The best photos of Super Bowl LIX, picked by our photographers

The Inquirer’s team of photographers and videographers are often the unsung heroes of the newsroom, braving adverse conditions and bad wifi to offer a unique glimpse of the Delaware Valley.

On Sunday, much of the Inquirer’s team were stationed in New Orleans to capture the Eagles’ historic win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Here are their favorite photos:

For Super Bowl LIX, I worked from the 100 level of the Superdome, above the corner of the Chiefs end zone. I chose this spot strategically, anticipating reactions on the Eagles bench and a nearly straight shot of the podium post-game.

What I did not anticipate was a first-quarter bomb to A.J. Brown getting called back for offensive pass interference. It set the tone for the game and got me locked into focus. Photographing from a higher vantage point is an opportunity to see a different perspective of the action and sometimes the height works to your advantage.

— Monica Herndon

Navigating around security, Eagles players, and other photographer’s for the photo of Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni’s Gatorade douse was a challenge. My biggest fear was the Gatorade would splash on my shirt and ruin all the mock “CHAMPS!” newspapers hidden under my shirt. Turned out, no ruined paper’s and the result was more than I would have planned.

— Yong Kim

This is one of my favorite photos that I made at Super Bowl LIX. It’s the reverse angle of what everybody else shot. There’s no doubt about what you’re looking at. Sometimes being away from the pack gives you a look at something you’ve never seen before.

— Steven Falk

It’s rare to find a real moment in the Super Bowl that also doesn’t include other videographers and photographer all trying to capture the same thing at the same time. Milton Williams Sr. emotionally hugging his son, Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, was one of those special quiet moments. Almost everyone was focused on the Lombardi Trophy presentation on the stage.

Williams spotted his family at the foot of the stage and came down. He and his dad embraced and cried together for several minutes. It was a reminder that his journey to becoming a Super Bowl champion started long before this season started.

— David Maialetti

By the second half, everyone in the stadium knew which way the game was going. Sure, hypothetically the Chiefs could have mounted a comeback, but anyone could see the Eagles momentum was just too strong.

When the last seconds ticked down, an overwhelming joy swept over the Eagles fans. I was ground level at the Chiefs 20 yard line in a sea of green catching reactions — strangers embracing, fans young and old overcome with emotion, a man holding up his two young sons.

It’s not often that you get to witness a memory like that being created in real time. I ran out to the concourse to get some interviews and caught this video of a family hugging. It was just this beautiful moment. I’m not even sure if they were a family. Maybe they didn’t even know each other. It doesn’t matter. At that moment we were all family.

— Gabe Coffey