The best pictures of 2008

Check out the best pictures of 2008

Photography is truth," French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard has said. Of course, he was laying a foundation to argue for the hyper-reality of certain kinds of cinema, but his observation nicely summarizes the everyday goal of the photojournalists here at the Deseret News.

In an age when computers let most anyone manipulate, for good or ill, any image, their goal is indeed to capture the truth. Yes, they may peer expertly through their lenses for action, pathos and beauty, and they frame and compose in the horizontal and vertical rectangles their cameras impose upon their craft. But it is the news or the story that they want to illustrate and help tell with that craft.

2008 provided a remarkable variety of notable events and incidental moments for their images: tearful goodbyes, prompted by loved ones headed to war or admired leaders leaving this mortal coil; violence or mayhem left in the wake of criminal behavior; polygamous families in distress due to government action; the athleticism, determination, joy or letdown generated by our love of sports and those who excel at them.

From the past year's hundreds — probably, thousands — of photos, then, here is a mere sampling of the favorites taken by the photographers of the Deseret News. Enjoy!