2025 Year In Review

Photographically speaking, I was kind of all over the place in 2025: up in the mountains of southern Colorado, out on the eastern plains, in downtown Denver, and amongst the high desert of the San Luis Valley. Those endeavors helped further my understanding of what it is to be a Coloradoan.

Most of the photos in this gallery were shot while on assignment for The Colorado Sun. Others addressed a need to document what I felt were important events. And some are simply personal favorites. Cheers.—MS

The Ireichō

No Kings Protest

A sea of protesters march along Colfax Ave. in Denver during the “No Kings” demonstration June 14, 2025. An estimated 20,000 people took part in the Denver march, while 5 million people were estimated to have participated in rallies nationwide that day. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

¡Estamos en la Lucha!

Immigrant Rights advocate Jeanette Vizguerra, right, hugs a supporter during a rally for Vizguerra Dec. 23, 2025 at the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse in Denver. Vizguerra was released from ICE custody Dec. 22 after a pair of court victories, having spent spent the previous nine months in detention at GEO Group’s Aurora facility. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Art Hutchinson

A Ghoulish Fraud

Prayer candles and a bouquet of flowers stand across the street from the crime scene at Davis Mortuary in Pueblo Aug. 22, 2025. The funeral home, operated by Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter, was found to be storing the remains of 24 bodies in a hidden, unrefrigerated room–some for as long as 15 years–during an unannounced visit by state inspectors Aug. 20. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Floating To The Finish

Diego Hernandez floats toward the finish line of the Great Escape 10-Kilometer race at the Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival July 19, 2025 in Cañon City. The southern Colorado town’s embrace of outdoor recreation has fueled the expansion of running and biking trails in the area and has helped shed its “prison town” reputation. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Reloading

A technician taps into a fresh barrel of spray foam insulation at the Mytikas Manufacturing plant Oct. 22, 2025 near Florence in Fremont County. The company is rehabbing a former gypsum board plant and will construct tiny homes at the site. Mytikas was the first businness in the county to take advantage of Colorado’s Rural Jump-Start program to help fund their enterprise. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

No Sale

Amanda Ellis and Paul Branson stand by the cistern buried on the sandy ground on their property Aug. 20, 2025 in the Sangre De Cristo Ranches where they live off the grid in Costilla County. A decision by the Fort Garland Water & Sanitation District to abruptly end bulk water sales to anyone outside the town limits has them stressed about how they, and hundreds of other residents, will continue to fill their cisterns. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Fangtasitc

A male Oklahoma Brown tarantula, photographed Sept. 24, 2025, roams the Comanche National Grasslands in southeastern Colorado in search of a mate. Despite their ferocious appearance, tarantulas pose little threat toward people. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Alt Transportation Research

AJ Gemer drives Lunar Outpost’s most current iteration of its Eagle Lunar Terrain Vehicle at the company’s testing site near Rye, Colo. Aug. 19, 2025. Lunar Outpost is competing for a contract to provide mobility solutions for NASA’s Artemis moon exploration mission. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Swisspod engineers unveil Aerys 1, the company’s first hyperloop vehicle, before a crowd of 150 people at its test facility near Pueblo Nov. 21, 2025. Aerys 1 reached a speed of 65 mph during its inagural 30-second run. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Shooting His Shot

A player shoots hoops at The Slab, the public basketball courts at Pueblo’s Dundee Park Nov. 15, 2025. Originally built in the 1950s, the courts got a $500,000 renovation in 2025 that was funded by the Colorado Lottery. The four courts got new LED lighting, were resurfaced, and repainted. They feature four different murals, including Jazelle Bustos’ vivid depiction of basketball’s explosive energy. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Once A Meloneer…

Appropriately accessorized, Marge Yoder takes part in the seed spitting contest during Watermelon Day at the Arkansas Valley Fair Aug. 16, 2025 in Rocky Ford, Colo. Yoder grew up in Rocky Ford, home of the Meloneers, and currently lives in Fort Collins. The Arkansas Valley Fair, established in 1877, is the oldest county fair in Colorado. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

A Different Drummer

A drumming robot designed by Leonardo da Vinci and constructed by the Artisans of Florence stands shrouded in bubble wrap in one of the storage igloos Feb. 21. 2025 at PuebloPlex. The Artisans and the Southern Colorado Science Center have teamed-up and plan to open the Da Vinci Museum of North America in Pueblo in 2026. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Waterworks Park

Construction of the Waterworks Park along the Arkansas River in Pueblo was completed in March, 2025. The $11 million project replaced a lowhead dam and transformed a historically dangerous stretch of river into a friendlier recreation site. Video by Mike Sweeney/©2025

Mary Hannon

Amelia

Autumn Sunset

The waxing crescent moon hangs over the Spanish Peaks during sunset in Otero County Sept 24, 2025. Photo by Mike Sweeney/©2025

My Old Pal, the snapshot

I didn’t take many photos with my phone in 2025 and I can’t really say why. It’s certainly easier to manage a six ounce iPhone than the five pound Nikon I lug around.

But every once in a while, I’d grab a picture with my phone and tell myself, “that just might be a keeper,” underscoring the adage about the best camera is the one you have with you.