Dartmouth Photographers Share Their Favorite Shots of 2019

As photographers in the Office of Communications, Eli Burakian ’00, Robert Gill, and photo intern Seamore Zhu ’19 capture the adventuresome spirit of Dartmouth’s students, faculty, and staff on campus and beyond. In this gallery, Robert and Eli share some of the details behind their favorite photos from this past year.

Photos
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In March, Gregory Garre '87 re-argued the Dartmouth College Case at a symposium celebrating the 200th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision.
In March, Gregory Garre ’87 re-argued the Dartmouth College Case at a symposium celebrating the 200th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision. Neal Katyal ’91, former acting solicitor general in the Obama administration, and Gregory Garre ’87, former solicitor general under George W. Bush, argued the case in front of an esteemed panel of U.S. and state supreme court judges. This event reminded me of the important influence of Dartmouth alumni. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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Vox Croo and first-year trip leaders link arms to support each other in a circle
Over 90% of incoming first year students take part in the Dartmouth Outing Club’s First-Year Trips program. Each year, we try to cover this in different ways, and this fall we focused on following around VOX Croo, which is basically the safety and logistics crew. As part of their duties, they “raid” various trips. On this day, they raided a group of trip leaders, who do a final day of training before meeting up with their various groups of first-year students. As part of their routine they do a call-and-repeat before using linked arms to support each other as they lean back, a physical
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Hood Museum of Art gallery
When I started my position at Dartmouth, the Hood Museum of Art was closed, but I found documenting the renovations and construction process very interesting. It was gratifying being given early access to the completed museum ahead of the official opening date so that I could photograph the new galleries. — Robert Gill 
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Leah Brams '20 takes off on the second leg of the 3x5k freestyle relay
The ski teams, both Nordic and alpine, have historically been some of the College’s most successful teams, with many students and alumni going on to compete internationally. In recent years, the Winter Carnival’s Nordic events haven’t been held at Oak Hill due to a lack of snowpack. But in 2019, we once again had enough snow to hold the races and I had a blast shooting them. Here, Leah Brams ’20 takes off on the second leg of the 3x5k freestyle relay. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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Clara Chen
Collaborating with Clara Chin ’19 to document her senior fellowship exhibition, “Dora’s Room: Digital Dreams,” was delightful. The installation was a beautiful representation of her ideas and we incorporated several elements from it to create this portrait. — Robert Gill 
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A lone figure out running during heavy snowfall on campus
This image is a great capstone to the year for me. Winter is here again. The people who love this place embrace both the cold and the rural life. This runner is a visual representation of how as a community we all seem to take winter head on, not letting it slow us down, but instead using it make us stronger. — Robert Gill 
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the formal drill and retreat ceremony conducted by the members of Dartmouth College's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) on Veterans Day
Every year I shoot the formal drill and retreat ceremony conducted by the members of Dartmouth’s ROTC on Veterans Day. The confluence of several factors at this year’s ceremony almost guaranteed a dramatic photo, including the fading ambient and bright artificial light and the active snowfall against an already snowy backdrop. With the Baker-Berry Tower in the background and the flag folded in half, I felt this scene encapsulated the event perfectly and spoke to the important role of public service and the military in the College’s history. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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The door leading into Baker-Berry on a wet fall day
Fall is my favorite season of the year and this year’s display of colors didn’t disappoint. Photographing the foliage around campus has a wonderful sense of urgency because of the temporality of the season. The decisive moment of the door cracking gives a sense of motion. — Robert Gill 
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A Dartmouth baseball player jumps high, avoiding a sliding member of the other team into second base
Shooting sports is not easy, and it often takes capturing thousands of images to get a few keepers. One of the most challenging aspects of shooting baseball is to make sure there is action within the frame and the ball is visible. The photographer needs to be poised to follow the play with an understanding of how to achieve instantaneous focus. Seamore’s timing was right on the mark with this one. — Eli Burakian ’00   (Photo by Seamore Zhu ’19)
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Three actresses in "Into the Woods" backstage, light by light from behind
I grew up around theater and participated heavily in high school plays, so it’s always a treat to cover the Department of Theater’s productions. I enjoy being backstage and feeling the energy of the student performers as they prepare to go on. This photo captures three actresses just as they are about to leave the wings during last winter’s production of Into the Woods. — Robert Gill 
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Garrett Muscatel '20 speaking at a rally for Kamala Harris
Garrett Muscatel ’20 speaks to the crowd gathered at an event for presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris of California. While many Dartmouth students pursue a path toward civic engagement, Muscatel has already jumped wholeheartedly into a life of public service, having been elected to a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives while still an undergraduate. He’s an example of the possibilities open to students to make an impact in the field of their choice. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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View of campus in fall from far away; looking down
On a foggy, early autumn morning I drove up Hickory Ridge in nearby Norwich, Vt., just across the Connecticut River. A hillside perch provided a long-range shot across the river from the west. By using a long focal length of around 400 mm, I was able to compress the background, making it appear that the hills to the east of Dartmouth Library’s Baker-Berry Library rise up dramatically behind it. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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A hiker with arms outstretched watching the sunrise on the top of Mount Cardigan
In this photo, taken during a Cabin and Trail sunset hike up Mount Cardigan, Seamore does a great job of adding emotion to a scenic shot. The outstretched arms by a student on the highest nearby rock evokes a sense of wonder and joy, an honest emotion that speaks to the importance to many students here of enjoying the outdoors together. — Eli Burakian ’00   (Photo by Seamore Zhu ’19)
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Hillary Rodham Clinton
In March, Hillary Rodham Clinton visited campus and I spent the day capturing her interactions with the Dartmouth community. During the visit, she attended a private meeting with Associate Professor Benjamin Valentino and the Dickey Center’s War and Peace Fellows. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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Colleen Randal in her studio
Photographing Professor of Studio Art Colleen Randall in her Lebanon, N.H., studio was inspiring. I set up this environmental portrait to have her immersed in her tools and pallet. Much of Randall’s art is about memory and processing, and I wanted this portrait to be an extension of that thought by showing her almost visually lost in her process. — Robert Gill 
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Scene from The Living
The Department of Theater MainStage production of The Living was sad, funny, and moving. I always love to shoot the final dress rehearsal of student productions, because it offers the best of both worlds. As a final production, the troupe shines, but without an audience, I’m free to walk around the theater, making use of unique angles. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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Lighting candles on the lawn during Diwali
In one of the College’s most beautiful traditions, hundreds of candles are lit on the Green during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Seamore captured this shot during a small window of time after sunset, when the sky still had light and there was a bit of background visible, while also being dark enough to allow the candlelight to illuminate the subjects’ faces. — Eli Burakian ’00 (Photo by Seamore Zhu ’19)
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Student sits alone reading in Baker-Berry Library's Treasure Room. It is dark and there is a single light above her.
As a college photographer, I’m continually challenged to provide new perspectives on places that I have photographed for years. The East Reading Room in Baker-Berry Library is a place I occasionally drop by, and on this day I was intrigued by the single lit alcove. Although there are two students studying in this photo, it is a prime example of how both content and light direct one’s attention within a photograph, as all the attention falls on the student in the center. — Eli Burakian ’00 (Photo by Seamore Zhu ’19)
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Sign for Hood Museum of Art
This past year was an exciting one for the arts on campus, as the Hood Museum of Art reopened after an extensive renovation. From the east side of the building, a look upward showcases the “Hood Museum of Art” inset within the grey brick exterior, one of the many unique features designed by the architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. — Eli Burakian ’00 
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Drone shot of campus overlooking Baker-Berry Library at sunset
This photograph from October is my favorite drone shot that I’ve ever taken of the Dartmouth campus. I read later that an active volcano in Russia may have played a role in causing this spectacular range of hues. — Robert Gill