Sometimes our pictures tell the whole story.

In February, the photographer George Etheredge visited Donald Trump Jr. at his father’s 230-acre estate in Bedford, N.Y. The president’s son is a known hunter and outdoor enthusiast, but Mr. Etheredge felt drawn to more of a “Happy Gilmore” image, of Mr. Trump surveying the family’s Bedminster, N.J., green with a golf club and cart.

After spending some time at the Trump family’s Westchester property, Mr. Etheredge’s vision changed. “I saw this stump, and I thought it would be kind of perfect,” he said. His instincts were good: The picture was swiftly embraced by the internet and became a phenomenon in its own right, independent of the deeply reported article it accompanied.

Not every great picture we publish becomes a meme, but each one helps shape the way our readers understand the world. Here are some of our favorites from a year full of famous faces, furry friends, fashion and frivolity.