As 2023 comes to a close, take a moment to look back through staff photographer Darrow Montgomery’s lens. This year’s collection of his favorite photos includes a few from his project on local liquor stores, some shots from his new photo essay series Block Party, and a sneak peek at a yet-unpublished project on Rock Creek Park. There’s also a sleepy, speckled dog.

Many of the photos in this package were shot using a camera with only a black and white sensor. The style is a callback to Montgomery’s earliest work for the paper—more than 30 years ago—when he only shot in black and white. It requires a slightly different approach to his craft and can evoke a more emotional response than photos with colorful hues.

As we look forward to a new year, take a scroll through some of the scenes Montgomery photographed as he went about his life and his work. We hope you enjoy these gems—we certainly have.

—Mitch Ryals

Rock Creek Park, April 17 Credit: Darrow Montgomery
Liquor Store, Minnesota Avenue NE, March 12
Liquor Store, Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, March 12
Liquor Store, H Street NE, March 12
3200 block of Mount Pleasant Street NW, March 22
5700 block of Georgia Avenue NW, April 7
3400 block of 16th Street NW, April 7
1700 block of Park Road NW, April 7
3400 block of 16th Street NW, April 21
Rock Creek Park, May 24
1500 block of Good Hope Road SE, June 21
700 block of 14th Street NW, July 12
600 block of Florida Avenue NW, July 25
1200 block of 4th Street NE, July 28
3300 block of 17th Street NW, Aug. 14
3100 block of Mount Pleasant Street NW, Oct. 11
1600 block of Newton Street NW, Oct. 16
3100 block of 14th Street NW, Oct. 18
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, Dec. 10