Many of the 19 photos in this year’s edition of Bates Photographers’ Favorites made the cut for self-evident reasons, like how they capture intimate moments of friendship, the intensity of athletic competition, or soothing nature.
Some come to the list, our 11th annual, a bit sideways.
Director of Photography and Video Phyllis Graber Jensen earned her first Bates photo credit 30 years ago. For her, seeing a surprise through the viewfinder, like a U.S. Naval Academy officer standing at attention during a Bates squash match, yielded one of her favorite photographs of the year.
For multimedia producer Theophil Syslo, a photograph can be a favorite mistake, such as the unexpected result of trying to create an abstract moment from a fireworks show.
Combined, their perspectives and talents create this surprising, imperfect, and ultimately human visual presentation of what we love about our college and community.
Love Letter to Lewiston
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
Early in August, I traversed downtown Lewiston — my hometown for the last 32 years — to photograph the visual explosion of public art on display. Some of what you see these days has been created through commissions to well-known artists such as muralist Arlin Graff or sculptor Charlie Hewitt. Other artwork, like painted utility boxes, reflects homespun community spirit.
Whatever the art or artist, you’ll be tempted to stop in your tracks — as I was when I noticed this pedestrian as she bopped her way past Co-Lab Create, a communal art space on Lisbon Street. In her step, I see energy and optimism. The building’s exterior artwork was created by muralist Jared Goulette, who blended between 20 to 30 colors, “playing with the liquid,” to create “A Splash of Color,” 20 feet tall by 50 feet long. Just another one of the many reasons to love Maine’s second-largest city and all that it offers.
Hands-On Defense
Theophil Syslo says:
Sports action shot. Stop action. Heads up. Tight/telephoto. A Bates women’s basketball defender goes for the ball but grabs a head — a swing and a miss. I wish I could remember if this was called a foul or not.
Either way, it’s a great demonstration of why you aren’t allowed to wear jewelry like face or nose rings in basketball — this could be a much fiercer and bloodier photo. The number one reason I chose this photo as a favorite this year is because it reminds me of being a kid and making funny faces by distorting my nose with my fingers. It makes me giggle.
One for the Books
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
After years of wonderful opportunities to photograph arts performances in various campus stages and performance spaces, a new possibility surfaced: the high-tech Immersive Media Studio, known as the IMStudio, a space in Coram Library designed for interdisciplinary multimedia projects.
This image presents a moment during a “durational exhibit,” during which viewers could come and go, called Beyond Midnight by faculty members Michel Droge, Carolina González Valencia, and Asha Tamirisa.
The captivating, dream-like 30-minute experience used undersea footage captured during an expedition off Costa Rica that Droge joined as a visiting artist. Droge, partially illuminated in this image, sits in the shadows beside a colleague, Museum of Art Director Dan Mills, as faculty and students danced in silhouette.
The picture I made felt truly collaborative. What a treat to witness such visual richness and imagine the potential for all kinds of artistry and performance in this new space on campus.
Sparking the Imagination
Theophil Syslo says:
This could be a fun exercise in “caption that photo.” Taken through the vertical blinds of an Olin Arts Center window, this photo is my attempt at abstracting the Reunion fireworks display over Lake Andrews using light reflections in the window.
The abstraction makes me wonder: Am I looking through the James Webb Space Telescope at black holes, or am I looking under a microscope at red blood cells? Inner space or outer space — either way, it’s reflective and makes you wonder about past and future.
An Uncommons Moment
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
Anyone who spends time in Commons knows there are the quiet times and the not-so-quiet times. After working on a day-in-the-life feature, where we spent up to 18 hours documenting staff, faculty, students, and others using the building, this photograph stood out to me.
As Dining Services staff members Diana Mba Oyana (left) and Sonia Roy finished their early dinner before the arrival of the supper crowd, they enjoyed a quiet moment. Or maybe a private joke.
To peer through a lens and “capture” the lives of others can feel very intrusive. Whatever they experienced was just for the two of them. I know nothing about it other than what I saw, which is enough for me.
Mirror, Mirror
Theophil Syslo says:
If you’re wearing mirrored sunglasses, I will most likely try to create some content around it. (I’m thinking of you, Perla!) While chatting and photographing the “Lakes Chillin’” AESOP trip to nearby Tripp Pond on Aug. 31, I learned that the trip leaders, seniors Dani Levy and Eli Toffel, both from Brookline, Mass., have known each other since, well, I want to say even before high school.
While creating a few portraits, I asked them to pose and smile while I focused on the person reflected in the sunglasses. This is Dani smiling; Eli in the reflection.
Golden Friendship
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
Members of the classes of 1974 and 1975 — one class coming off their 50th Reunion year, and the other getting ready for theirs in June 2025 — came together during Back to Bates for a “pass the baton” event.
I had been asked to photograph the ritual and looked forward to having a bit of fun with what I assumed would be engaged alums. Is there a nice way to say that I did not have great expectations for the situation? Probably not. But as it turns out, I caught this spontaneous — and completely unanticipated — moment between two friends from the Class of 1975, Scott Balcomb and Geri Fitzgerald.
I enjoyed their laughter, and I appreciated the genuine nature of whatever transpired. The best photographs for me are usually the unanticipated ones. So in hindsight, I am grateful for the assignment and the delightful energy of Bates alumni excited for their milestone Reunion.
Eyes on the Prize
Theophil Syslo says:
My first time seeing men’s basketball player David Omasombo ’26 play was in December during a winning game vs. Bowdoin in Alumni Gym. I’ve always enjoyed sports photography because it captures all sorts of vignettes of humanity: highs to lows, cheers to tears. I focused on David’s eye and the intensity channeled through his vision.
Framing his head to fill the frame while using a 300mm lens allowed for creative composition. The focus on his eye helps draw the viewer along the frame, creating a sense of wonder about what’s happening in the photo. (Low-key, this looks like how I feel after shoveling my driveway at 6 a.m. during a snowstorm before heading to work.)
Here Comes the Sun
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
These paired photos show Bates rowers walking boats and gear down the hill from the Traquina Boathouse to the Androscoggin River on successive days in October. On the first day, Oct. 17, the rowers were all set for a gorgeous early morning practice, not long before their big fall regatta, the Head of the Charles in Boston.
Unfortunately, morning fog — beautiful in its own way — interfered. Head coach Peter Steenstra tried to wait out the thick soup, but it didn’t dissipate. So he sent the grounded athletes back to campus and rescheduled the workout for the afternoon. I wasn’t able to be there, so I returned the next morning for a second chance, when I duplicated a photograph at the hillside location for an entirely different sun-splashed moment.
Paws, Laugh, Repeat
Theophil Syslo says:
What’s your favorite dog quote? If you know me, you know why I’m including this photo in my favorites — because it’s my favorite. I’ve said it before: If a photo can make you laugh, it’s worth sharing. Nothing makes me giggle more than listening to a talkative dog try to argue his way into a port-a-potty. (In this case, during a soccer game at Russell Street Field last September.)
If you pair this photo with a serious quote, like Gandhi’s “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” the humor only gets better.
Birthday Snowscape
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
What do you do when it snows nearly a foot on your birthday? If you’re Amelia Wallis ’24, you enjoy a snow party on the Historic Quad with your Bates buddies. “It’s an amazing day to celebrate with friends,” said Wallis, whom you can spy in her aqua blue jacket, seated at the head of a snow horse they created, which followed the snow fort they dug from a big pile of snow left by Facility Services plows.
If I remember correctly, I had stumbled across this scene while out looking for a snowstorm feature. I am often invited to photograph student celebrations, such as senior thesis bindings, organizational dinners, or performances. But this was unexpected, a gift for a lucky photographer.
Grit to Grace
Theophil Syslo says:
I struggle to understand whether cross-country running is about the journey or the destination. So much of what I see at the finish line, such as the remains of a runner’s last meal or the anguished expressions of an athlete running on empty, is raw and gritty. This photograph, of a runner, Campbell MacDonald ’27, lying on the grass after crossing the finish line at the Pineland Farms course, offers something complementary: a sense of peace.
Unspoken Love
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
During the May 4 installation ceremony for President Jenkins, I anticipated that there would be a moment of connection and emotion between the new president and his parents, Leslie Jenkins and Garry C. Jenkins, during his address. I had seen the same with President Clayton Spencer and her parents at her installation ceremony in October 2011.
I was covering the event with a freelance photographer, Rene Roy, and our plan to capture the moment was that I would turn my camera toward his parents, and she would train her lens on the president.
Early in his inaugural address, as Jenkins offered heartfelt thanks to his mother and father, Roy created an emotion-filled image of Garry, choking up and leading applause; I, in turn, documented his father’s proud smile and his mother, holding hands with her son’s husband, Jon Lee, returning her son’s gratitude with a gesture of love.
Belonging in Every Layer
Theophil Syslo says:
If I had to pick just one moment from 2024, this would be it. In truth, I would choose the whole event — it was just that good. When you’re surrounded by good people, you feel good. What I like most about this photograph is how well it illustrates the event, which was a welcome-back reception at the Student Center for Belonging and Community in September.
Beyond the event, the photo demonstrates storytelling, and layering, and a beautiful moment between two students: Halima Guliye ’27 and Sakina Saidi ’26. I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of photographing Saida before, during the annual Cultural Showcase. From my perspective, if Sakina Saidi is present, it’s worth watching and listening.
Man in Uniform
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
In my 30th annual cycle of campus coverage, I am grateful when something novel crosses my horizon. That’s what happened when this uniformed member of the U.S. Naval Academy squash program appeared in my viewfinder during the Bobcats’ season opener.
This is Lt. Cmdr. Brian Schaus, and in addition to being a faculty member in the electrical engineering department, he is the team’s “o-rep,” the officer representative, responsible for upholding the Naval Academy’s standards of conduct, appearance, and honor.
He probably has some fun in his role, but at the Bates Squash Center he looked to be all business. Maybe it’s an issue of style. His crisply tailored and decorated uniform, his attention to decorum, and his serious expression all telegraph duty and focus over fun and pleasure — but who’s to say those two don’t go hand in hand? Not me.
Fashion Meets Passion
Theophil Syslo says:
When I get the chance to incorporate colorful seamless backgrounds into portraits, I get excited. The annual Trashion Show offers one of those opportunities — and it’s an eyeful. Moments like this ground me and remind me how colorful people can be through their creativity and upcycled imagination. I love the way the colors interact with the designed trash wardrobes. It’s a joy to support causes that resonate with me, and I’m happy that Bates students are passionate about this kind of thing.
(Note: I try my best to get as much use out of the paper seamless backdrops before cramming them into a recycling bin…!)
Garry! Garry!
Phyllis Graber Jensen says:
Has a Bates president ever joined the student section during a basketball game in Alumni Gym? We’re not sure, so understandably there was uncertainty when students chanted their invitation, “We want Garry!” to President Garry W. Jenkins during the women’s basketball team’s first-round NCAA tournament victory over Brooklyn College last March.
Jenkins responded to the invitation, adding his captivating energy to the boisterous throng — not once but twice, the second time seen here during waning moments of the Bobcat’s second-round victory over Widener University.
In doing so, he made a great decision, sparking even more of what is now called “Alumni Magic” — pride in the team and Bates, exhilaration for the victorious moment, and pure affection for the new Bates president.
Picture Perspective
Theophil Syslo says:
Not to steal Princess Jasmine’s best line, but it really is a whole new world, or new perspective. It wasn’t too long ago the only opportunities for access for content creation like this would be through balloons, kites, airplanes, and helicopters. Drones are a great new tool that producers like myself are excited to use to help push the story.
