A picture says a thousand words. But how many words describe the process of photographing an entire community as told from the eclectic perspective of the visual artist?
For Bates Communications and Marketing photographers Phyllis Graber Jensen and Theophil Syslo, more than you’d think. Try: “weird,” “funny,” “symmetrical,” “historic,” “vicariously” — and, of all things, “beast mode.”
Those are just some of the words they used to describe some of their favorite photographic moments from 2023, the images tell stories that speak of fear, fascination, and the fun, funky vibe running through Bates when Bobcat energy is in full gear. Of course, 2023 also ended up a time of tragedy and profound sadness and grief following the Lewiston mass shootings. Graber Jensen and Syslo documented that, as well.
When considering the memorable photo moments of the past year, Syslo summed it up this way: “What we do is enter people’s lives and their hearts to celebrate humanity. At the end of the day, it’s the people’s lives that I’ve touched who have touched me that will be important.”
A Stacked Image
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
This photograph reminds me of how I feel every time I play Wordle. I’ve got a nice winning streak going, but there’s no guarantee that I won’t lose today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. What you accomplished yesterday has no bearing on what you’re able to achieve today.
I’ve photographed the Great Falls Balloon Festival for decades, and every year I manage to squeeze out what I consider to be an acceptable image that achieves something last year’s did not. But there are no guarantees that I’ll emerge a winner. So each August, I set out to cover an early morning launch with a bit of disbelief and trepidation. Unlike the Wordle challenge, the balloon festival test is a subjective one. And I’m the judge who decided that the 2023 version was another win for me.
Eye On the Ball
Theophil Syslo says:
I took this photo of Madison Hollis ’26 warming up for a home softball game from inside the dugout. The ball seen in the photograph is not actually the ball the pitcher threw. It is a ball thrown from third base. I guess you could say it’s like an optical illusion. I like it because it’s random. It’s puzzling. It’s unpredictable. It’s ironic. You do this photojournalism long enough, you can say you’ve seen everything. But this is a photo that made me look twice.
When I go to a sporting event, I probably leave the game with 500 to 1,000 photos. Back at the office, I go through those photos and probably each photo gets a fourth of a second. I’m in and out, deciding fast which one stays and which one goes as I go, click, click, click. I flew past this one and thought, “What?” It’s by no means a good photo, but it’s a photo that made me do a double take and laugh.
‘Do, Process’
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
Assistant Professor of Dance Brian Evans shows up twice in this image created in the Marcy Plavin Dance Studio — there’s Evans and then there is his reflection. It appears to me as a gentle moment, filled with light and dark. It documents a solo performance that was part of the 2023 MLK Day workshop “Do, Process: An Offering/Sharing of Embodied Authenticities.” Billed as “a creative arts framework tasked with generating work grappling with the first three words of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution,” Evans and his students made art about what happens when “one of our country’s foundational documents” fails to “equally protect all of its citizens.”
The workshop embodied a multidisciplinary presentation rich with visual imagery, much of it filled with powerful movement and emotion, quite unlike this quiet frame. The production reinforced the idea that there are many ways to have successful, even exciting, conversations about painful and nuanced issues. More please.
A Herculean Effort
Theophil Syslo says:
Two things you need to know about this photograph. First, this photo cannot fully articulate the truly herculean effort put forth by Liam Byrne ’23 in the 35-pound weight throw during the Maine State Meet last February. I hope I’m not offending him by calling this beast mode. Secondly, yes, I am, indeed, excited but half terrified while shooting photographs of this event: Every. Single. Time. Don’t even ask me about the javelin.
I like shooting sports. I like playing sports. I like watching sports. Diversity in assignments is one of the benefits of my job. If you can shoot sports you can shoot anything. When you are using your photojournalist’s eye, sports offers every opportunity that life has to offer.
Amusing Archer
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
I had wanted to photograph Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Stephanie Pridgeon’s newborn son, Archer, but had not had the chance. My photographer’s mind had conjured candid images of a cherubic and happy infant filling the frame in his mother’s arms. So when Pridgeon, on parental leave, stopped by Lane Hall with her son one March afternoon to say hello, I grabbed the chance to memorialize them in our studio, where 10-week-old Archer was willing to sit for a few minutes before communicating his displeasure. He’s not even in focus, but clearly he is the center of everyone’s attention. And his mother appreciates the moment, screaming and all.
Soar, Spin, Sway, Spring
Theophil Syslo says:
Gotta love me some dance. In this case, it was at the Spring Dance Concert dress rehearsal at Schaeffer Theatre. Every performance was great. Hard to focus on just one. The dance was created by a Ukrainian student, Ruslan Peredelskyi ’25, to convey the idea of hope during wartime.
This image makes me think of perspective, understanding that all of our students on campus were born after 9/11, which means that every student grew up in a different culture than I did in the ‘90s. For this dancer, I wonder what their culture and youth related to war was like.
What I also love about this photograph is the contrast of color, white and black, and the symmetry in the frame, the timing of the jump, and the expression on the center dancer’s face. What I see is white linen that’s flying because of gravity and the dancers jumping and twisting. It’s a well choreographed piece with the photographer in the right spot at the right time.
Lamplight
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
I made all kinds of pictures when I visited Hallie Herz ‘11 and Eva Fury in their newly established Kindling Collective, a gear library in the basement of Portland’s Equality Community Center. The new resource center that was started by the two women, who are spouses as well as business partners, aims to help the LGBTQ+ community access the outdoors in a safe, fulfilling, and affordable way.
I had known Hallie (at right in the photo) as a Bates student, so we were not strangers, but their gear library is housed in a tiny 400-square-foot space. The three of us didn’t have much room to distance. We set up a few portraits, but I was also interested in some candid moments. One of my favorites was this one that capitalized on the light projected by a wall lamp and portrayed their sense of intelligence, intimacy, and intensity as they tackled a work-related issue. I wondered if they were even aware of me.
Major Memories
Theophil Syslo says:
This photo of President Clayton Spencer is not so much one of my favorite moments as what I think was probably one of Clayton’s favorite moments at the 2023 Reunion. This was in Bonney Science Center, where she and longtime dean James Reese were speaking on Saturday afternoon to alumni of MOSAIC. To show how far back they go, she brought her high school yearbook, opening it up to a page showing a photo of her and Reese. Yes, they went to the same high school in North Carolina.
It’s a very compelling smile. When was the last time you saw a smile like that? If I had to pick a favorite photo of her, this is it: A photograph of someone smiling with an authentic smile. It’s something to rally behind.
One Sings, The Other Doesn’t
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
It looks like these two referees were agreeing to disagree about which player last touched the ball before it went out of bounds in an Alumni Gymnasium contest between Bates and Bowdoin. It would be fitting if it was about touch, since these two are touching each other. Shapes, patterns, and proximity make this photograph amusing to me. And it brings to mind Agnes Varda’s 1977 French film, One Sings, the Other Doesn’t, about two women who, despite their very major differences, remain friends for life. I’d like to imagine something along the same lines for these two gentlemen.
Rocky Mountain High
Theophil Syslo says:
Here on the Appalachian Trail trip taken by students attending Bates’ long-running program known as AESOP (Annual Entering Student Orientation Program), this group who came to do trail maintenance to improve the AT are posing for a portrait on Bemis Mountain — 3,580 feet up in the clouds.
It was a very challenging hike and assignment. The road had multiple washouts. Then the first 10 feet of the trail was straight up. It was an aggressive hike and I was carrying 50 to 60 pounds of camera gear for video. Not something I typically do, let alone while going up a mountain.
Secret Garden
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
I have often enjoyed photographing Associate Professor of Biology Brett Huggett outdoors as he leads his students on field trips to the Saco Heath, Lewiston’s College Street, or the Historic Quad. This time we remained indoors, but no matter. A five-minute walk from my desk, the light was glorious, the chlorophyll, lime green. And Huggett was game for interaction with his students on this late September day when he decided to move his dendrology classroom from a Carnegie Science Hall lecture room to the rooftop greenhouse where the students gathered to learn how to identify tree species using specimens that Huggett had gathered in his fieldwork.
Historic Moment
Theophil Syslo says:
This moment is between President Garry W. Jenkins and Christina Estabrook, the staff member who was charged with managing the massive project known as a presidential inauguration. The photograph was taken at the ceremony’s dress rehearsal, on the afternoon of Oct. 25.
I was there really just to get a feel for the space and light, the depth of field, all of that. Maybe some of the photographs are edited and archived at the end of the day, but mostly it’s an exercise in thinking about what the day of inauguration will bring.
This photo might have been deleted and never archived. But when the Lewiston shootings happened a few hours later — necessitating the postponement of the inauguration — this photo then seemed historic. When you talk about the root of what we do, it’s documenting the history of the college. This moment at Bates was an important day in history.
Delightful Daughter
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
Accompanied by her parents, Arthur McAfee and Anita LaRue-McAfee, women’s swimming and diving captain Dylan McAfee ’23 walks the gauntlet of applauding teammates who were on hand for Senior Day festivities before a meet against Tufts at Merrill Gymnasium’s Tarbell Pool.
This is not a new situation for me to photograph, but this particular moment jumps out at me. It’s the joy in the faces of the parents and child, and the enthusiastic response portrayed by the clapping hands of the other swimmers that tugged at my heart. As the mother of a daughter, it reminds me of the delight children can provide their parents at any age.
Filing the Files
Theophil Syslo says:
This photo shows Alan Wang ’24 posing for a portrait during his Purposeful Work internship at the Maine State Archives. What made this engagement exciting was Alan’s willingness to share and explore.
The best photographs are the ones where the creator and the subject are working together toward the end product. I scheduled an hour for it, but I thought, “I like your enthusiasm and excitement,” so we tried a couple of spots.
He had a complete willingness to share and participate and to explore the space together as I photographed him, which was nice. Not everyone is willing to give that time. Alan wanted to give the time and he wanted to participate.
Frozen in Time
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
I have to give myself a motivational pep talk every time I walk onto an icy Lake Andrews to photograph the annual spectacle of Puddle Jump. It’s a pageant, and a cold one, that leaves me numb, sometimes speechless, even though I’ve experienced it repeatedly. When I say “experienced,” I mean that vicariously, of course, because I remain grateful each winter that it’s them, not me who jump half naked into a frigid body of water. There’s always something to show for their and my respective efforts, however, like this collective moment of self awareness as this trio paused “frozen” for eternity, to pose for the camera in midair. Shown (from left) are Jared O’Hare ’23, Chloe Arons ‘23, and Chris Euston ’23.
Strike a Pose
Theophil Syslo says:
Trashion Show, another distinctive Bates event. Every year fall colors remind me of the impending awesomeness of Bates students and their creative ways of designing attire and modeling it. Here Adelle Welch ’25 models the “Swan 2.0” designed by Grace Acton ’24, a homage to the Swan ball gown designed by the mid-20th century designer Charles James.
Welch’s energy specifically reminded me of the vibes you would get from fashion photographers like Richard Avedon, who photographed for fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue during a 50-year career that began in the 1940s.
Not everyone can go on a stage, not everyone can model trash on a runway, not everyone can pose for a picture like this. This person showed up with some gestures and poses and did it confidently, without thinking or pausing.
Girl Power
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
I love the symmetry as this group of three Bates varsity volleyball players line up to demonstrate an underhand serve to a young girl during National Girls and Women in Sports Day last February. Shown are (from left) Ellie Asada ’26, Ami Evans ’26, and Chrissy Chu ’25.
What I love about this event held in the Gray Athletic Building is that it’s an annual celebration of women’s athletics at Bates that promotes the recognition of the 1972 Title IX legislation that changed my life and the trajectory of countless other girls who love to play sports.
Healing
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
Nine days after the Lewiston mass shootings, Tree Street Youth, joined by many other organizations and members of the Bates community, led an outpouring of support called “Love Lewiston Day.” Activities included sharing remembrance ribbons, writing thank you cards and signs, and dispensing “free hugs” — part of a social movement that offers hugs to strangers as random acts of kindness.
Here the heartfelt embrace offered and received was with two individuals who had worked side by side that day: Abdurahman Abdi (left), age 13, and Starr Bradley ’25 of Houston, a part-time Tree Street staffer, who supports the Lewiston after-school program and mentors teens.
I stopped by Tree Street that brilliantly sunny afternoon to catch a few moments with Bates students and alumni who participated in the activities, either as staff, volunteers, or visitors. In this case, the power of the hug shared by Abdi and Bradley was palpable.
You Do You
Theophil Syslo says:
When Phyllis and I document the college and its people, we seek authentic, real-life snippets of what you do, who you are. In this case, Rishi Madnani ’23 is doing something different: He’s striking a pose for the camera, in a very confident way.
He was the senior speaker at Commencement. I liked this photo moment because he shows nice situational awareness. Contrapposto. Framed. His perfectly framed flashing deuces are highlighted by his draped garnet.
He’s walking toward the camera, versus walking away from the camera. I can’t think of a better beginning. I see him taking his first steps to his young career or his new life or his new beginning. I don’t really look at it as his last day on campus. Visually, he’s stepping on a shadow, but into the light.
No Worries
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
I spent the better part of March 6, 2023, photographing the newly elected Bates president, Garry W. Jenkins, as he arrived at Bates for his first official visit. His husband, Jon Lee, accompanied him. The photo opportunities included posed portraits around campus, visiting Admission’s Lindholm House, hanging out on Alumni Walk with President Clayton Spencer and the Bates Bobcat, and, finally, his formal introduction to the community in Alumni Gymnasium. These situations had been carefully planned and itemized in an official schedule. But one event was impromptu.
At 2:58 p.m., the president-elect emailed me that he and Jon had forgotten to let me know they planned to head over to the College Store at that time. “No worries if you are busy,” he wrote. I rushed over to find the pair shopping for Bates swag and meeting the store’s staff. Trailing them around the store, I witnessed this moment when they discovered a rainbow silicone phone wallet. Nice for them. Perfect for me. It was a good foreshadowing of their willingness to be in front of — and behind (for their respective Instagram accounts) — the camera this past year.
