No matter where you were in the world, 2020 was a year for the books. Arizona was no exception.
As Covid-19 spread across the planet, Arizona repeatedly found itself ranked first in the nation for its high rate of virus transmission and twice became the global hotspot for the pandemic. Demonstrations erupted in major metropolitan areas — some to protest racial injustices in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, and others to oppose coronavirus restrictions and mask mandates. The Sonoran Desert was ravaged as wildlife refuges and indigenous heritage sites were bulldozed to make room for new sections of the border wall. For the first time in decades the state flipped blue, helping clinch the election for President Joe Biden and prompting protests fueled by debunked conspiracies which simmered for weeks outside the Maricopa County Elections Office. As new cases and deaths reached all-time highs, vaccines finally began to slowly roll out across the state.
The following is a collection of images photographed while on a variety of assignments throughout Arizona in 2020 and into 2021.
