Marcus Yam named 2016 POYi Newspaper Photographer of the Year

James Carter, 11, grandson of Officer Jose “Gil” Vega, is comforted by family members during a vigil for the 2 slain Palm Spring police officers who responded to a domestic disturbance call. The man accused of shooting and killing two Palm Springs police officers had set a trap and ambushed his victims as they stood outside his door, according to the Riverside County district attorney, who announced the filing of capital murder charges. Officer Jose “Gil” Vega had submitted his paperwork to retire in December after a 35-year career with the department. Vega, the father of eight children, wasn’t scheduled to work on that day but had picked up an overtime shift.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Police officers stand guard for protests in the public square during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 21, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Chef Eddie Garcia holds up “Tlayuda de Chorizo y Chapulines,” with crispy chorizo and toasted grasshoppers, at his restaurant, Cocina Condesa in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2016. His shaven head is decorated with folkloric tattoos and makes him look like an Aztec warrior, which comes in handy when he’s pursuing one of his passions: Aztec dancing. His other passion is getting creative with regional Mexican food, and at the moment he’s fixated on the tlayuda.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Carmen Fuentes, 7, chooses to spend her easter school holidays with her father, Osvaldo Fuentes, who is a butcher delivering meat behind a cargo truck at La Merced Market in Mexico City, on March 14, 2016. When asked about going back to school, she replied that she would rather spend all her days with her beloved father at work than to go back to school.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

California’s drought-parched landscape withered under record temperatures as nearly 7000 wildfires burned in the state this past fire season, burning nearly half-a-million acres of land. Thousands of homes were destroyed and countless families were forced to rebuild. The majority of California’s 10 largest wildfires in recorded history have occurred since the year 2008. In state with 38 million residents, firefighters are tackling faster-moving and more destructive wildfires as drought conditions continue into their 5th year, despite some respite in Northern California. Destructive wildfires can occur any month of the year, frustrating firefighters, terrifying residents, and destroying vast swaths of bone-dry forest. Firefighters say of fire season being year round: “Right now, we’re at that point where I’m not surprised anymore. Before, maybe we’d have a fire that’d do this once or twice a year, and now everything in the beginning of the fire season is burning explosively. It’s not going to get any better this year. … It’s like we’re at war.” - Cal Fire Capt. Lucas Spelman A firefighter torches the dry foliage as they conduct a burnout operation in El Capitan Canyon, in Goleta, Calif., on June 17, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Firefighters combat the blazing front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from jumping onto the 101 freeway, heavy with traffic, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif., on June 16, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Firefighters march downhill to begin their night shift fighting the Sherpa Fire in Goleta, Calif., on June 17, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Firefighters try to control the blaze as they prevent the wildfire from burning through El Capitan Canyon camp and its structures, in Goleta, Calif., on June 16, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Firefighters assess the burnout operation in El Capitan Canyon as they try to corral the Sherpa Fire before the winds pick up, in Goleta, Calif., on June 17, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

A home, a trailer and a four wheeler are engulfed by flames, on South Kelso Valley Road, as the Erskine fire moves swiftly with the wind in Weldon, Calif., on June 24, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Tyra Reneé Fuller tears up a she finds a porcelain memorabilia of her daughter’s handprint as she sort through what’s left of her personal belongings after her home was destroyed by wildfire, in the South Lake neighbourbood of Lake Isabella, Calif., on June 26, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

A firefighter ducks as the wind changes direction and blows ember backwards at their direction, in Goleta, Calif., on June 16, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Firefighters from Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit pay close attention to the fire line coming from all direction in the horse-shoe shaped Kelso Valley as the wildfire progresses east with the winds, near Lake Isabella, Calif., on June 24, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Burned vehicles sit in the glow of the full moon on Highway 138 as the Blue Cut fire continues to ravage San Bernardino County, Calif., on Aug. 18, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

On Nov. 8th 2016, election night, people gathered at a popular gay club, the Abbey, in West Hollywood, hoping to watch history unfold after a divisive political year. The room was in high spirits for Hillary Rodham Clinton, the potential first female President in the history of the United States. Clinton’s campaign promised to build on a wave of social change, which many attendees experienced under the Obama administration. But as the electoral votes came swayed in favor of Donald Trump, whose campaign was highlighted by divisive rhetoric, the crowd fell into silent mourning. Hillary Clinton supporters embrace themselves as they watch Republican candidate for President Donald Trump takes a lead in the electoral college vote during the election night party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

A woman reacts in disbelief as Republican candidate for President Donald Trump takes a lead in the electoral college during the election night party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Men embrace themselves as newscasters start announcing state ballots that put Republican candidate for President Donald Trump ahead in the electoral college vote during the election night party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

The crowd reacts in disbelief as Republican candidate for President Donald Trump leads in the electoral college during the election night party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

A man checks the television to see the latest tally on the electoral votes, which show Donald Trump leading, during the election night party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Ashley Holloway, left, and Carol Uraneck, right, embrace each other as they solemnly watch Republican candidate for President Donald Trump jump ahead in the electoral college votes during the election night watch party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

The crowd reacts in disbelief as Republican candidate for President Donald Trump leads in the electoral college during the election night party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Nick Caldarera slumps forward as the news announces that Donald Trump had won the electoral college votes in Florida, a critical state that has determined Presidential elections in the past, at the election night watch party at The Abbey, in West Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected president, ending one of the most divisive general elections in U.S. history, thousands of people took to the streets in major cities across the country to protest a man they felt was uniquely unqualified to represent them. In New York, Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles, surging throngs of men and women from myriad backgrounds all united in one chant – “Not my President!” In Los Angeles, a city where activists and minorities have a frought relationship with police, tensions at protests grew as each night wore on. Demonstrations that were largely peaceful at first saw pockets of chaos, as small numbers within each crowd began to set off fireworks, vandalize buildings and block traffic. Over the course of five nights, chants denouncing Trump echoed throughout downtown Los Angeles, traffic was frozen on the 101 Freeway, and police in riot-gear arrested hundreds. Anti-Trump protesters torch a giant Trump head in effigy, which sends ashes raining, outside City Hall in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2016. Thousands are taking to the street to protest the election of Donald J. Trump in subsequent nights. In the loud and aggressive demonstration, many chanted, “Not my president.”  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Anti-Trump protesters scatter as a giant Trump head burned in effigy falls on the ground, sending ashes raining, outside City Hall in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2016. Thousands are taking to the street to protest the election of Donald J. Trump in subsequent nights. In the loud and aggressive demonstration, many chanted, “Not my president.”  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Anti-Trump protesters march down Main Street past motorist as they snarl traffic to protest the president-elect Donald Trump in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Anti-Trump protesters chant, “Not My President!” as they stand off with police as they run onto the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Demonstrators flood the northbound 101 freeway as they take to the streets to protest a man they felt was uniquely unqualified to represent them, Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

A blind-folded anti-Trump protester holds up an American flag as he stands in defiance in front of police officers, as protesters block up the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2016.  (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Police officers yell aggressively at protesters to stay back, as they move to clear protesters off the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

A man sits patiently in his car as anti-Trump protesters snarl up traffic as they march down Main Street to protest the president-elect Donald Trump in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Protesters make a last stand before police officers clear them off the 101 freeway, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2016.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Police officers stand guard as they slowly clear anti-Trump demonstrators off the 101 freeway, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2016. Traffic on the 101 freeway came to a standstill for an entire night when hundreds of protesters poured onto the freeway at the downtown exits.   (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)