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Photos: 26 photos that captured the month of May

Children and adults gather by candles under a tent made of blankets and rugs. Outside, rubble stretches into the distance.
Dozens of Palestinian children and family members attend a candlelight vigil May 25 to condemn the killing of children and civilians by Israeli strikes in Gaza City.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
By Times Photography Staff
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May was a month that saw conflict as well as a difficult milestone. In this month, exactly a year after his death at the hands of a white police officer, the nation continued to mourn and pay its respects to George Floyd. The CDC cleared children 12 and older for COVID-19 vaccinations. A conflict between Israel and Hamas flared that could spell the end of Benjamin Netanyahu’s time as prime minister. There was also dancing, the return of graduations, ducklings and a once-in-a-decade super moon that lighted up early-morning skies. This was May 2021, as seen by Los Angeles Times photojournalists.

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A man kneels in the intersection at Sunset and Vine, raising a fist.
Participants in a May 25 memorial march and rally for George Floyd occupy the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street to stop traffic in Hollywood.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A visitor in a pink hoodie and pink hair sits in front of a mural of George Floyd. Below it is a row of flowers.
Myisha T. Hall of Las Vegas sits on a bench in front of a large mural of George Floyd at Minneapolis’ George Floyd Square on May 25.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
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A mother holds her child, both of them crying, amid a press of people at a rally.
Anthony McClain Jr., 9, left, and mom Solemuli Afaese are comforted by George Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd, who reaches out a hand at a May 17 rally in Pasadena.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A boy squeezes his eyes shut and grips his mother's hand as he gets a shot.
Ivan Hernandez gives mom Christiana Neri’s hand a squeeze as the 13-year-old gets a Pfizer vaccine, administered May 14 by Sequoia Hutton at Roosevelt Park in Los Angeles.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A man sits at a microphone in a sound booth. A sign says "Radio Espacio on Air" is lighted up.
Erick Huerta conducts his podcast, “Orale Boyle Heights,” at Espacio 1939 in Boyle Heights on May 13. The longtime Boyle Heights resident has interviewed local artists, writers, musicians and shop owners since 2017.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A man surrounded by goods in a store.
An antiques seller shows off his goods May 7 at the old bazaar in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Kamala Harris is seen through a plexiglass partition.
Vice President Kamala Harris holds the inaugural meeting May 13 of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A wide view of a stage. A conductor in jeans bounces on his toes as he lifts a baton and masked musicians perform.
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic during a rehearsal May 12 at the Hollywood Bowl.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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A girl in a pink mouse-ears hat looks at two performers on a Star Wars set in helmeted costumes, holding fake weapons.
A girl stops in front of Stormtroopers flanking Kylo Ren on May 3 as visitors begin returning to Disneyland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A woman in a headscarf and mask shows a Band-Aid on her upper arm.
Sara Ahmed, 29, of Anaheim got her vaccination May 1 during a COVID-19 vaccination/taco truck party at Islamic Center of Santa Ana.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
A woman leans back as she crouches, holding on to a lamp post.
Charm La’Donna, an award-winning choreographer from Compton who just put out her first rap EP, poses May 10 in the parking lot of Compton Fashion Center.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
A woman with long pink hair and wearing a mask stands outside shops holding a phone.
Kyra Jacob, 23, a visitor from Atlanta, talks to her mom over FaceTime as she shops May 4 on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A baseball player dives into the stands after a ball, surrounded by fans, a couple of whom also try to catch the ball.
San Francisco Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski dives into the stands attempting to catch a home run hit by Dodgers first baseman Matt Beaty in the bottom of the second inning May 28 at Dodger Stadium.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
A white-haired man dances barefoot on grass.
Concert super fan Howard Mordoh, chronicled in the new documentary “The Dancing Man of L.A.,” gives a demonstration in Woodland Hills.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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Billy Porter kneels in a flowered suit as Mj Rodriguez stands behind him in a short peach dress and sandals.
Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez in New York’s Central Park on May 2 as their FX show, “Pose,” prepared to begin airing its third and final season.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Kathryn Hahn clasps her hands together in a triple portrait.
Kathryn Hahn of the Disney+ series “WandaVision” poses May 1 in Los Angeles.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Uzo Aduba, in a red pantsuit, sits on a chair in a studio portrait.
Uzo Aduba of HBO’s “In Treatment” poses May 12 in Los Angeles.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Jane Krakowski poses on fake grass surrounded by wine bottles with fake labels.
Jane Krakowski of the Apple TV+ series “Dickinson” poses May 1 in Los Angeles.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Natanael Cano holds a guitar and leans against a vintage car.
Mexican singer-songwriter Natanael Cano is photographed May 10 at the Downey home of Jimmy Humilde, CEO of Rancho Humilde Records.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
People work on the 6th Street bridge at sunset.
Workers on the 6th Street Viaduct are silhouetted against the downtown L.A. skyline at sunset.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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A bag of Cheetos is surrounded by fire.
A Times story on May 16 dismantled the origin story of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters are silhouetted in wildfire smoke.
A firefighter clears debris May 24 as the Jurupa Valley fire burns in Riverside. The fire burned 150 acres.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
A full moon is framed by the branches of a Joshua tree.
Clouds surround the supermoon in Joshua Tree National Park before a lunar eclipse May 25.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
One photo shows graduates in gowns, mortar boards and face masks; another shows graduates standing six feet apart.
USC graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 participate in the first of a series of commencement ceremonies May 14 at Memorial Coliseum.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A half-underwater view of ducks shows paddling duck feet.
Ducks swim at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, which on May 3 asked for the public’s help feeding nearly 900 rescued ducklings. It’s the only organization in Orange County to rescue orphaned ducklings, said executive director Debbie McGuire, hence the high number.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Times Photography Staff

The award-winning Los Angeles Times’ photo staff works across Southern California, the state, the nation and the world to bring readers images that inform and inspire daily. A complete list of the Visual Journalism staff can be found on the Newsroom Directory. Recent galleries can be seen on our photography page.

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