The Year in Pictures

Each year, the staff of Tufts Photo takes thousands of photographs on all three campuses—and sometimes very far off campus as well—for a variety of university clients. Some clearly stand out.

As we begin a new year, we asked the photographers to choose their favorites from 2011—and tell us why. Below is a small selection, ranging from sports to dance and many things in between.

To see more of the year’s photos, go to the Tufts Now homepage, and click on the “Photos” tab in the middle of the page. Also be sure to check out the Spotlight photo on Tufts Now, which is shot by Tufts Photo as well.

Dockside Manner

A pair of dolphins holds still for an ultrasound at the National Marine Mammal Program based at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego on Jan. 11. Photo: Alonso Nichols

“Meeting and photographing dolphins may have been the highlight of 2011 for me. Being a dolphin trainer in San Diego might be an even cooler job than working as a photographer! It’s almost cliché, but it is amazing to see first-hand how gentle, intelligent and curious these powerful creatures are.”—Alonso Nichols (See more images accompanying the story “Learning from Flipper.”)

Icy Conditions Ahead

Icicles hang from a ledge beneath the stained glass window on Goddard Chapel that faces the President’s Lawn on Jan. 13. Photo: Emily Zilm

“These icicles on Goddard Chapel caught my attention, glistening in the afternoon light, as I searched for fresh, wintery images for our archives. The sun came out the day after a blizzard left more than a foot of snow, creating rare conditions—for New England, anyways—to capture fresh, white snow with a clear, blue sky. Since I’m regularly making pictures of the buildings on campus, I was determined to find a new angle, a closer angle than the view from the shoveled pathway, to showcase the icicles on this iconic Tufts building. The snow was nearly up to my waist in this spot, so the snow boots I had on were practically useless, but I trekked through it anyway.”—Emily Zilm

Balancing Act

Daniel Meer, E12, readies an anchor for a hammock on the academic quad before an Experimental College mountaineering class on March 17. Photo: Kelvin Ma

“The students in the mountaineering club lucked out during one of their classes and got a brief spell of nice weather toward the end of the winter. They took full advantage of it, heading to places I sure wouldn’t have gone. Daniel here is about 15 to 20 feet up, which let me frame him nicely amid the canopy for a picture.”—Kelvin Ma

A Father-Daughter Moment

Julia Carlson, A11, hugs her father after phase I of the 2011 Commencement ceremonies on the academic quad on May 22. Photo: Emily Zilm

“A moment like this is often difficult to find amid the large crowd at Commencement. It mostly depends on being in the right place at the right time. As I strolled among graduates with their families and friends, I noticed Julia and her father in a long embrace. I shot a few so-so frames, but I couldn’t see their faces, so I decided to wait just a little longer to see if I could get a stronger image. As I was about to walk away, they finally parted slightly, and I was able to capture this father-daughter moment.”—Emily Zilm

Welcome to the Military

Vadim Reytbalt, E15, gets his head shaved during the Boston Navy ROTC orientation at MIT on Aug. 21. Photo: Kelvin Ma

“For a lot of freshmen, coming to college represents a big change. But for Vadim, a California guy with a shaggy mop-top haircut, transition was never more apparent than when he walked into the ROTC offices to get sworn into the Navy. The officers were downright giddy to see the buzz cut happen, and despite his words to the contrary, I think Vadim was, too.”—Kelvin Ma

Eye on Art

A mural by Shepard Fairey is replaced on Aug. 26 on the wall outside of the Mayer Campus Center after an earlier copy fell victim to the elements. Photo: Kelly Benvenuto

“This is the mural’s third iteration in this location, and I was the third Tufts photographer tasked with documenting it. The challenge was to use the same materials to make something new. Working through this blazingly hot day, it was completed just before Hurricane Irene blew into town.”—Kelly Benvenuto

A Quick Look

Anthony Monaco, the youngest son of President Anthony Monaco, peers through the crowd looking for his father to arrive for his inauguration as Tufts’ 13th president on Oct. 21. Photo: Kelly Benvenuto

“There had been a long run-up to inauguration, but the time had come. The tent was buzzing with the conversation of the 1,300 or so assembled guests. Standing near the very back, I noticed the youngest Monaco son in the first row, eager to catch a glimpse of his father. I shot this one frame, and then the gap in the crowd closed, and he returned to his seat.”—Kelly Benvenuto

Tight Intersection

Tufts Sailing Team members Massimo Soriano, A12, left, and Charlie Proctor, E14, keep a close eye on competitors as they approach the turn in the 70th annual MIT Erwin Schell Trophy Regatta on the Charles River on Oct. 29. All the competitors used MIT’s boats in the race. Photo: Alonso Nichols

“They say that bad weather makes for good pictures. This morning, the temperature began to drop, and the wind began to beat the usually calm Charles River into waves of white caps. I found a position at the tip of the turn facing directly into the wind. As the Jumbos approached the turn, I noticed that they and the other sailboats were going to have a tough time avoiding a collision as the wind drove them together. Massimo and Charlie made it safely, holding in to their position, but the pair from Brandeis capsized at the same point, about a minute after this frame was made.”—Alonso Nichols

High Jump

Tufts forward Alex Orchowski, A12, goes for a layup in Tufts’ 80–77 double-overtime loss to Regis at Cousens Gym on Nov. 22. Photo: Kelvin Ma

“I’ve made a few frames like this before—Orchowski makes pretty good pictures when he drives to the hoop. This time around, I got a little help from the Regis coach in the background. A Tufts win would have been nice, though.”—Kelvin Ma

Watch Out

“When I saw the daggers, I knew that this particular piece would be a bit more intense than the usual happy dancing and singing performers in the Distler Performance Hall. These dancers were now challenging me and the others in the audience to recognize their strength and power. I’m thankful to say that I made it out of there safe and sound.”—Alonso Nichols