Spokesman-Review photojournalist Colin Mulvany's favorite photos of 2017

My “Best Of” photo gallery is one of transition. This past year, I have explored more ways to tell visual stories using strobe lighting, where I added a little extra light to many of the faces I photographed. Beyond lighting, I am always on the hunt for a great moment--2017 was full them— from the Zags amazing run at the Final Four to the sad and tragic shooting at Freeman High School. My camera takes me places most people never go. The great thing about my job is that each day I get to share these visual moments with you. So here, faithful readers of The Spokesman-Review, are my favorite images from 2017.

Section:Gallery

Fri., Dec. 29, 2017

Backlit by the sun, a pillar of ice rises from a snow berm on top of a parking garage in downtown Spokane, Wash., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017.

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Gonzaga fans sport Przemek Karnowski beards at the NCAA Elite Eight game, Sat., March 25, 2017, in San Jose.

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Gonzaga head coach Mark Few cut the final strand off the net after the Zags beat Xavier 83-59 in an NCAA Elite Eight game, Sat., March 25, 2017, in San Jose.

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With less than thirty seconds left in the game, an emotional Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) is comforted by Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. The Zags lost the game to to North Carolina 71-62.

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Myrl Briggs, 66, commander of the the VFW Post 7952, in Richland, served 24 years in U.S. Air Force, 10-years at Hanford before working as a consultant at Fairchild Air Force Base for four years. He believes dropping the Hanford-built "Fat Man" atomic bomb during World War II saved a million American lives.

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Faith Hill arrives on stage during the Soul2Soul World Tour 2017 with Tim McGraw, Thurs., May 18, 2017, in the Spokane Arena.

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Courtney Mwangi and Garrett Clemetson, in center, join other tango dancers at Satori Dance Studio at 122 N Monroe Street, Thursday, June 8, 2017.

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Akina Yamada, who is a Lakeside High School student, is competing at the USA National and International Judo Junior Olympic Championships, which will be in Spokane starting Friday. She's a three-time high school judo champion and placed as high as second in previous junior olympic appearances. She's going to college on a wrestling scholarship at Waldorf University.

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Elaine Korn of Spokane sits in her new Big Red Classic Radio Flyer wagon.

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Jackie Pederson holds a photo of her son Jason who was shot and killed in a downtown Spokane Alley recently. Jason was 37 when he died. Growing up, he was a pretty clean-cut kid. He was an Eagle Scout, and his dad was his troop leader. When Jason was in his early 20s, his dad died, and Jason was the one who came home and found him. It really affected him, and he struggled with depression and alcoholism off and on throughout his adult life.

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On a ground ball single into the left infield, Spokane Indians Chad Smith breaks his bat, but makes it safely to first base in the bottom of the second inning during a game against Tri-City, Monday, June 26, 2017, at Avista Stadium.

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Emmett Hayes, 2, drinks hot chocolate as his brother Carter, 13, pushes him around the Elkfest venue, Sunday, June 11, 2017, in Spokane’s Browne’s Addition.

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Tri-Citys Kelvin McLean dives back first base as Spokane first baseman Curtis Terry is unable to tag him out.

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During a ran delay in the fifth inning a storm passed over Avista Stadium as the sun set in the west. This is a view from catwalk to the press box.

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Buddy a six-year-old chihuahua poses for a photo as he sits in her owner Leslie Mitcham’s car. On June 19, Mitcham and her husband stopped at the Harvester Restaurant in Spangle to have lunch. They left Bubby in the car with the windows half open, a fully-opened moonroof and a bowl of water. A woman complained to Mitcham that she was killing her dog and called law enforcement who did not respond. Mitcham said she has owned dogs all her life, and she isn’t arguing that pet owners should be aware of how hot cars can become in the summer time. She just thought that if she was taking the right precautions, she should be allowed to leave her dog in the car.

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First Communicant Amelia Saunders, 8, joins others gathered around a stature of Our Lady of Fatima during the Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade held Sunday at Avista Stadium. The event celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions, when the Virgin Mary was reported to have been seen by three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal.

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Arriving in Spokane, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform practice maneuvers and aerobatics with F-16 fighter jets over Fairchild Air Force Base, Thursday, July 27, 2017. The Thunderbirds will be performing at this weekend’s Inland Northwest Skyfest at Fairchild.

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Members of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pose for a photo after arriving at Fairchild Air Force Base Thursday. left to right, Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh, Maj. Alex Turner, Maj. Nate Hofmann, Lt. Col. Jason Heard, Maj. Ryan Bodenheimer, Maj. Nick Krajicek, Maj. Whit Collins.

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In the Kid’s Zone at Skyfest, Hayden Ellison has fun in a bubble ball, Sunday at Fairchild Air Force Base.

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Olia Samolovov lifts her nephew Zek Solo, 5 months, in a field of sunflowers along Highway 2 near Deer Park, Wash, Wed. August 2, 2017. The colorful field of sunflowers is a favorite of photographers and spectators.

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After their wedding ceremony, groom and bride, Nathan Mauger, Connie Young with family and friends, toast the solar eclipse from the Rose Garden in Manito Park, Mon., Aug 21, 2017, in Spokane, Wash.

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Parents, reunited with their children, leave Freeman High School hours after a school shooting left one student dead and three injured, Wed. Sept. 13, 2017, in rural Spokane County.

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In this Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017 photo, Spokane County Sheriff's deputies escort Caleb Sharpe from the Public Safety Building to the Juvenile Detention Center in Spokane, Wash. Authorities say Sharpe opened fire Wednesday in a hallway at Freeman High School in Rockford, south of Spokane, killing a classmate who confronted him and wounded three others before being stopped by a custodian.

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Hundreds gather in the atrium of River Park Square for a candlelight vigil in support of the victims of the Freeman High School shooting that occurred Wednesday morning and claimed the life of one student and injured three others.

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Butler Amusements 92-foot high Giant Wheel dominates the midway at the Spokane County Interstate Fair, Thurs., Sept 14, 2017. The Ferris wheel is sporting new LED lights and mechanical upgrades.

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Raindrops cling to a rose bloom in Manito Park's Rose Garden, Tuesday, Sept 19, 2017. Cooler temperatures and the chance of rain continues through Thursday.

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Miss Spokane 2017, Makenzie Moody, wears a glowing tiara at the Hearts of Gold Parade on opening night of Valleyfest, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, in the Spokane Valley.

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Morton Alexander, a Mill Canyon resident near Davenport, Wash., is worried that a natural spring that runs through his property could become polluted if a farm above the canyon is allowed to spread biosolids on their fields.

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Eastern Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud (8) celebrates scoring the Eagles second touchdown during the first quarter of a college football game, Sat., Sept. 30, 2017, in Cheney, Wash.

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Numerica Credit Union employee Jennifer Little places a Gonzaga Pride! sticker tattoo on Zags fan Ema Horton, 14, before the Numerica Kraziness in the Kennel event held Saturday, Oct, 7, 2017 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Kraziness in the Kennel is the public's first look at the 2017-18 mens basketball team and featured coaches and players introductions, a dunk contest and a Blue-Red scrimmage.

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After beating Montana State 31-19, the Eagles and the Bobcats greet each other on Roos Field, Sat. Oct. 14, 2017, in Cheney, Wash.

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WSU basketball players Malachi Flynn, left, and Milan Acquaah.

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Dr. Raymond F. Reyes currently serves as the Associate Academic Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Gonzaga University.

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Makeup artist Rebekah Stevens get her hands bloody as she helps zombies get ready to scare visitors at the Post Falls Lions Haunted House, Sat. Oct. 21, 2017.

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Emma Smart, 15, playing Dracula’s bride, scares a visitor to the Post Falls Lions Haunted House, Sat. Oct. 21, 2017.

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Claire Miethke, left, and her daughter Marion enjoy the palette of fall colors in the Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden in Manito Park, Tues. Oct. 24, 2017.

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Gonzaga Basketball left to right: Silas Melson, Rui Hachimura, Johnathan Williams, Killian Tillie, and Josh Perkins.

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Gonzaga basketball player Johnathan Williams cover photo for college basketball preview section.

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Jeff Vom Saal, Fox Theater executive director, poses for a photo in the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, Friday, Oct. 27, 2017.

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Homeowner Greg Gordon, dressed in a Halloween cape, looks out his bedroom window of his lower South Hill home, Sat. Oct. 28, 2017. Gordon laughs at the notion that the house he and his family have lived for four years in is haunted. Previous inhabitants would disagree and say they have been many strange occurrences in the home. .

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A maple leaf embeds itself into the grooves of the street on W. 17th Avenue next to Cannon Hill Park Friday, Nov. 3, 2017.

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During a snow shower in downtown Spokane, Adam, Holly and their son Elliot Jackson, age 4, rush across to Main Avenue on their way to the Children’s Museum in River Park Square, Friday, Nov. 3, 2017.

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Eastern Washington running back Antoine Custer Jr. (28) slips the cliches of Weber State safety Jordan Preator during the first half of a college football game, Sat. Nov. 4, 2017, in Cheney Wash.

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Hair stylist Kayla Hotchkiss cuts client Katie Ziegler’s hair at Alexander York Salon and Barbershop, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. Hotchkiss, 36, is heading to Cambodia later this month as part of Justice and Soul to help train youth with learn a trade that hopefully allow them to escape the sex trade of human trafficking.

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Garth Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood speak to the media gathered at the Spokane Arena, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017.

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Gonzaga Prep quarterback Connor Halonen’s first-down run is called back on a holding penalty during a State 4A football quarterfinal high school football game at Gonzaga Prep, Sat. Nov. 18, 2017.

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Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert (24) celebrates scoring on an assist during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sat. Nov. 18, 2017 in the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Zags won the game 79-66.

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Killian Tillie dunks the ball. during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sat. Nov. 18, 2017 in the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Zags won the game 79-66.

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At Tom’s Turkey Tuesday, hosted by Second Harvest Inland Northwest, April Matney pulls her children Mylen 3, Kyrah, 4, and their donated turkey dinner to their car at the Spokane Arena Tuesday. Over 7500 turkeys with fixings were distributed to local families and people in need.

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Newport High School football player Cody Warner lost brother and teammate Dylan in a May 5th car accident in Newport Wash. Cody, a junior wide receiver and cornerback, now wears Dylan's No. 1 on the field.

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Spokane firefighters works to extinguish a two-alarm fire that consumed Tormino’s Sash and Glass, Thurs. Nov. 30, 2017.

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Left to right, Kyra Swearingen, 14, Madeline White, 14, Justice Standon, 14 and Savannah Brown, 16, react to the lights coming on during Saturday night’s Christmas tree lighting in Riverfront Park.

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Santa reviews his nice and naughty list with Mrs. Claus and elves at the new Riverfront Park Ice Skating Ribbon.

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