Check out our OC photographers’ favorite images from May 2025

Teacher Jeannette Aguilera reacts as Orange County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean announces her as an Orange County Teacher of the Year from Centralia Elementary School in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Teacher Tracy Havens reacts as Orange County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean announces her as an Orange County Teacher of the Year from Hicks Canyon Elementary School in Irvine, CA on Thursday, May 1, 2025. The award comes with a $25,000 check. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Xavier Smith, 24, from Lake Forest, shouts his way through the finish line in 2:23:41 to take first place in the men’s division of the Hoag OC Marathon in Costa Mesa on Sunday, May 4, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Gray skies don’t take away the joy Hoag OC Half Marathon runners experience at the finish line in Costa Mesa on
Sunday, May 4, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The site of an amphitheater planed for the Great Park in Irvine, CA, on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Pacifica head coach Tony Arduino is upset while arguing with the umpires during their loss to Cypress High in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Arduino was upset by a call in the 9th inning that left a Cypress runner on third base who eventually scored the game’s only run. The Centurions beat the Mariners, 1 to 0 in 9 innings. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cypress High players mob Delaney Faus (24) after their Crestview League win over Pacifica in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The Centurions beat the Mariners, 1 to 0 in 9 innings. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Air travelers go though TSA security at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. As of today, travelers flying within the United States will now need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or an approved TSA-approved alternative – like a passport – to pass through airport security and enter some federal buildings (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Siblings Carol Phelps, John Phelps and Louise Shamblen, from left, live in close proximity to one another in Fullerton, CA. John, 87, and Louise, 85, live across the street from one another and younger sister Carol, 80, lives in an apartment just a short walk from them. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Volunteer Lane Aguilera packs boxes of food for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program at The Orange County Food Bank in Garden Grove, CA on Friday, May 9, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Miles Partain powers through Day 1 of the AVP’s Huntington Beach Open on Saturday, May 10, 2025 with partner Andy Benesh. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Roberto Montoya with Teamsters Local 896 pickets in front of the Keurig Dr Pepper facility in Orange, CA on Monday, May 12, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Jazmin Delgado holds a photo of her cousin Armando Morales at a memorial at Santa Ana High School in Santa Ana, CA on Monday, May 12, 2025. Morales died from stab wounds he received during a fight near the school on Wednesday, May 7th. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Alex Gron, 4, left, and his new friend, Samuel Aguilera, 2, look for fossils on a rock in Clark Park during an outing with their mothers on Monday, May 12, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Laura Sanchez and Miguel Rodriguez share a romantic day together in the lush greenery of Clark Park in Buena Park on Monday, May 12, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Muppets greeted visitors before the start of World of Color Happiness! inside California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary from May 16, 2025 through summer 2026. inside California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The show, hosted by Joy from “Inside Out”, draws inspiration from Walt Disney’s opening day dedication speech at Disneyland in 1955. Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary from May 16, 2025 through summer 2026.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Zora Elling, 10 years old, wears her graduation cap and gown on the Irvine Valley College campus in Irvine on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Elling is set to break the record of the youngest graduate in Irvine Valley College’s history when she graduates on May 22 with an associate’s degree in Science for Transfer (AS-T) in mathematics. Her older sister and brother set the previous records. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Lillian Kahan, 104, at her board and care in Mission Viejo, CA, on Thursday, May 15, 2025. The still-vibrant centenarian said, “the secret to longevity is lots of sex” as she laughed during the photo shoot. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kai Cuthbert, 5, a transitional kindergarten student at Capistrano Unified School District’s Esencia Elementary in Rancho Mission Viejo, wears a construction hat while participating in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Rienda School, which will serve TK through eighth graders in Rancho Mission Viejo after completion, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Volunteers in the parking lot of Behr Paint helps build walls during Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s 16th annual Leaders Build Challenge in Santa Ana, CA, on Friday, May 16, 2025. The nonprofit’s fundraising and team-building event had 75 volunteers building walls that will be the second floor of four living units.
(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Volunteer Narciso Alarcon, center, helps the team from Antis Roofing as they lift a wall they built during Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s 16th annual Leaders Build Challenge in Santa Ana, CA, on Friday, May 16, 2025. The nonprofit’s fundraising and team-building event had 75 volunteers building walls that will be the second floor of four living units.
(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tesoro’s Dawson Pedranti (32) celebrates as his team pulls ahead in the CIF Division 3 Southern Section volleyball Championships against Orange Lutheran in Norwalk on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Four-year-old Ryan Khanchi makes himself comfortable as he watches a video screen showing PAC-MAN during a kick off exhibition of the iconic video game: Journey through the maze: 45 years of PAC-MAN at the Great Park in Irvine on
Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Paola Guadalupe Suchsland, receives her Doctor of Education during the Cal State Fullerton graduation ceremony for theCollege of Education on the CSUF campus in Fullerton on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Santa Margarita’s Carter Enoch celebrates his solo home run in the first inning as he returns to the dugout in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs against Huntington Beach in Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Ava Whithey, right, and Sidney Wilson join other students jumping in the campus pool during the Senior Plunge at JSerra Catholic High School backwards in San Juan Capistrano, CA, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The wet tradition, which started as a prank in 2009, has seniors running out of the seniors awards ceremony and jumping in the campus pool while still wearing their school uniform. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Helen Beary, left, Mikaela Brennan, center, and Sophia Lattanzio falling into the campus pool during the Senior Plunge at JSerra Catholic High School backwards in San Juan Capistrano, CA, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The wet tradition, which started as a prank in 2009, has seniors running out of the seniors awards ceremony and jumping in the campus pool while still wearing their school uniform. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hendrix Cancino, 6 months, laughs as his father, Jose Cancino, lifts him in the air at Treasure Island Beach in Laguna Beach, CA, on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Heal the Bay released their annual beach grades for water quality, specifically for bacteria levels that can sicken beachgoers. Some of the cleanest beaches in the state are in Orange County, which has 34 beaches with A-plus water-quality grades, according to Heal the Bay. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chinese terracotta warriors on display at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA, on Friday, May 23, 2025. The new exhibit, “World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century!” explores China’s early history through recent archaeological finds from Shaanxi Province. The museum display goes from Shimao around 2300 BCE—among the earliest walled cities in China—to the Shang and Zhou eras, ending with the Terracotta Warriors commissioned by the Qin emperor and completed after his death in 210 BCE. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, left, shares a laugh with Chapman University president Daniele Struppa during the Chapman University Commencement Ceremony at Wilson Field at Chapman University in Orange on Friday, May 23, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Graduates celebrate with the streamers fired by the confetti canon after the Chapman University Commencement Ceremony on Wilson Field at Chapman University in Orange on Friday, May 23, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Graduates react when they see themselves on the jumbo screen following the Chapman University Commencement Ceremony on Wilson Field at Chapman University in Orange on Friday, May 23, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Phoung Pham throws her cap in the air as she joins her classmates during Bolsa Grande graduation ceremony in Garden Grove, CA, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Mater Dei closing pitcher Brandon Thomas (34) celebrates with his teammates after defeating Fountain Valley in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 baseball playoffs at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Shah White (6), center, of Mater Dei does a summersault as he celebrates with Austin Gerken (21), left, and Bradley Beaudreau (7) after defeating Fountain Valley in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 baseball playoffs at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fountain Valley players Miles Hiskey (25), left, share an emotional embrace with Maddux Nankervis (33) after they lost to Mater Dei in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 baseball playoffs at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The sun sets over the Fullerton Union High School graduation ceremony in the school’s stadium on campus in Fullerton on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New graduates toss their hats as confetti canons shoot confetti at the end of the Fullerton Union High School graduation ceremony in the school’s stadium in Fullerton on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A graduate takes part in a wave at the Santa Ana High School graduation ceremony in Santa Ana on Thursday, May 29, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Marina’s Eva Mazzotti, left, hugs Marina’s Halle Piramo after the Vikings won the CIF-SS Division 3 softball championship against Westlake in Irvine on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

St. John Bosco head coach Andy Rojo hoists the championship trophy as players cheer after their game against Santa Margarita in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs at Cal State Fullerton on Friday May 30, 2025. St. John Bosco defeated Santa Margarita 3-2 in nine innings. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

Los Alamitos celebrates its win against J Serra in
CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs Friday May 30, 2025 in Irvine.
(Photo by Greg Andersen, Contributing Photographer)

Estancia’s Jacob Ramirez, number 28, far left, celebrates as Nico Viramontes, number 9, slides safely into home to score the winning ruhn in the bottom of the seventh inning as Estancia High School took on Marshall in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 6 playoffs at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field. (Photo by Sam Gangwer/Contributing Photographer)

Mater Dei Brandon Thomas #34 celebrates scoring a run in the seventh inning. West Ranch defeated Mater Dei n the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 2 Playoffs on May 31, 2025 in Fullerton CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)