When night falls, the University of Virginia takes on a different personality. The familiar hum of voices, footsteps and a cappella groups fades into silence, leaving the historic Grounds bathed in pools of soft lamplight and shadow.
The Jeffersonian architecture that serves as a backdrop for the bustle of academic life becomes the main character – quiet, dignified and a little mysterious. It’s in these rare, still hours UVA senior photographer Matt Riley finds his favorite moments to work.
In this emptier version of Grounds, details that are almost hidden in daylight emerge. The slower pace and contemplative rhythm in the darkness of Grounds stretches from the steps of the Rotunda to the walkways of academic buildings, where beauty can be taken for granted while rushing from point A to B.
Tag along with Riley on this tour of Grounds, spotting fireflies and the occasional skunk, as he reveals some of his favorite spots in a whole new light.
The lights of the Rotunda shine brightly at twilight.
A dog and its owner stroll the Lawn.
Minor Hall, part of UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences, casts a warm glow across the quiet Grounds.
