Check out our OC photographers’ favorite images from February 2025

Patrick Alesandro Tejada checks out the Valentine’s Day props during a photo shoot in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange, CA on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. The event helps families create photos for family and social media as they spend the holiday at CHOC. Patrick has been at the hospital for nearly two months. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

All Crean Lutheran’s eyes are on Los Alamitos’ Samori Guyness (5) as he shoots a 3-point shot during a boys basketball playoff game between Crean Lutheran High and Los Alamitos High in the semi-final of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs at Los Alamitos High School on Friday February 21, 2025.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

A person walks under Ring Road as it rains at UC Irvine in Irvine, CA, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Team “Snacks Allowed” players Kelly Walter, left, from Phoenix, and Cathy Roiter, from Seattle, scramble to finish the puzzle during the 24-hour national marathon competition sponsored by Orange County Speed Puzzlers. Their team won the competition in Fullerton on Sunday, February 23, 2025 Sunday.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Union member Beatrice Lao leads chants while protesting with University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119 and AFSCME Local 3299 in front of UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

People walk under a canopy of trees along Valley Oak Dr. in Irvine, CA as storms moved through the area on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Stacy Aleman gives a high-five to Alejandro Trujillo after the couple got married on Valentine’s Day at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana, CA on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen performed the ceremony. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elizabeth Munson pumps her fist after exchanging vows with Christian Munson on Valentine’s Day at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana, CA on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Lauren Torres, 12, returns to UCI Medical Center in Orange on Monday, February 17, 2025, a year after surgery to remove a rare, baseball-size tumor on her pancreas. She is greeted by Pixel, an entertaining therapy dog who aided in her recovery during her 12-day hospital stay. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

James Brown works in his shop making a violin in Claremont, CA on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Jacqueline Duran holds her daughter Olivia Koo before a Valentine’s Day photo shoot in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange, CA on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. The event helps families create photos for family and social media as they spend the holiday at CHOC. Olivia has been at the Small Baby Unit for more than 3 months. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Carrie Chapman checks out the water collecting in front of her home during a rain storm along Silverado Canyon Road in Silverado, CA, on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, arrives sentencing at the Ronald Reagan Federal building in Santa Ana California on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani. ..(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Union member Priscilla Alvarado chants while protesting with University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119 and AFSCME Local 3299 in front of UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hoa Nguyen, top, poses for a photo with daughter Maryanne Tsui and granddaughter Evie Tsui, 2, next to a boat filled with fruit at the UVSA Tet Festival at Garden Grove Park in Garden Grove on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Students perform a dragon dance during a Lunar New Year celebration at La Quinta High School in Westminster, CA, on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Over 100 members of the Vietnamese Student Association celebrated the Year of the Snake during lunchtime. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

United to End Homelessness mural at First United Methodist Church, 420 W 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Contestants in the Miss Vietnam of Southern California, from left, Christine Do, Venus Dao and Annie Lam ham it up for a social media photo during the UVSA Tet Festival at Garden Grove Park in Garden Grove on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kiara Bentley, 19, of Garden Grove poses for a photo with lanterns at the UVSA Tet Festival at Garden Grove Park in Garden Grove on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. The annual Tet festival was started in 1980 by the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Red tailed hawk takes flight at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, CA on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. The city is looking to update the parks master plan. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Ana’s Alicia Serratos, right, gains the advantage on El Toro’s Alexa Kopp-Salas in the 110 lb. weight class of the CIF-SS Division 2 Dual Meet girls wrestling championship in Santa Ana on Thursday, February 6, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Monica and Fernando Serratos, both on the coaching staff for the Santa Ana varsity girls wrestling team are shown with their three daughters on the wrestling team, from left, senior Alicia, 18, freshman Angelica, 15, and sophomore Anabelle, 17, at Santa Ana High School in Santa Ana on Monday, February 24, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Team All-American Boys Chorus at the announcement of their 33-26 victory against team OC Rescue Mission and first place at the Paper Football X Games sponsored by Tustin MVP (Most Valuable Person) at the Tustin Event Center in Columbus on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (Photo by Frank D’Amato, Contributing Photographer)

JSerra players celebrate with their championship trophy following their 2-0 victory over Loyola in the CIF-SS Open Division championship game on Friday, February 28, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Stacy Aleman gives a high-five to Alejandro Trujillo after the couple got married on Valentine’s Day at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana, CA on Friday, February 14, 2025. Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen performed the ceremony. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Artist Ari Salka at his studio in Los Angeles on Monday, February 3, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Edison’s Micah Novak heads the ball away from the goal in the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinal playoff against Canyon in Orange on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Married chefs Florent and Amelia Marneau at their French restaurant Marché Moderne in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center in Newport Beach on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Margarita’s Cora Fry is greeted with a little shower as she celebrates her goal against Santiago/Corona in the CIF-SS Open Division girls soccer championship in Orange on Friday, February 28, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

George Washington, portrayed by an actor, walks past portraits of past presidents at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library during the Presidents’ Day event in Yorba Linda on Monday, February 17, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Ishaan Sood, 9, of Lake Forest enjoys an afternoon of riding the zip line in the playground at the Great Park in Irvine on Friday, February 14, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Alicia Serratos of Santa Ana, center, is moments from winning by decision 7-0 over opponent Olive Lechiara of Temecula Valley to win first place in the 105 pounds Blue Division at the CIF Southern Section Girls Masters Meet at Sonora High School in La Habra on Friday, February 21, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Artist Ari Salka at his studio in Los Angeles on Monday, February 3, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santiago guard Anthony Bermudez jumps for joy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the CIF-SS Division 4AA semifinal boys basketball playoff against Pacifica in Garden Grove on Friday, February 21, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Kirby, a rescue dog, poses for a photo in front of artwork titled, “Sunny Sideup” by artist Eriko Kobayashi at the “More Than You Can Chew” art exhibit at the Great Park Gallery in The Palm Court Arts Complex at the Great Park in Irvine on Friday, February 14, 2025.The exhibit runs January 26–April 20, Thursdays & Fridays: Noon–4 p.m.,
Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

About 200 people take part in the “No Kings Day” protest outside Irvine City Hall on Monday, February 17, 2025. Ben and Nancy Morales of Bellflower, center, attend with their children Xavier, 7, and Frida, 5, to teach them about free speech. “It’s a beautiful thing to see all this people standing up to tyrany,” Ben Morales said. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Slice Boogie is headlocked by Chaz Price during a pro-wrestling match in Newport Beach on Sunday, February 9, 2025. They were part of the entertainment for 300 Camp Pendleton Marines who were treated to an all-day Super Bowl party. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Brittish troops move in against the colonists at a re-enactment of the Boston campaign of 1775 during the Huntington Beach Historical Society’s American Revolution weekend event on Saturday, February 8, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Ducks lead the Brittish into a battle against the colonists during a re-enactment of the Revolutionary War in Huntington Beach on Saturday, February 8, 2025. The weekend event, sponsored by the Huntington Beach Historical Society, features battles, music, and demonstrations. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Denna Moosawi, 9, and her bearded dragon, Hooshang, take part in the exotic animal category of the San Juan Capistrano Kids Pet Parade on Saturday, February 22, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)