbie Short for CalMatters Last: Flags represent California peace officers killed in the line of duty during a Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony in Sacramento, on May 6, 2019. Photo by Randall Benton for CalMatters
An industrial complex with silos and farming equipment sits beneath a dramatic sky filled with dense, billowing clouds. Golden grasses line the foreground, reflected clearly in still water, creating a symmetrical mirror effect across the horizon.
Rice elevators outside Williams, on Dec. 17, 2018. Photo by Max Whittaker, CalMatters
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon whispers to then-Assemblymember David Chiu on September 11, 2019. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters
First: Then-Speaker Anthony Rendon whispers to Assemblymember David Chiu following the passage of his bill AB 1482 in the assembly on Sept. 11, 2019. Last: Tara Thornton, a demonstrator with Freedom Angels, a group opposed to AB 276, becomes emotional while protesting in front of Gov. Newsom’s office after the passage of the bill in the senate on Sept. 4, 2019. Photos by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters
A person sits on the ground against a wooden wall covered in colorful graffiti. Dressed in layered, worn clothing, they lean forward with one arm resting on a bent knee. A large blue plastic bag and a walking stick sit nearby. Sunlight casts sharp shadows across the scene, highlighting the textures of the wall and pavement.
Mark Rippee in Vallejo on Nov. 22, 2019. Rippee, who is blind and disabled, was hospitalized after being hit by a car. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters
Thousands gathered to support democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally at Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, CA on February 17, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters
Dr. Ray Samoa at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte on April 25, 2020. Samoa stands amongst Wishing Trees, a place where City of Hope employees and visitors offer messages of health and hope to patients and their families. Photo by Nancy Pastor for CalMatters
First: Maria Garcia in her Antioch home. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters Next: Thousands gathered to support democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally at Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, on Feb. 17, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters  Last: Dr. Ray Samoa at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte on April 25, 2020. Photo by Nancy Pastor for CalMatters
Poll workers use tongs to collect ballots and hand out stickers at a curbside voting location at Alameda County courthouse on Nov. 3, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters
Poll workers use tongs to collect ballots and hand out stickers at a curbside voting location at Alameda County courthouse on Nov. 3, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters
Portrait of Ernie Bull and Mary Wildman in Eureka on August 7, 2020. Bull and Wildman were evicted from their home in July despite a moratorium on eviction lawsuits in California during the coronavirus crisis. They have now been homeless for over a month. Photo by Alexandra Hootnick for CalMatters
The Route Fire burns near Castaic Lake on Aug. 31, 2022. Photo by Julie Hotz for CalMatters
First: Ernie Bull and Mary Wildman in Eureka on Aug. 7, 2020. Bull and Wildman were evicted from their home in July despite a moratorium on eviction lawsuits in California during the coronavirus crisis. They have now been homeless for over a month. Photo by Alexandra Hootnick for CalMatters Last: The Route Fire burns near Castaic Lake on Aug. 31, 2022. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters
Parishioners hold their arms in the air and sing along as the worship team plays praise songs at the start of Easter services at Resonate church in Fremont on April 4, 2021. The church was permitted to begin hosting in-person services at 25% capacity in February but for many in the congregation, Easter marked their return to church after a year away. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters
Parishioners raise their arms and sing as the worship team plays praise songs at the start of Easter services at Resonate Church in Fremont on April 4, 2021. The church was permitted to resume in-person services at 25% capacity in February, but for many in the congregation, Easter marked their first time back after a year away. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters
A man wearing a mask walks past a boarded up restaurant in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco on April 7, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters
First: Nurses prepare to enter the testing area at a drive thru COVID-19 testing facility at Cal Expo in Sacramento on April 15, 2020. The nurses work in teams of four and take shifts throughout the day. Last: A person wearing a mask walks past a boarded up restaurant in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco on April 7, 2020. Photos by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed the media during a press conference where he unveiled his budget proposal for 2022-23 in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2022.
Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed the media during a press conference where he unveiled his budget proposal for 2022-23 in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
Wildflower “superbloom” at North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve in Oroville on April 21, 2023. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters
Oil pumps in the Kern River Oil Field near Bakersfield on July 6, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
Oil pumps in the Kern River Oil Field near Bakersfield on July 6, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
Illustration of a Latina college student trying to focus on her laptop; she's surrounded by a bunch of desktop notifications and various distracting screens and windows
Illustration by Gabriel Hongsdusit, CalMatters
People fill bags with sand in preparation for Hurricane Hilary at the Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Station in San Diego on Aug. 18, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters
Sunset above the flood waters in farmland with submerged tractors and farming equipment in Hansen Ranches south of Corcoran on April 26, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
First: People fill bags with sand in preparation for Hurricane Hilary at the Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Station in San Diego on Aug. 18, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters Next: Sunset above the flooded Hansen Ranches with submerged tractors and farming equipment south of Corcoran on April 26, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local Last: Two residents wearing protective gear clean out their home after flood damage in the community of Planada on Feb. 8, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
Nighttime scene of a protest on the lawn in front of a large brick building with tall towers, lit by warm lights. Tents are scattered across the grass, with people gathered in small groups. A bright spotlight from above illuminates part of the scene, and a banner on a pole reads 'UCLA Go Bruins!
A pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA in Los Angeles. Groups of student protesters gathered at the encampment, on May 1, 2024. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters
A close-up view of a woman's face as she wears a pink leopard-patterned head wrap and looks towards their left side.
Shameka Foster outside the Los Angeles Community Action Network offices near where she used to pitch a tent in the Skid Row neighborhood of Los Angeles on Oct. 8, 2024. Photo by Carlin Stiehl for CalMatters
Jen Saeta, a primary caregiver for Josh, shares a moment with her brother in the family’s living room at their home in Santa Rosa Valley, on March 11, 2024. In 2017, Josh visited West Hills Hospital for abdominal pain and the doctor ordered him to be sent to the ICU. Staff never transferred him and he had a heart attack and suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a result. His family has taken care of him since, but over time they’ve learned more details about the conditions in the hospital that caused them to file the lawsuit. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters
First: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the crowd during her presidential campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 9, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local Last: Jen Saeta, a primary caregiver for Josh, shares a moment with her brother in the family’s living room at their home in Santa Rosa Valley, on March 11, 2024. In 2017, Josh visited West Hills Hospital for abdominal pain and the doctor ordered him to be sent to the ICU. Staff never transferred him and he had a heart attack and suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a result. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters
An aerial view of a person snorkeling in a full-body diving suit holding a tablet in the water. The person is swimming along the surface in crystal clear water with the lake bottom visible and a group of rocks nearby.
Michael Cane, Field Lab Director and Boat Captain with the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, snorkels while collecting algae samples from Lake Tahoe on Sept. 27, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
First: The Palisades Fire burned homes and businesses near Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles, on Jan. 7, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters Last: Two people survey the damage of their home that was burned to the ground in an Altadena neighborhood affected by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters
A nighttime view of a hillside engulfed in flames near powerline towers. Over the fire and smoke from the top of the hill, a helicopter is flying with a water hose hanging off the bottom.
A chinook helicopter approaches the Palisades Fire as it burns Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles on Jan. 10, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters
Illustrations by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters
Federal immigration authorities face off against protesters during an ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel in Downtown Los Angeles on June 6, 2025. Photo by J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters
First: Protesters gather over the 101 freeway in Downtown Los Angeles in support of the “Day Without Immigrants” march, on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo by J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters Last: Juan Flores outside of a store in Tehuacan, Puebla in Mexico, on June 25, 2025. Photo by Cristopher Rogel Blanquet for CalMatters
Illustration of a silhouette of a person in freefall, set against a background of concentric circles composed of insurance health claim forms in bold orange and black
Illustration by Gabriel Hongsdusit, CalMatters
A brown detection dog with a harness leans over the side of a boat, sniffing around the base of a mounted outboard motor. A person’s hand holds the dog’s leash in the upper left of the frame. In the background, there is a beige shipping container and a white pickup truck marked “California Fish and Wildlife.” The setting appears to be an outdoor inspection or training site.
Allee, a Belgian Malinois, sniffs a boat for golden mussels at the Thermalito Forebay on June 20, 2025. Allee is part of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s effort to stop the spread of the invasive species into lakes. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

CalMatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media.

Most Popular

'Not just a grocery store': H Mart opens to eager crowd in Dublin 'Not just a grocery store': H Mart opens to eager crowd in Dublin March 26, 2026 4:26 pm
Pleasanton council shows early support for annexation, downtown plan, other priority projectsPleasanton council shows early support for annexation, downtown plan, other priority projectsMarch 25, 2026 2:36 pm
Nighttime lane closures on I-580 near Pleasanton, I-680 through San Ramon ValleyNighttime lane closures on I-580 near Pleasanton, I-680 through San Ramon ValleyMarch 25, 2026 2:05 pm

Leave a comment