Capturing Hampton Roads: A Year of Photos by Virginian-Pilot & Daily Press
December 28, 2025
Capturing the Heartbeat of Hampton Roads Through Images
The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press photo staff have spent 2025 documenting the vibrant life and significant events across Hampton Roads. Their work has ranged from intimate family moments to major public gatherings, offering a window into the community’s spirit and resilience.
Notable stories from this year include the election of Virginia’s first female governor and the opening of a cutting-edge wave pool in Virginia Beach. These images are more than just snapshots; they are historical records that capture the essence of these landmark moments.
The photo team extends gratitude to the community for allowing them to capture these moments, recognizing the privilege of their role in preserving these stories.
Surfers and others were eager for the Atlantic Surf Park to open in Virginia Beach, the biggest draw of a new $350 million development at the Oceanfront. Pro surfer Blayr Barton showed some of the park’s capabilities on Aug. 15, the day before it opened.(Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot) When the Norfolk Tides invited felines and their people for the first Take Meowt to the Ball Game, Jasper was up for it: Sept. 3 at Harbor Park, when the Tides played the Nashville Sounds. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) Melissa Coffin, left, greets Mary Lyon at her senior apartment in Virginia Beach, May 19. After Lyon broke her hip, she couldn’t walk and, with no family nearby, had to rely on caregivers. But as the region’s population continues to age, residents and senior services are grappling with how to meet rising needs when there are already shortages of skilled caregivers. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot) The remains of Navy Capt. Thomas E. Scheurich, who was lost March 1, 1968, in Vietnam, came home to his family Nov. 7 at Norfolk International Airport. He went missing while piloting an A-6A Intruder on a night strike mission over the north. His children, Tom Jr. of Virginia Beach and Marianne of Richmond, attended the homecoming. He was buried a week later at Arlington National Cemetery. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) We got snow Feb. 19 — and Navy men Austin Westfield, left, and Ben Ryder had moved to Virginia Beach from south Texas a month before, just in time to enjoy it. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) Judge Eileen Olds gets a hug from a close friend during a ceremony in which the city of Chesapeake dedicated a park in her name, Sept. 4. The park, at the center of Chesapeake’s court buildings, became the Judge Eileen Olds Courtyard Park. Olds, a Chesapeake native who retired in 2019, was the first woman and first Black judge in the city’s 1st Judicial District. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) Isis Chavez picks up her 7-day-old daughter, Ivey, who had just been weighed by nurse Shannon Williams at home in Norfolk, April 9. Williams is a nurse with the First Year Focus program, which provides prenatal and postpartum services to expectant and new mothers who are in the Navy and Marine Corps. Both of Ivey’s parents, Isis and Enoc, are active-duty Navy. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) Supporters fill Norfolk’s Chartway Arena at a rally for Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor, Nov. 1. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor, as former President Barack Obama speaks on her behalf during a rally at Old Dominion University’s Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Nov. 1. Spanberger would end up winning, becoming the first woman elected governor of Virginia. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) President Donald Trump dances at the end of an address to a crowd of sailors and special guests on Pier 14 at Naval Station Norfolk, Oct. 5, during a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) Mourners pay their respects at the 4th Precinct in Virginia Beach, Feb. 24, to two police officers who were killed in the line of duty. Officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese died in a shooting during a traffic stop Feb. 21. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) Abigail “Abby” Zwerner with her mother, Julie Zwerner, Nov. 6 in Newport News, the day a jury found in her favor. After a 6-year-old shot her at school in 2023, Abby Zwerner sued Richneck Elementary’s former assistant principal, Ebony J. Parker, accusing her of ignoring warnings that the boy had a gun. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) Norfolk’s Keyshawn Davis celebrates as Denys Berinchyk is checked on by the referee after being knocked down in the fourth round of the WBO Lightweight World Title at Madison Square Garden in New York, Feb. 14. (Billy Schuerman/ The Virginian-Pilot) Wayne Crotts, of Hampton, dresses up as Batman to help sick kids and charities. Here he’s with his children Cypress Crotts, 2, and Maya Crotts, 5, in their own Batman gear, at home Sept. 18. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot) Local band Buckshot packs the house at Good Mugs Bar and Grill in Virginia Beach, April 18. They’re among the of hundreds of musicians whose time and talent contribute to the region’s vibrant and diverse music scene. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
