From fireworks to sunsets, the people behind the cameras caught the excitement and beauty of life at the University of Virginia in 2023. (Photo illustration by Alexandra Angelich, University Communications)
Each year, UVA Today photographers take thousands of images all around the University of Virginia on a variety of assignments, from poignant pictures at Final Exercises and exciting moments in sporting events to jovial images of trick-or-treaters on the Lawn.
UVA Today asked our photographers to select the photos that moved them the most this year and explain why.
In their words, here is the year at UVA in photos.
I’ve been documenting the ongoing renovation of the University of Virginia Chapel, but I was still taken aback upon first entering after the scaffolding was taken down. Being a graphic designer before a photographer, I’ve always admired designs with a linear quality. As a photographer, I enjoy capturing an artistic image, and this was the chance to accomplish both at once.
Final Exercises is always a rewarding experience, with potential photos everywhere. But I found this image curiously intriguing. I shared it with a fellow photographer who said “Action silhouette of a dinosaur at graduation with a sun star. This is a unicorn!”
The pavilion gardens are a favorite of mine and during the spring I often take the time to walk through them while on Grounds. If the timing is right, I can capture a memorable image depicting everyday life at the University. In this instance, I was in the Pavilion IX garden visiting the saucer magnolia and just happened to see a student enjoying the quiet environment.
In January, Tony Bennett passed legendary coach Terry Holland for the most wins for a head coach in Virginia men’s basketball history. After win No. 327 at the helm of the Cavaliers, Bennett addressed the crowd at John Paul Jones Arena. In hopes of capturing a smile, I followed him toward the locker room. As he exited the court, associate head coach Jason Williford was waiting for him and drew a huge smile from Bennett. That was one of my favorite moments of the year.
Kate Douglass is regarded as one of the greatest female collegiate swimmers of all time. In 2023, she helped lead Virginia to its third consecutive NCAA team title while winning seven NCAA titles herself. Some call her “Queen Kate,” so the idea of a throne with all her trophies came to mind. It took some work to find the right throne and her mom shipping some trophies to Charlottesville, but I was very pleased with the final product.
Running back Mike Hollins led the Cavaliers out of the tunnel to start the 2023 football season in Nashville. Hollins’ return after being wounded in the November 2022 shooting that killed three of his teammates was an emotional moment. Seeing him lead the team onto the field brought tears to my eyes. I love the way the light hits his face as he races forward in a remarkable comeback story.
I think that seeing a location you’ve photographed thousands of times changed by an element – this time smoke from Canadian wildfires – presents new opportunities to revisit how we see the world.
This is a continuation of my portrait series of political figures who come to Grounds. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders agreed to sit for the photo, and when I introduced myself, he said “I know who you are. You photographed the statues.” He proceeded to patiently pose for about 30 seconds before he gave me a signature Bernie look. I loved every one of the few seconds I had with him.
When I was assigned Ava DuVernay’s visit and the premiere of her movie “Origin” at the Virginia Film Festival, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was very intrigued to see her movie and hear what she had to say in the panel discussion that followed. She did not disappoint.
This image is one of my favorites from the evening. As she walked on to the stage, the audience exploded with applause and a stray “We love you, Ava!” floated over the sea of noise. Her reaction was so big and fun and her love to her viewers and supporters was genuine.
HoosFirst was a fun and lively student event held at Newcomb Hall. The organization has created a community and resources to help first-generation college students connect and thrive. This was my favorite photo of that shoot because these students spoke so passionately and I was thrilled to take a photograph of them in front of UVA’s iconic Rotunda.
This image is from the Class of 2027’s 4th Side Event. The first years spell “UVA” on the field and watch the fireworks going off right above them. They traditionally watch from the stands, but this set-up was so much better for feeling in the moment, feeling like they were really part of the UVA experience.
Trick or Treat on The Lawn is fun for area families, students and administrators alike. Ezra Klotz, dressed up as a Transformer, went from standing position into car transformation in front of President Jim Ryan, but it was so crowded that the photo just didn’t do the moment justice. I found him later on the Lawn and had him preform his robot metamorphosis again.
This photo is from our iconic photoshoot welcoming UVA’s Class of 2027 to Grounds during regular decision. After we were done taking photos, Cavman got to blow out the candles with a leaf blower.
Final Exercises is an incredibly large production, complete with balloons and dancing. There is so much joy and celebration happening that it can be easy to miss moments.
As the graduates processed down the Lawn, I stood near a mother and daughter as they watched for their family member among the graduates. The three of them embraced for a moment, with lots of tears flowing, then brother and sister touched foreheads before he continued in his procession down the Lawn.
In the middle of so much noise and loud celebration, it was beautiful to witness a family quietly taking in the gravity of what it meant to them for this student to earn his degree.
Men’s basketball team manager Anna Williamson and I met during the season and became friends. Anyone who knows her, knows how well she represents the five pillars of the men’s basketball program – humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness. When UVA men’s basketball won a share of the ACC regular-season championship, the coaching staff told her that she would get to cut the entire net down. This shot captures a moment uniquely symbolic and represents the payoff of years of joyful and sincere dedication.
This photo was taken in an ACC Tournament game against Syracuse. Leo Afonso scored after being out for a few games because of an injury. A photographer whose work I really admire, Sam Liam Cornish, takes photos from within the crowd and I wanted to try out that technique. One of the greatest challenges of photographing moments like this is working around your own emotions and focusing enough to get the shot.
This image started out as an attempt to shoot a long exposure of the Rotunda that would include streaks of light from passing cars at night. As a video producer, I typically don’t use shutter speeds longer than 1/48 of a second and have been interested in seeing what was possible using longer exposures from our smaller drone.
In the fall of 2023, we had a student intern, Solomon Goluboff-Schragger, working nights. We started to go out for 20 minutes or so at dusk to experiment with longer exposures. On that first night, I found that the streaks of lights from the cars weren’t as impressive as hoped.
However, we made one pretty interesting shot that night using a shutter drag technique, moving the drone while the shutter was open.
We tried a few different approaches to the flight path of the drone. Eventually, we found that the shots moving directly toward the Rotunda in a single linear path were the most compelling and then focused on perfecting that shot.
I wanted the Rotunda to be more defined, and eventually settled on moving the drone during the first half of the exposure and then stopping it for the second half. I think what I like most about the final image is that it uses the architecture to shape the light that seems to extrude from around the capitals, sort of an inverse of most photography, where we use the light to shape the architecture.
This aerial shot was taken as we were filming a piece for UVA Obscura, highlighting the Rotunda capitals. As the sun was setting, we found the perfect moment to fly up and capture the view of students gathering for the annual Rotunda Sing to kick off the new school year. This spontaneous capture was my first photo taken as a member of the UVA community, and its success sparked a new sense of pride as a Hoo!
Assistant Editor, UVA Today Office of University Communications
bkm4s@virginia.edu 434-924-3778
May 2, 2024
