Check out our OC photographers’ favorite images from May 2023

Western High School graduate Anas Mohamed gets tossed in the air as he celebrates graduation with his family and friends in Anaheim on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kylie Phois all smiles as she’s covered in leis after the Bolsa Grande High School graduation ceremony in Garden Grove, CA, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Man’s best friend fetches a stick on an overcast and drizzly morningat Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The 63rd Annual Strawberry Festival mascot waves from the back of a truck to the crowd gathered along the parade route on Euclid Avenue in Garden Grove on Saturday, May 26, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Phyllis Barnes of Orange wears her festive strawberry outfit during the Strawberry Stomp 5K as she makes her way along Euclid Avenue to the finish line on Main Street in Garden Grove on Saturday, May 26, 2023. The 5K was part of the weekend festivities of the 63rd Annual Strawberry Festival. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Graduate Gavin Kyle Vu stands next to a large photograph of himself following the graduation ceremony of students from John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma at Handel Stadium on the campus of Western High School in Anaheim on Friday, May 26, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Monica Ghebrial takes a selfie as she celebrates with her fellow graduates during the graduation ceremony of students from John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma at Handel Stadium on the campus of Western High School in Anaheim on Friday, May 26, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ava Young of Kennedy High School in La Palma shows off her hair prior to her graduation ceremony at Handel Stadium on the campus of Western High School in Anaheim on Friday, May 26, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tiffany Tran, left, a counselor at Irvine Valley College, places the cap on Tycho Elling, 11, of San Juan Capistrano, just prior to commencement at Irvine Valley College in Irvine on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Elling is the youngest 2023 graduate and the youngest student to graduate in IVC’s 38 years. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Graduate Darlene Bocardo is congratulated following the Savanna High School graduation in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, May 25, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
POW Mike McGrath demonstrated how prisoners tapped on the wall to communicate as he stands in a replica of cells at the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ camp while touring the ‘CAPTURED: Shot Down in Vietnam’ exhibit at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the return of the Vietnam POWs in Yorba Linda, CA, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Onlookers watch the Homecoming Parade in front of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the return of the Vietnam POWs in Yorba Linda, CA, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jim Linehan and his granddaughter, Ellie Paxton. 5, pause near POW flags in front of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the return of the Vietnam POWs in Yorba Linda, CA, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A demolition crew takes down a building, circa early 1970s, that stored air compressors at the former El Toro Marine base in Irvine on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The city celebrated the next phase of the Great Park development with a groundbreaking. The $1 billion project will develop 1,300 acres and have a park twice as big as Central Park in New York, City Councilman and Chairman of the Great Park Board, Mike Carroll, said. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Alicia Payan, center, stands on a chair to take a selfie as she celebrates with other masters graduates following the commencement ceremonies for the College of Education at Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton on Monday, May 22, 2023. Over 13,000 CSFU graduates will participate commencement ceremonies May 22-25. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
George W. Parker IV looks up during the hooding ceremony as he receives doctorate degree during the commencement ceremonies for the College of Education at Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton on Monday, May 22, 2023. Over 13,000 CSFU graduates will participate commencement ceremonies May 22-25. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Joseph Borgese, center, pulls back his gown to reveal a photo of his dog Siegfried during the commencement ceremonies for the College of Education at Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton on Monday, May 22, 2023. Over 13,000 CSFU graduates will participate commencement ceremonies May 22-25. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Zov Karamardian is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Zov’s in Tustin, CA. She is planning on opening her fourth location in San Clemente. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kelly Cheng, left, and Sara Hughes Hughes fall into the sand as they celebrate after winning the AVP Pro Series Huntington Beach Open in Huntington Beach on Sunday, May 21, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sara Hughes Hughes gets a dig in a match against Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in AVP Pro Series Huntington Beach Open in Huntington Beach on Sunday, May 21, 2023. Sara Hughes and her teammate Kelly Cheng won the match and the tournament. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
AquaFest ushers in National Boating Week at Dana Point Harbor, to promote boat safety. Brianny Guardado, and Caleb Chung, both 16, frolic in the water after checking out the event. The festival included free sailing, outrigger canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding on Sunday, May 21, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Hollis Oldham, 6, greets Greg Tyler, as they rotate through swing dance partners during the Infinite Flow dance company workshop at Atomic Ballroom in Irvine on Saturday, May 20, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jennifer Keddy, center, joins other women during a prelim at the AVP Pro Series Huntington Beach Open south of the pier in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, May 18, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
James Kirk, 4, roars as he stands inside the mouth of a shark at the Clark Regional Park Interpretive Center in Buena Park, CA, on Thursday, May 18, 2023. The center reopened after being closed wince April 2022 for renovation. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer flies off his board while riding a wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning, May 18, 2023, as a large swell moved on shore throughout Orange County. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer rides a wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning, May 18, 2023, as a large swell moved on shore throughout Orange County. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Lakeside Aquatic Club of Lewisville, TX cheer on their teammate Tatum Janning as she competes in the 1,500-meter freestyle during the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Paige Downey of the Gold Metal Swim Club of Arizona competes in the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle during the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dut Lual, right, an 18-year-old native of war-torn Sudan, gives the thumbs-up to his IB chemistry teacher Carly Gordon, left, after they finished their secret handshake before class at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. The 7-foot Lual will study science and math and play basketball at Oberlin College in Ohio in the fall. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Wilbur Hu, center, conductor of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church choral choir, closes his eyes during silent prayer during a memorial service at the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian church in Laguna Woods on Sunday, May 14, 2023 to honor the victims on the one-year anniversary of the shooting at the church. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ireland’s Andrew Bourns and his horse, Sea Topblue, fly through the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup course in San Juan Capistrano on Sunday, May 14, 2023. Team Ireland finished second to the United States. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Oliver Toth, left, of El Dorado High School consoles teammate Dillon Overbeck after losing to Hart High School in the CIF-SS Division 4 boys volleyball final at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Liberty Cortez, left, and Julia Burdick, keep shaded as they check out the new part of West Coyote Hills, the Robert Ward Nature Preserve, after a ribbon cutting in Fullerton on Saturday, May 13, 2023. “We love the colors and all the trees,” they said of the two-mile trail. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman looks at some of the ‘Thank You’ cards displayed at City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, CA on Friday, May 12, 2023. Nurses were surprised on International Nurses Day with the display of cards made by local school kids and the community. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dancers Daisy Jacobson (Juliet) and Peter Mazurowski (Romeo) dance outside as cameraman Sebastien Marcovici films a live video during a rehearsal for LA Dance Project’s “Romeo and Juliet Suite,” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jonah Smith, a senior at Orange County School of the Arts reacts after the announcement that he is the Artist of the Year in dance a during the Artist of the Year 2023 awards ceremony in Memorial Hall at Chapman University in Orange on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pacifica’s Brynne Nally (5), Annika Sogsti (27) and Elizabeth Sigala (16) celebrate the final out against Los Alamitos during their CIF-SS Division 1 softball playoff game in Garden Grove, CA, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Nally fielded the ball and tossed it to first baseman Sogsti for the final out. Pacifica defeated Los Alamitos, 5 to 1. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Villa Park’s Nate Pone (13), left, jumps in the air to celebrate with teammates after his 7th inning hit knocked in the winning run to defeat Huntington Beach in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs at Villa Park High School in Villa Park on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Raffaele Velazquez (24), center, of Huntington Beach reacts after hitting a home run against Villa Park in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs at Villa Park High School in Villa Park on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Marine veteran Collin McSpirit with his brother Sean McSpirit, behind, and Mats Bjurman, left, both 1st Lts. in the Marine Corps, approach the OC Marathon finish in Costa Mesa on Sunday, May 7, 2023. McSpirit, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, walked the last few feet of the run. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An OC Half Marathoner finishes the run in just over two hours in Costa Mesa on Sunday, May 7, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Orange resident Gail Case, shows her colors as she watches the Orange May Parade on Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton High School teammates pile on top of one another after beating Fountain Valley High 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning during the first round of the CIF-SS Division 2 baseball playoffs at Fullerton High School in Fullerton on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Volunteer Chris Ball with Brookfield Residential lets out a cheer for his team during a Leaders Build for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County in Santa Ana, CA on Friday, May 5, 2023. Local business leaders spent the day working on two houses on Lacy Street. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sammy Hagar at his new Cabo Wabo Beach Club inside the Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach, CA, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pacifica’s Delaina Maae (32) cheers as she rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Bonita during their CIF-SS Division 1 wild-card round playoff game in Garden Grove, CA, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Egyptian geese and their six goslings make their way across a paved trail near the pond at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

We asked our photographers to pick their favorite moments from May 2023, and here are some they selected.

The clouds stuck around all month, but that didn’t stop high school sports championships and graduates around the county.

The OC Marathon races through Huntington Beach – among the runners was Marine veteran Collin McSpirit, his brother Sean McSpirit and Mats Bjurman. McSpirit, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, walked the last few feet of the run.

During the Artist of the Year 2023 awards ceremony Jonah Smith, a senior at Orange County School of the Arts was named the Artist of the Year at Chapman University.

An international jumping competition capped off several busy days of equestrian events at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park. The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup USA concluded on Sunday, May 14, in San Juan Capistrano. It was the first time the Olympic qualifier was hosted on the West Coast. Teams from the Canada, Ireland, Mexico and the United States were competing.

In Yorba Linda, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library commemorated the 50th anniversary of the return of the Vietnam POWs with a 3-day reunion that included a parade and new exhibit.

High School seniors around the county were jumping for joy, including Western High School graduate Anas Mohamed, who got tossed in the air by his family and friends, as commencement ceremonies continued.

And, big waves hit the coast at the Wedge in Newport Beach as a large swell moved on shore thought Orange County.

Stay healthy, and check out the photos and follow The Orange County Register on Facebook and Instagram. Here are our staff photographers’ individual pages: Paul Bersebach, Jeff Gritchen, Leonard Ortiz, Mark Rightmire, and Mindy Schauer.

Stay safe and stay healthy!