UGA photos of the year 2023

December 20, 2023

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart hoists the CFP national title trophy during the post game celebration at the CFP National Championship Football Game in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. // I just love this moment of Kirby. He held up the trophy then he thrusted it into the air a couple of times with a big smile on his face. The sign above him, Stetson and the players with him, streamers in the background. It just made a nice picture. And all with the rain coming down into my lens inside at SoFi Stadium.(Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Graduate student Michaela McLaughlin works on setting up lighting equipment during a Camera & Lighting Class inside the Studio Production Learning Center. // I was covering this class working on lighting cinema production at our in-house studio for the journalism school. I am always draw to silhouettes, so as this student was working with the lights I stood back a little and shot her silhouetted against the screen. Waiting and shooting. Till she turned just right as she was working to make a picture. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Undergraduate student Averi Caldwell reads a book on a bench near the Arch on a spring day on campus. // This is just a common everyday scene on campus. I was walking between assignments on a spring day and saw this student reading by the Arch. I approached her and told her I wanted to take her photo and she agreed to be photographed. So I knelt beside her as she was reading and waiting for some interesting folks in the background to walk by. I love the little dog. It made the photo. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Undergraduate Sarah Cutts works outside the net while undergraduate Rebekah Johnson works with entomology graduate student Ian Collins while checking beehives in Whitehall Forest. Collins and Johnson have to work with the bees inside a tent to prevent bees from the neighboring colonies from invading the exposed hive to steal honey during what the researchers call “robbing season.” That’s where bees will rob honey from neighboring colonies as fall and winter approach. Collins is researching the effectiveness of the insecticide Chlorantraniliprole to control small hive beetle infestation in honey bee colonies. // I found these folks working with beehives one day near UGArden, but they were finished up for the day. I circled back with them on another day when they were heading out to conduct more research and was able to shoot a bunch with them. Once again. I am a sucker for a silhouette. So I shot them against the light as they worked with the light coming though the trees. It made for a nice little research photo in the field. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Portrait of Redcoat Marching Band senior drum major Sarah Secrist at the Redcoat Marching Band practice facility. //. Our entire team worked on these series of portraits and like I always say, we do our best work when we are working together. This series was another example of that teamwork. We shot portraits of students that are related to football game days for a fall series of stories on student Game Changers. The Redcoat Band doesn’t always get publicity, and I was delighted to meet and shoot photos with Sarah. She was so humble and kind, and gave us all the time in the world. There is a moment in the Redcoat Band performances when the drum major waves the flag. So we had her do this several times and it made a cool portrait. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

A group of freshman students take a selfie with the posed selfie of Student Government Association President George Moore with President Jere W. Morehead along with Hairy Dawg and Student Alumni Council President Caroline Reedy at the Freshman Welcome for the Class of 2027 at Sanford Stadium. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Running back Kendall Milton (2) and head coach Kirby Smart run out onto the field for the runout at the Ball State football game. // As we cover football we are always looking for different ways to shoot the team as the runout of the tunnel at the stadium. This time I decided to get wide, low and close. I was able to get into the right spot with a good idea, but sometimes you just get lucky too. The smoke at Milton’s feet, the puffy white clouds, and then Kirby just happened to look to his right so all of the elements came together. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Aerial of the Business Learning Community, Miller Learning Center and the Tate Student Center in the center of campus at sunrise. // I ask our photo team to chase the light, which means go when the light is nice even if it is outside of the traditional work hours. So I try to do the same thing too. And I am the early riser in our bunch. So I try to shoot some sunrise photos of campus throughout the year. The clouds just happened to be nice this one morning I was out early. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Aerial of high school students conducting simulated rescue of crew members in immersion suits as part of Onboard Drill Conductor Training off the Research Vessel Georgia Bulldog docked at the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant office Brunswick Station. // We really shouldn’t get paid to fly our drones to take photos because it is too stinking fun. This was at the end of the students’ time and I was able to launch our drone off the grounds at the Marine Extension station in Brunswick. I just love the straight overhead look down on this situation. The line and the orange ring along with the red suit for the swimmer made nice contrast against the water. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Students walk in between classes on a walkway on North Campus. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

UGA Redcoat Marching Band halftime performance during the National Championship game against TCU at So-Fi Stadium on Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California. Photographing Georgia’s second, consecutive National Championship win was an incredible start to the year. I love roaming stadiums during game coverage to look for unique angles and enjoy showcasing things outside of action to highlight what makes sports special, like the incredible performances! (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

UGA student Cam Kreitner poses for a portrait in downtown Athens in February. Kreitner hosts a local live late night show, “Late Night in Athens.” This stands out as one of my favorite portrait sessions ever. It was a collaborative effort by our photo and writing staffs, Cam and his show’s crew. We worked to develop a concept, secure props, run light tests, and play around as a group until we got everything perfect. Cam went on to intern at “The View” in New York after graduating and some of his new co-workers recognized him on his first day from a behind the scenes video of this shoot making rounds on social media! (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Student Lauren Roush poses for a photo in Manhattan while attending a UGA Fashion Merchandising and Interiors Maymester in New York City in May. Getting to spend a week in New York City documenting this trip was a dream come true. It was incredible to see so many students blossom in a new environment and make connections in their industries. On this night, I posted up outside the hotel to play paparazzi with the students as they walked out all dressed up to head to Broadway. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Portrait of Adeng Mayik, UGA Mandela Washington Fellow from South Sudan, in Athens in July.UGA hosted a group of Washington Mandela Fellows, young African civic leaders, on campus for six weeks during the summer for professional development and leadership training. I had the pleasure of photographing several of the Fellows in their traditional clothing unique to their individual cultures and countries. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Nolan Stillwell swims at Legion Pool on campus in July. Bringing the underwater camera out for a day was such a fun way to document one of the hottest weeks this summer. Legion Pool is open to students, staff and guests, and a mix of all three were on campus this day. I loved the playfulness of this young visitor doing cannonballs over and over for me when he spotted the camera. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Suzzanne Tate, Warnell School greenhouse manager, hoses plants with water in the Whitehall greenhouses to remove pests in September. One of the unique perks of this job is the interactions we get to have as photographers with so many different people on campus. This was one of those fun connections on an early morning with a campus greenhouse manager in beautiful light as she tended to the plants. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Double exposure portrait of John Ruter, Trial Gardens director and professor of horticulture, in the Trial Gardens on South Campus in September. I ran into John on a morning photo walk around campus when I stopped in the Trial Gardens to admire the blooming flowers. He was working on development plans for a newly opened plot of land in the space and was kind enough to pose for a quick portrait for me. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

The Bulldog footbal team runs out during the Georgia vs. UT Martin football game at Sanford Stadium in September. We all see the team run out from the field, stands, or on the broadcast regularly, but I liked showing this new perspective from above the team’s locker room. It’s one of my favorite photos made while documenting the Bulldogs’ third consecutive undefeated regular season. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

The sun rises behind a maintenance worker blowing leaves on North Campus in November. I woke up early for a sunrise photo assignment and decided to walk around campus afterward to look for feature photos during the quiet morning hours. I came across this scene of a maintenance worker blowing leaves off a path and had time to make this one single photo of the moment before he walked away. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Jenny Swope, UGA Spike Squad member, poses for a Game Changers campaign photoshoot dressed as Little Red Riding Hood in August. The Game Changers campaign was a photography highlight of the year for me, from assisting my co-workers on photo sessions, to directing my own with football players, support staff and performers. This photoshoot with Jenny was made possible by hours of planning and light tests with my colleagues and was so much fun to orchestrate. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

UGA Bulldog students and fans celebrate in Athens at the Arch in the early morning hours after UGA’s 65-7 victory over TCU in the National Championship football game. Although I got to the Arch well after the game was over, the energy downtown was still electric, and I knew I had to find a way to capture the crowds and energy in a photo. After some weaving in and out of the crowds, I found a spot on the stairs of the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building and turned my lens towards the Arch. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Members of the Ballroom Performance Group perform during their annual show titled Ballroom Magic at the Dance Theater. I love the motion, joy and vivd colors in this photo of a Latin-style dance. The fringed pants made it that much better. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Animal and Dairy Science faculty member Jillian Bohlen walks with a Holstein calf at the UGA Dairy Teaching Farm. After patiently standing in for a hands-on pre-veterinary ultrasound class, the little calf wanted to wander through a nearby field, bringing Bohlen along. I’m a sucker for the animal-human connection, so I appreciated being able to capture this moment. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Undergraduate computer science student and Commencement speaker Sudhan Chitgopkar poses for a portrait. Sudhan is not only a fantastic scholar, but also just a generally good human being. I wanted to capture both qualities in one photo, and I’m happy with the result. Technically, I had an idea for how I wanted this to look, but there were several considerations I didn’t think about, one being the height of the projection in the background (we were using an empty classroom as the “studio”). We both precariously ended up standing in chairs to get on the same level as the projected code, and a third person held a light. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Bulldog mascot Hairy Dawg visits with students on Myers Quadrangle during Myers Field Day. This was one of the first moments I saw when I entered the quad, and it was over in a few seconds. I just really liked the easy-going vibe between the friends and Hairy Dawg. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Graduating students celebrate during the spring undergraduate Commencement ceremony at Sanford Stadium. Just loved the pure joy and excitement felt by these two friends! (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Students enjoy carnival rides at the Homecoming Carnival at Legion Field. Besides this photo being fairly difficult to capture, I love the vivd colors and excitement visible in the riders’ faces. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

A family in the sculpture garden during the Georgia Museum of Art 75th Anniversary Celebration. From the staircase indoors, I noticed that the combination of the patio grid and the random, colorful chalk drawings created a perfect palette. Then the child ran through with the uninhibited, light-hearted energy that kids possess, and helped create an image that showed the overall fun feel of the birthday event. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Overhead view of Sanford Stadium during the Georgia vs. Ole Miss football game. This was taken during the last home game of the season, and I felt the pressure of somehow capturing the stadium in a different way than usual. One rooftop climb and fish-eye lens later, this was the result. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Herty Fountain with fall foliage. It’s hard to get a bad photo of the Herty Fountain, especially in the fall, but this slightly overhead view with the drone gave it a little something extra. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)

Hairy Dawg and other cheerleaders lead out the Bulldogs for the start of the UGA vs. TCU College Football National Championship football game held Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. I chose this photo because it illustrates the excitement before the kickoff of the second National Championship football game. (Peter Frey/UGA)

View of the Chapel at dusk with a crescent moon visible in the blue twilight sky. I really like that you can see the moon rising in this photo. (Peter Frey/UGA)

Dayo Adeyemi, Jarissa Navarro, Janele Adegbuji and Walter Echanique look for turtles in the Mary Kahrs Warnell Memorial Garden and Pond after class. These students get together most days after a class they’re in together and check on the turtles in the Warnell pond. I think that is a really great story. (Peter Frey/UGA)

Sherifa Akinniyi with her project presentation before the poster presentation part of the 2023 CURO Symposium held at the Classic Center. This was for a Georgia Magazine story on CURO students, and I just like the way the perspective on this worked out for the photo. (Peter Frey/UGA)

Bulldog mascot Uga XI, affectionally named Boom, on his first visit to Dooley Field and Sanford Stadium. This is Uga XI during his first outing on Dooley Field before the start of the 2023 football season. (Peter Frey/UGA)

Leighton Doran, a biology major and communications studies minor, poses for graduation photos at the Chapel on North Campus. We see a lot of students posing for graduation photos around campus, but they mostly lined up at the Arch for the photos. Leighton also posed at the Chapel as well and it worked out for a nice photo. (Peter Frey/UGA)

Sanisa Foungthong rides her electric skateboard by the Miller Learning Center. I like this photo because it shows the motion of her riding through campus. (Peter Frey/UGA)

Assistant vault manager Pascal Cureton photographed in the vault of the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries. This photo I chose because it’s rare that people see the underground archive of the Russell Library and how vast it is. (Peter Frey/UGA)

Aerial view of the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building during renovation with a view into the interior courtyard with the roof removed. I like this photo because it shows the renovation of the building in a state you can’t see from ground level. (Peter Frey/UGA)

The Redcoats and their auxiliary lead the 2023 Homecoming parade. I chose this photo because it shows the Homecoming parade with the sun setting in the background. Normally most people are up around College Square watching it near the review platform. (Peter Frey/UGA)

This has been a year to remember. UGA’s Division of Marketing & Communications photographers documented the year on campus from National Championship celebrations to capturing the everyday beauty of campus. For this gallery, photographers Andrew Davis Tucker, Chamberlain Smith, Dorothy Kozlowski and Peter Frey each chose their 10 favorite photos and provide their thoughts about each in the captions.

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