Year in Pictures 2015

Since the year 2001, The Santa Barbara Independent’s pages have featured the ever-evolving work of photographer Paul Wellman, who celebrates his 15th year with this newspaper in April. Given that we are in the midst of the newspaper’s 30th anniversary, simple math reveals that Wellman’s tenure covers half of this publication’s entire existence, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

That’s good news for all of us, as Wellman knows the players and places that make Santa Barbara tick better than even some of the region’s sharpest observers. Every day, he’s in the courtrooms, the concert halls, the stadiums, and everywhere else that visual stories are underway, diligently capturing the news as it happens.

Here’s some of his best stuff from 2015, so please enjoy this look back at the past 12 months as you ring in the New Year.

Photography by Paul Wellman (unless otherwise noted)