2009 in Focus: Best of Times photography

Drew Gallagher, 23, says a prayer for singer Michael Jackson at a memorial near the Jackson family home on Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino. Jackson’s death June 25 at age 50 came a month before his comeback concert series in London was to begin. The death is still under investigation, and Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, remains the focus of the probe. Past coverage >>>   (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)

Architect and former punk rocker and studio artist Robert Stone stands in the outdoor living room of his one-bedroom desert dwelling, Rosa Muerta, on the outskirts of Joshua Tree. The low-slung black pavilion’s living room is appointed with a large spa, fire pit and free-standing barbecue. “I’m not interested in big unconventional approaches to architecture,” Stone says. “I think there is room in architecture for capturing the moment and local situations -- something both cultural and site specific.”   (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Richie Igama, a certified nursing assistant, gently cradles Austin Rustrum, 4, during a pool therapy session at the George Mark Children’s House in San Leandro. Austin, suffering from cerebral palsy, epilepsy and a rare birth defect, was visiting the hospice for respite care. The facility was in danger of closing as the economy took a toll on donations, which it relies on to meet expenses.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A group of young men watch the Station fire from a hill overlooking Tujunga. The fire, which began Aug. 26 near the Angeles Crest Highway, killed two firefighters and burned more than 160,000 acres. The cause of the blaze, which burned 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest, was arson, officials said. Read related story >>>  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Augustine Beyai, from Gambia, was brought to Quinhamel Center, said to be Guinea-Bissau’s only drug rehab facility, by his family. Guinea-Bissau, a small, unstable West African nation, has become the ideal stop for gangs smuggling drugs from South America to Europe. Full story   (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Researcher Lawrence Plug sets up a camera and tripod as the aurora borealis shifts and sparkles above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Plug is part of an ambitious two-year study, funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, that is examining thawing permafrost in Alaska and Siberia and how it relates to climate change.   (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Hikers return from a trek over the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska, an active glacier that is 24 miles long and two miles wide. Conservationists worry about the ice’s future amid increased shipping in the Arctic that could triple ozone pollution in the region and accelerate melting.   (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office on Jan. 20 accompanied by his family.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Angels catcher Mike Napoli writes in the dirt in front of the mural of pitcher Nick Adenhart before a July 28 game at Angel Stadium. Adenhart was killed in a car accident in April and served as an inspiration to the team as it reached the American League Championship Series.   (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)