Quiet moments, a standoff and dive-bombing falcons: Sun-Times photographers share their favorite photos of 2023

(Clockwise, from top left) Sherrif Polk kisses his baby son in their Rogers Park home; John Litsiardakis stands in a makeshift tower holding what appears to be a gun in Humboldt Park; a peregrine falcon soars after taking off from a ledge in the Loop; and James Bell takes a break on his back patio in Bronzeville. (Pat Nabong, Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere, Ashlee Rezin, and Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times photographers)

James Bell Sr., 37, who coaches the Chicago Blitz’s super peewee team, takes a moment to catch his breath after a workout on his back patio in Bronzeville in 2021. Bell lost his vision after he was shot twice in 2007 in West Englewood. The single father of four, who struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, persists in pushing himself to become better for the sake of his children. (Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times)

Capturing resilience in a man scarred by gun violence