Today is World Photography Day, a global celebration of the power of images to document, connect and tell stories in ways that words sometimes can't.
In honor of this day, we're sharing images from more familiar ground: everyday moments of gathering in communities across the United States. In scenes both big and small, joyful and challenging, ordinary and extraordinary, people come together — family and friends, neighbors and strangers — in shared space.
Seen through the lens of NPR member station photographers, Here, together. is a visual exploration of those moments and the smaller worlds we move through every day. Together, they reflect the complex ways we connect, coexist and navigate life side-by-side.
Uncertain Future — Dublin, Calif.
Valentina Stone, 14, sits in her bedroom as her mom, a correctional officer, helps her get ready for a school dance in the mobile home community next to the recently closed Federal Correctional Institution. When the prison shut down, families were told they had to leave, but most can't sell their homes or get back what they invested. This is a huge loss in the Bay Area, where the cost of living is already so high. I was drawn to this quiet act of care between mother and daughter, which felt especially meaningful given the uncertainty of their future. — Beth LeBerge, KQED
First Day of School — Hartford, Conn.
Calling All Brothers has made the first day of school an annual celebration in Hartford. They roll out the red carpet, clap, cheer and reach out for high fives. On their first day, these students run through a line of successful local men of color who are all there to say, "we support you." A high five isn't going to fix the problems children face in urban education systems.But for this one moment, I could see the shared hope hanging in the air, in the boy's smile that school was going to be good this year, and in the men cheering that, one day, the boy would be standing next to them. — Tyler Russell, Connecticut Public
This is Rodeo — Dallas, Texas
This photo was taken as riders enter the arena with flags at the opening moments of a Cowboys of Color rodeo performance. The tradition of rodeo is truly Texan! It isn't just a sport or performance but a way of life. The professional field of rodeo has been white-dominated, even though historians estimate that, in the late 1800s, as many as 25% of cowboys were Black and 12% were Mexican. The city of Dallas is a minority-majority, and this performance put the limelight on those cowboys and brought that history to life. To me, the event reflects the diversity of Dallas and how its rural history is mingled with modern life. Documenting this event means to celebrate all aspects of past and present that make Texas unique. — Yfat Yossifor, KERA
Election Dance — Townshend, Vt.
I've photographed the last couple of election nights at polling places or candidate watch parties, so when I heard about an election night square dance in Townshend, Vermont, I knew I wanted to cover it. One of the town's residents decided to organize the event to combat stress he and others felt leading into the 2024 election. I arrived for the potluck dinner and dance at Townshend Town Hall, where the voting was also happening. Community members brought dishes for the potluck and soon after dinner the dancing began. I'll be honest, that was my first square dance! The energy was high and joyful, and people were genuinely having fun. It was nice to photograph people coming together as a community on an election night. — Raquel Zaldivar, NENC
Jocelyn and Her Son — Aurora, Colo.
This image was taken in the early morning hours before federal immigration officers, working to fulfill President Trump's promised immigration crackdown after taking office, came to Jocelyn's apartment building, who asked that we withhold her last name, fearing deportation. She'd barely slept and spent the night watching for police through her window. She'd trained her young son, pictured here, to run into a closet if they came knocking. In the morning, they did. Images of immigration raids usually focus on the drama of handcuffs and armed officers — especially true this year, as federal agents have brought camera crews with them to publicize their broader deportation campaign. It's one reason why I prefer this type of image: It centers the experience of people at the center of this enforcement. It's a moment of quiet humanity in a time otherwise defined by bombastic rhetoric. — Kevin Beaty, Colorado Public Radio
In It Together — Portland, Ore.
Aleah is on her fifth day of fentanyl withdrawal at a facility 250 miles from her home in Eastern Oregon. Though she is not allowed visitors, she was able to see her boyfriend briefly. They pressed their hands together through the screen of an open window and gazed into one another's eyes. He had already completed treatment and was living in a sober house nearby. This gentle and fleeting moment of connection was filled with love, the difficulty of overcoming addiction, and the hope for a new life together, in sobriety. (NPR is identifying Aleah by her first name only because she was a patient in a detox facility at the time this photo was taken.) — Kristyna Wentz-Graff, OPB
Juneteenth in Texas — Austin, Texas
This photo shows a girl waving from the top of a lowrider during the annual Juneteenth Parade on the east side of Austin, Texas. Thousands of people came out in the Texas heat to celebrate the end of slavery in Texas. Children chase candy thrown from floats, residents grill on sidewalks and share food with neighbors. Events like these are awash with stimulation — cheering, music, movement — but from the hill I was taking photos on, I saw these lowriders coming a mile away. When the little girl popped out of the roof to wave at spectators, I knew it would make a powerful moment. — Michael Minasi, KUT
Quinceañera Photo Shoot — Washington, D.C.
Gabriella Cardenas, 15, wears her quinceañera dress as she and her father, Boris Cardenas, who's holding her dress, her brother, Jason Cardenas, 17, and her mother, Patricia Cardenas, move to a new spot for a photo along the Tidal Basin. This moment of family togetherness really touched me — the way the father is carrying his daughter's beautiful dress, and the way they were celebrating this milestone in this young woman's life with an early morning photo shoot among the cherry blossoms. — Tyrone Turner, WAMU
Freedom Reads — Enfield, Conn.
Inmates at Cybulski Community Reintegration Center in Enfield hold copies of Dead Weightby Randall Horton, who is reading passages to them. Horton is a poet, author and, in his words, "the only tenured professor in the U.S. with seven felony convictions." Horton spoke with a natural rhythm, a lyricality that is in the essays he reads and in his comments between. A hundred men in tan uniforms hung on his words. At the moment of this photo, the whole room was listening to one man talk about his life, while each reflected on their own. There are gaps in my photos that day from when I stopped to listen, too. — Tyler Russell, Connecticut Public
Darting Dachshunds — St. Louis, Mo.
St. Louis' Soulard neighborhood bursts with energy each year as thousands gather for one of the city's most beloved Mardis Gras traditions: the Wiener Dog Derby. The decades-old race sends dachshunds dashing — sometimes straight for the finish line, other times in every direction but. Context is important in photojournalism, so I made sure to document both the racers, their adoring fans and the city's iconic fleur-de-lis in the frame to add a sense of place. — Brian Munoz, St. Louis Public Radio
Shoulder to Shoulder — Hartford, Conn.
Pratt Street, in Hartford, is a 200-year-old brick-paved block in the heart of downtown. For five Fridays this summer, it was the location for "Salsa Socials," where salsa fans danced shoulder to shoulder as music bounced between the buildings that line the road. The event is a vibrant celebration of Hartford's multicultural population. On the night I made this picture, dancers Dawn Orsini and Robert McGraph joined the flow. "It makes you feel alive," said 79-year-old McGraph about dancing salsa. Orsini, who had only recently picked up salsa, said, "No one really judges you here." Moving to the music, she said, was about "how you feel." — Mark Mirko, Connecticut Public
Recess at the Capitol — Washington, D.C.
Hundreds of parents and students from the D.C. school system converged in the Hart Senate Office Building to plead their case for a "no" vote on a continuing resolution that would cut D.C.'s budget by more than $1 billion. The students and parents went to senators' offices to try to talk to members and leave their message in hand-written letters. Though the funding was eventually cut, the moment of collective civic engagement by these parents and their children was so powerful to witness. I thought about what lessons might stay with the children and how that might prompt community leadership in their futures. — Tyrone Turner, WAMU
A Meal of Opportunity — Austin, Texas
Korea House, a Korean restaurant in Austin, Texas, serves free meals on the first Wednesday of the month. College students Agatha Angeles and Nancy Yeung eat at the restaurant on a recent free meal day after waiting in line for it to open. Co-owner Pok-Cha Kim has been serving the greater Austin area since 1988. In 2016, she took a break, and during that time, "she was called for God's work," said Vivian Newton, her longtime friend and co-owner. Since September 2023, the restaurant has given out around 15,000 free meals. — Patricia Lim, KUT
Dead Baby Downhill — Seattle, Wash.
This image was taken at the 28th annual Dead Baby Downhill, an annual bicycle race and street party in Seattle's South Park neighborhood that's commonly referred to as "the greatest party known to humankind." The event includes a "freak bike petting zoo," where participants attempt to ride custom bikes — some miniature, some 10-feet tall, some that you peddle backwards to go forwards. Hundreds also gathered around a human-powered amusement park ride, a tall bike-jousting competition and a mini-velodrome. What struck me about this event was the true unbridled joy of the participants, from various subcultures and communities, surrounded by laughter, beer and punk music. — Megan Farmer, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Frozen Firsts — St. Louis, Mo.
St. Louis is a sports town. The passion for our teams runs wide and our history runs deep. We've also had our share of underdog stories — scrappy teams from the heartland achieving the unthinkable. So, when there's an opportunity to experience such a sight, St. Louisans flock to the moment. That's what happened when the Western Michigan Broncos won their first-ever Frozen Four against the Boston University Terriers. The historic win was a reminder of how our city embraces the drama of competition, no matter whose colors fans wear. — Brian Munoz, St. Louis Public Radio
Grief in Leander — Leander, Texas
After a flood in Central Texas, members of the Leander community came together to honor the victims. The impact on residents was disastrous, with dozens losing their homes and some even losing their loved ones. The Duff family, shown here, lost two friends, yet they came together like so many to support one another during this time of need. I had yet to experience the unity that I saw in that moment, nor the vulnerability shared with me. I don't take either for granted. — Lorianne Willet, KUT
Finding Safety and Belonging in the Queer Community — Bend, Ore.
Kasia Moon strives to make her salon a safe space for people across gender, sexuality and racial identities — somewhere she'd feel comfortable existing. Moon is Afro-Latina and queer. In Bend, Ore., there isn't a dedicated LGBTQIA+ community center. Establishments where queer people can go and feel safe are shared by word of mouth or social media. Moon, a former social worker, said her one-room salon serves as a place where queer and trans people can do just that. "I've even done someone's dead name on one side (of their nails) in black crossed out with red and their new name on the other side," she said. — Kathryn Styer Martínez, Oregon Public Radio
Hiroshima To Hope — Seattle, Wash.
Hundreds gathered on the shore of Seattle's Green Lake for the annual "From Hiroshima to Hope" event earlier this month to honor the roughly 200,000 victims of the United States' bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The glowing memorial of lit paper lanterns with Japanese calligraphy and words of peace, love and justice, represented the thousands of lives lost, hope for a more peaceful future, and a visual reminder of a painful history. I noticed a quiet and calm energy in the air, as masses of community members gathered in a relatively small space. I was struck by a deep sense of coexistence — of beauty and pain, calm and trepidation, memory and hope — felt together and shared by many. — Megan Farmer, KUOW
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