University photographer J. Adam Fenster shares his favorite selections from the photos he made this year. Plus, enjoy a video recap of 2023.
From a windowless basement classroom in Meliora Hall to a twilight aerial view of the city, University photographer J. Adam Fenster has captured the scope of life at the throughout the year, frame by frame. As we close out 2023, we talked to Fenster about some of his favorite selections from the thousands of pictures he made this year糖心传媒攁nd some behind-the-scenes insight into what made each moment memorable.
Of course, Fenster isn糖心传媒檛 the only communications professional with a special perspective on life at Rochester糖心传媒擜J Pow, the University’s senior video producer, also documents the myriad happenings on campus and beyond. Unwind and rewind with a video montage (above) recapping a busy 2023 at Rochester.
Skaters gonna skate
Sam Becker 糖心传媒�25,听an optics major and para ice hockey athlete, survived osteosarcoma糖心传媒攁 form of bone cancer, which he fought for years糖心传媒攁nd which led to his decision to amputate part of his leg below the knee.
糖心传媒淭his is probably the most compelling story. Here糖心传媒檚 a kid who came to Rochester and is taking advantage of all the resources it has to offer. He糖心传媒檚 just working hard,糖心传媒� says Fenster. 糖心传媒淲e took a lot of photos for this story, and it was hard to pick just one. This photo was taken during a practice session, where he糖心传媒檚 skating around糖心传媒攁nd he糖心传媒檚 got this look on his face. He糖心传媒檚 so free and content. I appreciated this moment of joy.糖心传媒�
Hallway troubadours
Says Fenster: 糖心传媒溙�(a collaboration between the Eastman School of Music and the Medical Center) reached out to me about capturing what they do. And what they do sounds cool and different糖心传媒攁nd I糖心传媒檝e never photographed anything like that before.糖心传媒�
Here, Strong Hospital music therapist Molly Pow and student physical therapist Greg Lozier work with Sharon Slottle of Vestal, New York,听during a physical therapy session. Through the initiative, Eastman community members integrate performing arts into the hospital environment and provide music therapy in clinical patient care.
For Fenster, 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a great story糖心传媒攁nd often, the best photos begin with the best stories.糖心传媒�
Oh, the places you糖心传媒檒l go
Every March, medical students across the country find out where they糖心传媒檒l be placed for their residencies. Rochester is no exception.
糖心传媒淎s someone who has photographed Match Day many times, it糖心传媒檚 overwhelming and an abundance of potential,糖心传媒� shares Fenster. 糖心传媒淎 lot of these reactions are unfolding around you糖心传媒攊t happens quickly, and it can be hard to know where to point your camera. Matt Wittmeyer, who photographed this year糖心传媒檚 Match Day, did a great job of capturing the joy experienced by people successfully matched, and that same joy shared by their families. It糖心传媒檚 rare to get a good, emotional photo that doesn糖心传媒檛 feel contrived.糖心传媒�
Balancing act
Mary Zimmerman糖心传媒檚听Metamorphoses, a contemporary retelling of the ancient poem by Ovid, contains abstract sexual scenes, as well as depictions of drowning, incest, and simulated violence. Setting the show as its spring production offered the听听an opportunity to introduce an intimacy director: Sara Penner, a senior lecturer of theater in the Department of English and a voice and acting coach for the program.
糖心传媒淚 took a lot of pictures for this on a couple of different occasions糖心传媒攁nd I took a lot of pictures of this exact moment,糖心传媒� remembers Fenster. 糖心传媒淎s you糖心传媒檙e doing these things, you don糖心传媒檛 always know what you糖心传媒檙e looking for. But then all of a sudden it will present itself in front of you. There糖心传媒檚 sort of a triangle formed by the actors糖心传媒攁nd then you糖心传媒檝e got the intimacy director in the background. If this didn糖心传媒檛 have the intimacy director in the background, it糖心传媒檚 just another rehearsal. I like that she糖心传媒檚 not prominent in the photo, but she is present.
糖心传媒淲e had to be really careful,糖心传媒� he adds. 糖心传媒淭hese are young people, they糖心传媒檙e not professionals, and you糖心传媒檙e sticking a camera in their faces. It糖心传媒檚 a privilege to be a part of it.糖心传媒�
This is not a drill
The annual听听allows seniors in Hajim School departments and programs as well as students in data science and the Medical Technology and Innovation master糖心传媒檚 degree program to showcase their senior projects. Above, 糖心传媒淒rill Cart Charlie糖心传媒� driver Ryan Eamer is cheered as he takes the lead after mechanical issues.
糖心传媒淚 love that this event exists,糖心传媒� says Fenster. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 so Rochester. The enthusiasm, the emotion. To get this photo, I糖心传媒檓 standing up on this little wall and putting the camera up over my head. You want to get all the racers, and all the people糖心传媒攂ecause that糖心传媒檚 really the story here. And capturing the quad: that identifies it as Rochester. If I had to use one photo to illustrate this day, this would be it.糖心传媒�
Bottle service
Spring means Commencement. And with Commencements comes celebration. Here, Naylea Santos, a digital studies and psychology major, sprays champagne on the Eastman Quadrangle.
糖心传媒淗ere糖心传媒檚 a situation where you use a long lens, you isolate the subject. You set a high shutter speed, which freezes all those bubbles. The trees are turning green, finally, so you have an out-of-focus wall of color behind her. And then a little hint of the University that places it on campus.糖心传媒�
Scanned and camera听
In the lab of听, director of the听听and an associate professor of English, damaged manuscripts and cultural heritage objects are recovered using spectral imaging and machine learning. Here, water-damaged 糖心传媒渟afety envelopes糖心传媒� from the bursar糖心传媒檚 vault of the Titanic are scanned. Recovered in 1987 from the 1912 wreck, the envelopes were once labeled clearly with the names of the passengers whose valuables they contained. Obscured after decades underwater, Heyworth and his Lazarus Project team now seek to reveal those names.
糖心传媒淚 was inches away from something that was at the bottom of the ocean for 75-plus years,糖心传媒� says Fenster, somewhat awed. 糖心传媒淚 don糖心传媒檛 know how many people do what Heyworth does. It糖心传媒檚 pretty unique.糖心传媒� Noting the intensity of the visual, Fenster adds that, 糖心传媒渢he red is just one of the many different colors they use to reveal what糖心传媒檚 hidden in these artifacts. How often do you see a big red burst captured in that way? It糖心传媒檚 enough to make you stop and wonder what糖心传媒檚 going on here糖心传媒攁nd that糖心传媒檚 all you need. The purpose is to get someone to read the story. And that糖心传媒檚 what my job is.糖心传媒�
Birds-eye view
For several days earlier in the year, much of Rochester was covered in a haze due to wildfires in Canada. 糖心传媒淎J Pow, senior video producer, sent the drone up. And I糖心传媒檝e photographed these hawks up on the weathervane before糖心传媒攂ut never two at a time.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淔rom a technical standpoint, AJ made sure to lower the drone enough so that the weathervane sticks out against the skyline, as well as the hawks糖心传媒� heads. If he was a little bit higher, all that stuff would disappear. And then the photo wouldn糖心传媒檛 stick out. It wouldn糖心传媒檛 draw you in.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淎gain, it tells a story糖心传媒攂ut in a quirky way,糖心传媒� Fenster adds, laughing. 糖心传媒淲e have these serious fires up north, we were blanketed by smoke for days糖心传媒攂ut that didn糖心传媒檛 stop these hawks from doing whatever they do on the library.糖心传媒�
Ready, 糖心传媒榁ette, go
糖心传媒淭his is a great alumni story,糖心传媒� says Fenster of 糖心传媒嬏切拇綃Tadge Juechter 糖心传媒�79, chief engineer and vehicle line director for Corvette at General Motors. Juechter is pictured above on a test track at General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan, with the four generations of Corvettes he has worked on during his 30 years with the division.
Says Fenster: 糖心传媒淎 lot of people don糖心传媒檛 know how much time you need with a person. Or at least how much time you need on-site to get what you think is a respectable photo to illustrate the story. I was art directing cars糖心传媒擨糖心传媒檝e never done that before. To me, it糖心传媒檚 the graphicness of the photo and the way the colors stand out.糖心传媒�
Fenster and Luke Auburn, senior communications officer for engineering, traveled together for this story糖心传媒攚hich rarely happens for Fenster. 糖心传媒淟uke听wrote a great piece to accompany these photos. I love being part of a team to tackle stuff like this. It captures the scope of what we do in Communications.糖心传媒�
How great thou art
In June of this year, the听听officially听unveiled Phase II of its Centennial Sculpture Park听featuring an expansive entrance on the northeast corner of University Avenue and Prince Street. Fenster took the photo via drone.
糖心传媒淚 put the drone up to get the full scope of the park. Two or three years ago we wouldn糖心传媒檛 have had the capability, but this illustrates the perfect situation where the drone is appropriate. You see the new part of the sculpture park and the outline of the museum. But also how it fits in with the surrounding area. It糖心传媒檚 important if you糖心传媒檙e trying to get a strong sense of place.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淭he art is cool, and how it糖心传媒檚 oriented around the park is interesting. The designers clearly thought about how it would look from the air.糖心传媒�
Science eye-candy
糖心传媒淗ere, we糖心传媒檙e illustrating the听听(International Genetically Engineered Machine) team糖心传媒檚 preparations for an upcoming competition,糖心传媒� recalls Fenster. The worldwide iGEM competition is intended to push the boundaries of synthetic biology by tackling everyday issues facing the world. Under the guidance of faculty mentor听, an associate professor of biology, the Rochester team糖心传媒檚 project involves producing engineered, 3-D-printed yeast and bacteria that work together to efficiently replicate useful chemicals found in plants endangered by climate change.
糖心传媒淚 would file this under 糖心传媒榮cience eye-candy.糖心传媒� Any time you have liquid nitrogen and you can add some light to it糖心传媒攁nd light it in an interesting way糖心传媒攊t糖心传媒檚 eye-catching. I think I had two different lights working here, and the shot was staged a couple of times to capture the most interesting photo.糖心传媒�
At the competition, the team received nominations for Best Biomanufacturing and Best Hardware and won a gold medal. 糖心传媒淚f this helps tell their story, and get more participants, then we糖心传媒檝e done our job.糖心传媒�
Not your parent糖心传媒檚 computer room
糖心传媒淭his is our newest supercomputer. And unlike the supercomputer that preceded it, this is basically a giant server rack. So it was a little harder to illustrate糖心传媒攂ut no less important.糖心传媒� Housed at the University糖心传媒檚 Primary Data Center and used by the听,听Conesus is on the most recent TOP500 list of the most powerful computer systems in the world and the GREEN500 list, denoting the world糖心传媒檚 most energy-efficient supercomputers.
For Fenster, this photo benefits from the angle. 糖心传媒淵ou can pick up some of the texture from the floor. It糖心传媒檚 graphic. It糖心传媒檚 centered. And糖心传媒攍iterally糖心传媒攖he light at the end of the tunnel sucks you in through the rest of the frame. Similar to the Memorial Art Gallery sculpture park, some thought went into the pattern. It糖心传媒檚 a container for what糖心传媒檚 happening on the inside, but someone cared enough to make it look interesting on the outside. I think that糖心传媒檚 kind of cool.糖心传媒�
Quantum leap year
, an associate professor of physics, and members of his lab are exploring how dilution refrigerators can cool atoms to nearly absolute zero temperatures, making quantum computers colder and improving their performance. Above, postdoctoral associate Xinxin Cai is pictured with such a refrigerator in the Nichol lab.
糖心传媒淗ow do you illustrate quantum computing?糖心传媒� asks Fenster. 糖心传媒淵ou find the people who do it, and you find the place where they do it, and you find the equipment they use to do it. And that糖心传媒檚 all in this photo.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淎 lot of professors just want to do their research糖心传媒攚hich I love. But a lot of them want to feature their PhD students and postdocs. They糖心传媒檙e just as proud of them as they are of the research. This photo illustrates that.糖心传媒�
Common ground
This year糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒淏oundless Together: The Future of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice糖心传媒� conference brought together staff, faculty, and students from across the University to engage in meaningful conversation about pressing DEIJ topics. Rapper, actor, and activist Common, pictured above with Norma Holland, director of public relations and engagement for the听, was the keynote speaker.
糖心传媒淲e get famous people coming to the University and giving inspiring speeches from time to time. But it can be difficult to show them in a distinctly Rochester place. How do you get a photo that ties it all to Rochester? Well, you get a really popular and beloved Rochester ambassador in Norma together with Common, the speaker. It糖心传媒檚 a joyful moment. It looks like they糖心传媒檙e old friends.糖心传媒�
Teachable moments
One of three recipients of this year糖心传媒檚 Goergen Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in Arts, Sciences & Engineering,听, the John Henry Newman Chair in Roman Catholic Studies in the Department of Religion and Classics, is shown leading his civil disobedience class in Meliora Hall.
糖心传媒淔or these awards, you can use an old headshot, you can use a photo from the ceremony, or you can photograph the recipient doing what they did to win the award. And that糖心传媒檚 teach,糖心传媒� says Fenster. 糖心传媒淗e was really engaging, and I could see why he would receive this award.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淭his photo is a moment. I can糖心传媒檛 remember what was being said, but the photo tells the story of both Downey and his students. It糖心传媒檚 a drab, windowless classroom糖心传媒攂ut there糖心传媒檚 still this magic happening.糖心传媒�
Beetle-mania
糖心传媒淲hen I found out there was actual research that goes on in Mt. Hope Cemetery糖心传媒攖hat糖心传媒檚 pretty interesting,糖心传媒� notes Fenster of the study of blister beetle populations in a class taught by听, a听professor of instruction in the Department of Biology. 糖心传媒淚t demonstrates the ability of students and faculty to get out of the classroom. They糖心传媒檙e going right next door. You can do your science in a lab, but also right beside the University. It feels uniquely Rochester.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚f I糖心传媒檓 available, I糖心传媒檒l go out and photograph this every year. And of course, I糖心传媒檒l capture the beetles. But sometimes you step back and get the whole context. You have the compressed scene of the two students (Hanna Chin 糖心传媒�24 (L) and Allison Tilburg 糖心传媒�25) in the foreground. And then behind them are all these tombstones. It糖心传媒檚 kind of bizarre! What are they doing out there? Any time you can create a photo that prompts people to ask questions, that糖心传媒檚 a good thing.糖心传媒�
Night moves听
糖心传媒淭his is me in a helicopter for the first time in my life,糖心传媒� shares Fenster of this aerial photo captured in October. 糖心传媒淔all is always a good time to capture this sort of perspective. You have the leaves changing color, the air gets a little more still and clear, and the light does what you want it to do. It comes from the right angles. Weather, time of day, time of year: those are all factors that come into play for an aerial shoot.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚t was a nice, warm day. I was all strapped in but my cameras weren糖心传媒檛. So if we糖心传媒檇 banked, they would have rolled out. I wanted to stay up in the air for a couple of hours to get the sunset, what we call the 糖心传媒榖lue hour,糖心传媒� and the twilight hour糖心传媒攚hich is when this photo was taken. It糖心传媒檚 where the sun is already set, but the lights are starting to twinkle. I took thousands of images during that shoot. I糖心传媒檓 still editing them.糖心传媒�
Shining a light on the past听
糖心传媒淭his photo is different because I read about it in听@Rochester,糖心传媒� shares Fenster. In November,听听invited visitors to view pages of hand-written manuscripts spanning the Middle Ages from its collection by electric candlelight in the Great Hall. 糖心传媒淎ny time you have flames糖心传媒攅ven if they糖心传媒檙e fake糖心传媒攊n the dark, with old manuscripts, it just sounds cool, right?糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 visually interesting, but it糖心传媒檚 also great that the library is opening up and putting out its collections for the University community to see糖心传媒攁nd to not showcase these pieces traditionally under bright lights. You can see details, but only certain details due to the candlelight. It was magical, however contrived.糖心传媒�
It takes two听
In November, University President and the G. Robert Witmer Jr. University Professor Sarah Mangelsdorf糖心传媒攁n accomplished scholar of child development糖心传媒攇ave a guest lecture in the child development class led by her husband,听, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences and of psychology.
糖心传媒淭his was a charming moment between the president and her husband as she was giving a guest lecture in his class. I糖心传媒檝e never been in a situation quite like that. At the very end, they went out in front of the class together. And I think the president was talking about some sort of scenario, and her husband was pretending to be offended. So I ripped off a couple of frames, and this is that. Graphically, the composition also works, but mostly it糖心传媒檚 about the moment and the obvious love they have for each other. But it stands out because they糖心传媒檙e in a classroom.糖心传媒�
