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Best of 2021: See the photos Sacramento Bee readers liked most on Instagram

The 25 most-liked staff photos on The Sacramento Bee’s Instagram page in 2021.
The 25 most-liked staff photos on The Sacramento Bee’s Instagram page in 2021. Sacramento Bee staff
Sacramento

Grief, triumph and hope. These are some of the themes that dominated The Sacramento Bee’s most impactful photographs of 2021.

These 25 staff photos taken in 2021 resonated the most with our followers on Instagram.

They are ranked here by the number of “likes” they received.

The images reflect the some of the most significant events of a year that many hoped, with limited success, would mark an improvement on 2020.

What will 2022 bring? Some relief, we hope. To find out, follow our account at www.instagram.com/sacramentobee

OUR 25 MOST-LIKED PHOTOS OF 2021

Ranked in ascending order — scroll to the bottom to see No. 1:

25. The Caldor Fire burns behind two crosses from a roadside memorial on Morman Emigrant Road on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 near Sly Park.
25. The Caldor Fire burns behind two crosses from a roadside memorial on Morman Emigrant Road on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 near Sly Park. Paul Kitagaki Jr. pkitagaki@sacbee.com


24. Noah Schneider, 5, leaves the Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento with his parents Haley and Andrew Schneider of Yuba City on Monday, March 1, 2021, as nurses and other hospital staff cheer. Noah, who had COVID-19 in addition to his cystic fibrosis, is going home after two months in the hospital.
24. Noah Schneider, 5, leaves the Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento with his parents Haley and Andrew Schneider of Yuba City on Monday, March 1, 2021, as nurses and other hospital staff cheer. Noah, who had COVID-19 in addition to his cystic fibrosis, is going home after two months in the hospital. Paul Kitagaki Jr. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
23. The casket carrying Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy Adam Gibson is brought out by fellow deputies following funeral services at Bayside Church Adventure Campus in Roseville on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021.
23. The casket carrying Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy Adam Gibson is brought out by fellow deputies following funeral services at Bayside Church Adventure Campus in Roseville on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Daniel Kim dkim@sacbee.com
22. Christie Holderegger, spokeswoman for X Street Navigation Center shelter operator Volunteers of America, said local quilting groups provided the quilts to add more color and warmth for the homeless guests, while giving a tour of the inside of the living quarters at the on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 in Sacramento. A shelter for up to 100 people experiencing homelessness, the center also will offer services such as life-skills classes, recovery assistance, medical care, financial counseling and housing-placement support to help clients transition into more permanent housing.Everyone single person that we talk to that comes in from the street has had some kind of trauma that has really impacted their soul and if they cant identify that and heal from that its really hard to move forward, Holderegger said.
22. Christie Holderegger, spokeswoman for X Street Navigation Center shelter operator Volunteers of America, said local quilting groups provided the quilts to add more color and warmth for the homeless guests, while giving a tour of the inside of the living quarters at the on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 in Sacramento. A shelter for up to 100 people experiencing homelessness, the center also will offer services such as life-skills classes, recovery assistance, medical care, financial counseling and housing-placement support to help clients transition into more permanent housing.Everyone single person that we talk to that comes in from the street has had some kind of trauma that has really impacted their soul and if they cant identify that and heal from that its really hard to move forward, Holderegger said. Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
21. A truck carries a platform filled with people celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day as part of a #ReclaimMLK Day car caravan on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 in Sacramento.
21. A truck carries a platform filled with people celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day as part of a #ReclaimMLK Day car caravan on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 in Sacramento. Paul Kitagaki Jr. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
20. Ella Kalinovskiy, 13, left, and her sisters Evalina, 10, and Eliana, 7, look over pictures taken during the super bloom of lupine fields at Beeks Bight at Folsom Lake on Friday April 23, 2021 in Granite Bay.
20. Ella Kalinovskiy, 13, left, and her sisters Evalina, 10, and Eliana, 7, look over pictures taken during the super bloom of lupine fields at Beeks Bight at Folsom Lake on Friday April 23, 2021 in Granite Bay. RenÈe C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
19. Two power poles rest on the ground in front of Bombay Bar and Grill – which saw its covered outdoor patio destroyed by the same storm – on 21st Street in midtown Sacramento on Wednesday. Police closed two blocks of the street because of downed power lines.
19. Two power poles rest on the ground in front of Bombay Bar and Grill – which saw its covered outdoor patio destroyed by the same storm – on 21st Street in midtown Sacramento on Wednesday. Police closed two blocks of the street because of downed power lines. Xavier Mascarenas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
18. Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, waves before boarding Air Force One with President Joe Biden after the visit to Mather Airport on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Biden visited the Sacramento region to survey wildfire damage, before heading to Long Beach to campaign for Newsom in the recall election.
18. Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, waves before boarding Air Force One with President Joe Biden after the visit to Mather Airport on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Biden visited the Sacramento region to survey wildfire damage, before heading to Long Beach to campaign for Newsom in the recall election. Sara Nevis Sacramento Bee file
17. Stevante Clark, right, whose brother Stephon Clark was killed by Sacramento police in 2018, is embraced by his cousin Steven Ray Collins, left, at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, as they listen live to the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.
17. Stevante Clark, right, whose brother Stephon Clark was killed by Sacramento police in 2018, is embraced by his cousin Steven Ray Collins, left, at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, as they listen live to the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
16. The California Capitol is tinted with an amber glow on Tuesday night, Jan. 19, 2021, as part of a nationwide remembrance of lives lost to COVID-19.
16. The California Capitol is tinted with an amber glow on Tuesday night, Jan. 19, 2021, as part of a nationwide remembrance of lives lost to COVID-19. Nathaniel Levine nlevine@sacbee.com
15. Fireworks launched from Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento explode over the Tower Bridge on Sunday, July 4, 2021.
15. Fireworks launched from Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento explode over the Tower Bridge on Sunday, July 4, 2021. Daniel Kim Sacramento Bee file
14. Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee’s casket arrives at Mount Vernon Memorial Park and Mortuary in Fair Oaks after a procession from Sacramento International Airport on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Gee lost her life, along with 12 other U.S. service members, in the bombing attack at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26.
14. Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee’s casket arrives at Mount Vernon Memorial Park and Mortuary in Fair Oaks after a procession from Sacramento International Airport on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Gee lost her life, along with 12 other U.S. service members, in the bombing attack at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26. Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
13. The neon sign of Simons Bar & Cafe is turned on as family and friends of Simon Chan, owner of iconic midtown Sacramento gathering spot, hold a candlelight vigil on Monday, March 8, 2021.
13. The neon sign of Simons Bar & Cafe is turned on as family and friends of Simon Chan, owner of iconic midtown Sacramento gathering spot, hold a candlelight vigil on Monday, March 8, 2021. Paul Kitagaki Jr. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
12. After the service for fallen Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, her father Richard Herrera, left, and husband Jarod Gee, right, hold flags as her casket is moved to hearse at Bayside Church’s Adventure Campus in Roseville on Saturday Sept. 18, 2021. Sgt. Gee lost her life, along with 12 other U.S. service members, in the bombing attack at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26.
12. After the service for fallen Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, her father Richard Herrera, left, and husband Jarod Gee, right, hold flags as her casket is moved to hearse at Bayside Church’s Adventure Campus in Roseville on Saturday Sept. 18, 2021. Sgt. Gee lost her life, along with 12 other U.S. service members, in the bombing attack at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26. RenÈe C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
11. Charles Timberger, 51, who is experiencing homelessness, gets the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine under the W-X freeway in Sacramento on Thursday, March 18, 2021.
11. Charles Timberger, 51, who is experiencing homelessness, gets the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine under the W-X freeway in Sacramento on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Daniel Kim dkim@sacbee.com
10. As mothers of sons killed by violence, Nicole Clavo, left, mother of JJ Clavo, and Miasha Brown, mother of Larry “Pooter” Hardy, share a laugh as they trade back their sons’ jerseys before the start of the Grant and Inderkum football game in Natomas at Inderkum High School in Sacramento on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Nicole Clavo lost her son to gun violence and Miasha Brown lost hers to domestic abuse.
10. As mothers of sons killed by violence, Nicole Clavo, left, mother of JJ Clavo, and Miasha Brown, mother of Larry “Pooter” Hardy, share a laugh as they trade back their sons’ jerseys before the start of the Grant and Inderkum football game in Natomas at Inderkum High School in Sacramento on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Nicole Clavo lost her son to gun violence and Miasha Brown lost hers to domestic abuse. Sara Nevis snevis@sacbee.com
9. Besmellah Khuram, 36, who came to Sacramento from Afghanistan on a Special Immigrant Visa in 2015, wipes his tears on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, as he worries about his mother, brother and the state of his country as the Taliban moved into the capital. “I couldn’t sleep last night and I was receiving messages, texts, calls – everybody was panicked, hopeless, stuck in Kabul,” Khuram said.
9. Besmellah Khuram, 36, who came to Sacramento from Afghanistan on a Special Immigrant Visa in 2015, wipes his tears on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, as he worries about his mother, brother and the state of his country as the Taliban moved into the capital. “I couldn’t sleep last night and I was receiving messages, texts, calls – everybody was panicked, hopeless, stuck in Kabul,” Khuram said. Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
8. Richard Herrera, whose daughter Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee died in a bombing at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport, takes a moment to collect his thoughts while speaking at a community vigil in her honor in Roseville on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. A 2016 Oakmont High School graduate, Nicole enlisted in the Marines a year after she graduated.
8. Richard Herrera, whose daughter Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee died in a bombing at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport, takes a moment to collect his thoughts while speaking at a community vigil in her honor in Roseville on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. A 2016 Oakmont High School graduate, Nicole enlisted in the Marines a year after she graduated. Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com
7. A fallen tree pierced through a home near 13th and D streets in Sacramento’s Mansion Flats neighborhood Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, as a severe storm hit the region.
7. A fallen tree pierced through a home near 13th and D streets in Sacramento’s Mansion Flats neighborhood Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, as a severe storm hit the region. Daniel Kim dkim@sacbee.com
10. As mothers of sons killed by violence, Nicole Clavo, left, mother of JJ Clavo, and Miasha Brown, mother of Larry “Pooter” Hardy, share a laugh as they trade back their sons’ jerseys before the start of the Grant and Inderkum football game in Natomas at Inderkum High School in Sacramento on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Nicole Clavo lost her son to gun violence and Miasha Brown lost hers to domestic abuse.
10. As mothers of sons killed by violence, Nicole Clavo, left, mother of JJ Clavo, and Miasha Brown, mother of Larry “Pooter” Hardy, share a laugh as they trade back their sons’ jerseys before the start of the Grant and Inderkum football game in Natomas at Inderkum High School in Sacramento on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Nicole Clavo lost her son to gun violence and Miasha Brown lost hers to domestic abuse. Paul Kitagaki Jr. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
5. Black Lives Matter Sacramento leader Tonya Faison, third from left, helps unveil a new Black Lives Matter monument with family members of Black people killed by police in the Sacramento region, at McClatchy Park in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood on Saturday, May 29, 2021. The monument was created by artist Zach Trowbridge as a re-creation of one that was placed at Curtis Park last year and damaged by vandals. The monument’s placement in McClatchy Park was approved by the Sacramento City Council.
5. Black Lives Matter Sacramento leader Tonya Faison, third from left, helps unveil a new Black Lives Matter monument with family members of Black people killed by police in the Sacramento region, at McClatchy Park in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood on Saturday, May 29, 2021. The monument was created by artist Zach Trowbridge as a re-creation of one that was placed at Curtis Park last year and damaged by vandals. The monument’s placement in McClatchy Park was approved by the Sacramento City Council. Daniel Kim Sacramento Bee file
4. Leia Schenk of Empact stands with Black students at St. Francis High School in Sacramento on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, during a press conference after a student was disciplined for allegedly using a Snapchat feature to imitate Blackface and mock a Black peer.
4. Leia Schenk of Empact stands with Black students at St. Francis High School in Sacramento on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, during a press conference after a student was disciplined for allegedly using a Snapchat feature to imitate Blackface and mock a Black peer. Paul Kitagaki Jr. pkitagaki@sacbee.com
3. More than a hundred vehicles joined the procession for Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy Adam Gibson from the county coroner’s office to a Folsom funeral home on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. Formal services on Wednesday for Gibson, who was killed along with K-9 Riley in a shooting at Cal Expo, will be limited to law enforcement only due to COVID-19 restrictions. There will be a law enforcement procession following the services to accompany Gibson to a cemetery in Sacramento County for interment.
3. More than a hundred vehicles joined the procession for Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy Adam Gibson from the county coroner’s office to a Folsom funeral home on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. Formal services on Wednesday for Gibson, who was killed along with K-9 Riley in a shooting at Cal Expo, will be limited to law enforcement only due to COVID-19 restrictions. There will be a law enforcement procession following the services to accompany Gibson to a cemetery in Sacramento County for interment. Nathaniel Levine nlevine@sacbee.com
2. Emma Houle, 16, holds the rainbow gay pride flag at home in Arden Arcade on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. A senior at St. Francis Catholic High School, Houle is the school’s first openly queer homecoming princess.
2. Emma Houle, 16, holds the rainbow gay pride flag at home in Arden Arcade on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. A senior at St. Francis Catholic High School, Houle is the school’s first openly queer homecoming princess. Sara Nevis snevis@sacbee.com
1. Gurdip Singh Grewal, father of Galt Police Officer Harminder Grewal, holds the flag that was draped over his son’s coffin at the memorial at Bayside Church’s Adventure Campus in Roseville on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Members of the Sikh community and police officers from as far as New York attended the service. Officer Grewal died from injuries when his patrol car was struck head-on by a pickup truck on Highway 99 near Dillard Road.
1. Gurdip Singh Grewal, father of Galt Police Officer Harminder Grewal, holds the flag that was draped over his son’s coffin at the memorial at Bayside Church’s Adventure Campus in Roseville on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Members of the Sikh community and police officers from as far as New York attended the service. Officer Grewal died from injuries when his patrol car was struck head-on by a pickup truck on Highway 99 near Dillard Road. Renée C. Byer rbyer@sacbee.com

This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 5:00 AM.

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Nathaniel Levine
The Sacramento Bee
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Bee visuals editor Nathaniel Levine joined the staff in 2003. His work has received awards from the Society of News Design, the Best of the West journalism competition and the California News Publishers Association, among others. A native Californian, Levine grew up in Grass Valley and attended UC Davis.
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