2025: Photos of the year
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2025: Photos of the year

This has been another year to remember. UGA’s Division of Marketing & Communications photographers Andrew Davis Tucker, Chamberlain Smith and Dorothy Kozlowski each chose their 10 favorite photos taken in 2025 for a wide variety of photo shoots and provide their thoughts about each in the captions.

Andrew Davis Tucker

Students walk along the sidewalk in front of Terrell Hall on a snowy evening on North Campus. We had a couple snow days in January, and this photo was shot later in the day. I stayed a little longer on campus to shoot some snow photos because I am a big kid a heart, and I love the snow. I like the balance of the warm light coming from the iconic North Campus light poles and the early evening blue light with the snow falling. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Student paints large canvas propped on driftwood on sunrise-lit beach with sweeping blue sky.
Undergraduate Loren O’Steen paints a large canvas with acrylic paints at sunrise on Driftwood Beach with the field drawing and watercolor field study class on Jekyll Island. This was such a fun trip to the coast to photograph our students learning to paint landscapes. On the last day, they went to Driftwood Beach at sunrise, and I was really lucky that this student brought a large canvas to paint. I love how she wedged it into one of the driftwood trees to use as her easel. It was a perfect combination of the subject, her technique and how the students fit into the landscape along the beach. The blue skies and puffy white clouds added to the scene, too! (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
UGA football team erupts in celebration as confetti pours down during conference championship trophy ceremony.
Running back Nate Frazier celebrates along with his teammates as the confetti falls from above as the Bulldogs celebrate their 2025 SEC Championship win over Alabama. It is always more fun to photograph a win. And when the confetti falls over a trophy ceremony, you have just a few moments before the players and coach Kirby Smart are covered. With this low angle, I focused on Nate Frazier and shot and hoped I got something where you could see his face. Nate delivered on his part, and you could still see the happiness in his face even though he was partially blocked by the confetti. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Smiling students pet fluffy therapy dog Layla during relaxed Reading Day event on campus.
Undergraduates Ivory Clarke, Madeleine Carter and Trischan Kaye Dionson pet therapy dog Layla of the K9 Angels group during the Pups & Pops event at the Miller Learning Center on spring semester Reading Day. Reading Day is always a relaxed day. When dogs are involved, it is even more fun. I like the interaction between the dog and the students in this one. Layla seems to be having as much fun as the students are, and it even looks like she is smiling, too. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Graduate in cap and gown waves excitedly toward stands, framed between classmates’ mortarboards.
A graduate waves to his family before the start of the 2025 spring undergraduate Commencement at Sanford Stadium. We are always looking for something different at Commencement. When I saw this student waving to his parents, I dropped to one knee and framed him up between the graduation caps of the other students. I think he was posing for a photo they were taking from the stands, and I really liked the way I was able to frame him. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Second-year music education major and Redcoat Marching Band clarinetist Yash Mahadkar poses for photos in the Georgia Center studio. My favorite part about these shoots for the Game Changers series is that we all work together as photographers, videographers, our social team and even some student workers. There was a challenge shooting with our video team’s lights this year, but I love that we stretched ourselves and learned something different while working together. I always say we do our best work when we are working together. Yash was up for anything. After getting all the “safe” photos, we pushed it a little to add smoke in the background. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Redcoat Marching Band clarinetist poses dramatically in studio lighting with red smoke swirling behind.
Firefighter in full gear leans forward, resting during demanding 9/11 memorial stair climb.
Rookie firefighter Jackson Tucker rests in between climbing flights of stairs during the 9/11 memorial stair climb at Sanford Stadium. You won’t find a prouder father of his son than I am of my son, Jackson. Getting to photograph the 9/11 memorial stair climb at the stadium is a real treat. This year was even better as my son is now an Athens-Clarke County firefighter, and he completed the stair climb this year with his fellow firefighters. I love this photo of him and how it shows how physically taxing the climb is for the firefighters in full gear. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Conductor stands confidently on concert hall stage, framed symmetrically by warm glowing auditorium lights.
Environmental portrait of Nick Williams, UGA professor of music and director of bands, inside the Hodgson Concert Hall at the Performing Arts Center. This was a pretty simple portrait, but I really like how it turned out. Nick was a great subject and fun to photograph. Placing him within the symmetry of the hall was what made this portrait for me. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Football player celebrates on bench wearing savage pads as teammates and crowd cheer around him.
Cole Speer celebrates with the crowd and teammates after getting the savage pads for blocking a punt against Alabama in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. This year at the SEC Championship, I was able to get better access along the sidelines. When Cole Speer blocked the punt, I shot on the field, then ran around to the back of the bench for any savage pads celebration. I like this photo because he is interacting with everyone in the moment and not looking at the camera. This is also a common photo among photographers that cover UGA football, but I’ve never gotten a good look at it before. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Students in Sanford Stadium cheer together, singing with arms raised as large American flag waves behind them.
Students sing along to “Chicken Fried” by the Zac Brown Band during a timeout at the UNC Charlotte game. I really like this photo because it was fun to shoot. During the Sanford-Sing-Along these students were really into it. And during this moment they were singing the verse about “I thank God for my life / And for the Stars and Stripes / May freedom forever fly, let it ring / Salute the ones who died / The ones that give their lives / So we don’t have to sacrifice / All the things we love.” It was so fun to shoot on the military appreciation day at Sanford. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Chamberlain Smith

Students celebrate amid swirling foam, raising arms and laughing under bright summer sky.
The foam pit at Gamma Phi Beta caught my eye when photographing Bid Day. I waited at the house until a bus of potential new members arrived, and then I got right in on the action as everyone celebrated. My clothes and shoes were soaked afterwards, but it made for my favorite photos of the day! (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Meteorite fragment glows red under studio lighting, reflected sharply against deep blue surface.
Not many people can say they’ve held or photographed a meteorite, which made this moment extra special. The McDonough Meteorite landed near Atlanta over the summer and was brought to UGA for analysis. I photographed fragments of it in the studio for a Georgia Magazine feature story. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Graduates cheer exuberantly during Commencement celebration in Sanford Stadium.
Commencement is always one of my favorite events to photograph each year because of the emotion and excitement. I loved this moment of pure joy as graduates celebrated receiving their degrees. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Gymnast performs floor routine, arms raised, with chalky footprints visible across dark mat.
Gymnastics is such a fun and impressive sport to photograph. For this image of Georgia gymnast Csenge Bácskay’s floor routine, I went up to the catwalk in Stegeman Coliseum in search of a new angle. I love how the chalk footprints looked from above. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Two students jog through falling snow at dusk on a quiet campus.
This year started off with not one, but two rare snow days. This photo is from the second day of January snow in Athens featuring students jogging along Cedar Street on South Campus at dusk. I love how blue the scene is and how chilly the photo feels. It was a special and fun moment to cover since snow is so uncommon here! (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Man in suit poses playfully among scattered banana peels on bright red backdrop.

My favorite portrait of the year was with Jim Carson, Terry College of Business professor and department head. I photographed him for a Georgia Magazine profile featuring his work in risk management. Bananas were used as a nod to risk, and Jim’s acting skills did the rest. He was a fantastic and collaborative subject to work with, making this a standout photoshoot from the year! (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Aerial view of Trial Gardens reveals colorful, geometric rows of blooming plants and pathways.
I took this photo on a morning walk through South Campus. I love the Trial Gardens and happened to have my drone with me this day. The blooming flowers and plants made for a beautiful maze of color from above! (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Red-lit Iron Horse sculpture rises dramatically against starry night sky during aurora display.
The Iron Horse was a popular destination for stargazers and photographers during the aurora borealis in November. I made this photo during the event with the help of my co-workers who tagged along for a late-night adventure. The camera was set up on a tripod for a long exposure to allow the sky to show up in the background, and the Iron Horse was illuminated red with LED lights. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Packed stadium glows red as fireworks erupt during electrifying pregame run-out.
Photographing the Texas game was a highlight of covering football season. This image was taken during the pregame run out as red lights and fireworks illuminated the crowd and set the tone for an exciting game and win! (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Illuminated swings spin at sunset, silhouetting riders against soft pink and purple sky.
Mark Johnson, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication principal lecturer, takes his advanced photojournalism students to the Georgia National Fair every fall for a weekend photojournalism workshop. I participated in this workshop as a student in 2017 and had the pleasure of returning as a mentor this year. This photo of the swings at sunset was taken during a coaching walk with students. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Dorothy Kozlowski

Golden afternoon light reflects autumn leaves floating across the tranquil Warnell garden pond.
Autumn leaves float on the pond in the Mary Kahrs Warnell garden. The ecology garden is a safe bet for gorgeous photos most days. But on this day when I wandered over, the afternoon light had turned everything golden and bright green, and it made for the perfectly soothing study spot. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Cluster of honeybees crawls over wax comb, forming a busy, intertwined clump.
Detail of bees on wax comb from a honeybee hive at the College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Apiary. When looking at a frame of bees, it seems chaotic at first. Once you hone in, you realize that each bee is performing a task. I lucked out and caught this little clump trying to climb over each other, likely to resume the tasks that had been interrupted when the frame was pulled out of the hive box for observation. It turned into a nice, slightly less chaotic image. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Stegeman Coliseum’s glass facade reflects bright blue sky as graduate in regalia walks past.
The sky is reflected in the windows of Stegeman Coliseum during the spring graduate Commencement ceremony. We photograph Commencement every year, so it’s always a fun challenge to see how I can show it slightly differently. This spring, the bright blue sky created the perfect reflection as a graduate walked by. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Financial analyst sits at laptop in dark room illuminated by glowing projected data visuals.
Portrait of UGA financial analyst Amy Collett. While brainstorming creative ways to put context to Amy’s important role in a photo, she sent some inspiration images. I worked with several of my colleagues to create a projection and lighting that would turn an otherwise blank and dark conference room into an almost aurora-like setting. The reflection on the table was a happy accident, and the fun in collaboration, as well as the end result, made this one of my favorites. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Energetic Spike Squad student in bold makeup cheers loudly during home football game.
A Spike Squad student cheers during the UGA vs. Austin Peay State University football game. Games are full of energy and a borderline overwhelming number of possibilities to photograph. This was one of those serendipitous moments where all of the stars aligned — the emotion, the colors, the scrolling banner in the background, the absence of clutter in the foreground — it all happened in seconds, and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Shout out to the Spike Squad for always bringing the energy! (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Four dancers pose in striking silhouetted movements against glowing orange stage backdrop.
Students rehearse for their performance GRACE in the New Dance Theatre on South Campus. I attended the dress rehearsal out of an interest in dance and movement, and I caught this lovely, silhouetted moment with four performers, each in individual yet still synchronized movements. Besides just being graphically eye-catching, I really like how this image could almost be a study of movement and body language with each dancer confidently portraying a different energy. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Smiling coordinator poses in office surrounded by colorful chalk messages from appreciative students.
Aiyana Egins in her office at the Office of Service-Learning surrounded by chalk messages from her student ambassadors. Egins is the coordinator for Experience UGA. When photographing people for stories, I almost immediately disregard their office as the background for a portrait, but the moment I saw the sweet, positive messages in Aiyana’s office, I knew that it was the perfect way to showcase her impact. Paired with her upbeat personality, this portrait was easily one of my favorites of the year. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Students admire sunset-lit London skyline from London Eye capsule overlooking the Thames River.
Undergraduate student Vania Perez Melgar observes downtown London and the Thames River from a capsule on the London Eye during a Connect Abroad spring break trip. We had just landed in London that morning after an overnight flight, but we had a full day of sightseeing scheduled for the group immediately. When I’m traveling with a group as a documentary photographer, I tend to work nonstop trying to capture every moment. Luckily, the London Eye reservation was timed right as the sun was setting, and it was the first moment everyone was able to slow down and really take in the city. Acknowledging this rare opportunity, I put the camera down for a moment to take it in myself because it was truly breathtaking, then I looked around at the capsule full of tired but excited people and tried to find a way to show the emotion of the experience while also giving context to where we were. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
UGA bus passes along River Road beneath thick canopy of bright white cherry blossoms.
A campus transit bus is framed by white cherry tree flowers on River Road on East Campus in the spring. I am always dazzled by the flowering trees in spring, and this particular patch catches my eye as I’m driving past. One day, I finally parked and let myself walk through them. They felt more like light fluffy clouds overhead than flowers, and I tried to capture that feeling with my camera. (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)
Students navigate high ropes course as sunlight shines through red Power G cutouts overhead.
Recreational Sports trip leader Tom Carney, left, supervises incoming first-year students as they participate in team-building activities on the Recreational Sports challenge course during Dawg Camp Adventure. I climbed all over this course to try to capture these students enjoying their time on the challenge course, but my favorite image was from the ground as the light came through the Power G cutouts in the course, and the height from the ground was made apparent! (Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA)