Award-Winning Views of BYU

By Jennifer E. Ball (’17) in the Summer 2016 Issue

Two BYU employees have made the short list of the six best university photographers in the nation, and one took home the top prize.

Jaren S. Wilkey (BA ’01), the manager of BYU’s University Photography office, won the highest award from the Council of Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), which highlights top communications professionals at colleges and universities worldwide. From capturing action on the football field to composing a portrait to illustrating the wonder of childhood, Wilkey demonstrated a varied skill set in his winning portfolio.

CASE judges felt Wilkey’s photos “were beautifully crafted, with excellent lighting, compositions and interesting perspectives,” according to a statement on the program’s website. “The portfolio was seemingly timeless, without reliance on heavy editing or post-processing.”

1 of 10: Wilkey: “This image was captured before the sunlight reached the Joseph F. Smith Building; the clouds were lit up so that it created a beautiful reflection on the face of the building. I love the fact that the student is texting and unaware of the serene scene she is a part of.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

RB Adam Hine tosses the football as he runs out of the end zone.

2 of 10: Wilkey: “Junior running back Adam Hine celebrates after scoring on a 99-yard kickoff return to seal BYU’s win over the University of Virginia.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

A modern dancer in front of a power plant

3 of 10: Wilkey: “This portrait was created to advertise an upcoming modern-dance performance. I wanted to show the juxtaposition of the beauty and grace of a dancer against the harsh background of the coal towers at our university’s power plant.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

4 of 10: Wilkey: “This photo of a student researcher in Jerry Johnson’s Life Science Lab was created for an article highlighting the work that undergraduates do in advancing his research. I used back and side lighting to highlight shapes and to draw attention to the contrast of the straight mechanical lines of the microscope attached to the outline of the student researcher.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

5 of 10: Wilkey: “This image was for a poster to advertise the upcoming schedule for BYU women’s tennis. I find that one of the best ways to draw attention to your images is to show people a perspective that they have never seen. I needed to stand on the top of a ladder and stick my camera out on the end of a monopod over the athlete to capture this unique view of a very common action.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

A child looks through the glass of an exhibit at a sculpture of a turtle

6 of 10: Wilkey: “This image was captured at the opening of the new location of the Museum of Peoples and Cultures. This child was visiting the new exhibit for the first time with his family; I followed him on my knees so I could see it from his viewpoint. I was lucky enough to capture his priceless expression when he pointed out the sculpture of a turtle to his mom.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

7 of 10: Wilkey: “I wanted to show the beauty of our campus and how it can provide an environment that is conducive to learning. Once again I felt the need to show a different perspective than people are used to seeing in order to grab the viewer’s attention. This time I was kneeling in the freezing river with my camera hovering just above the water to capture this frog’s view of a student studying on lower campus.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

Christopher Lloyd poses as Professor Stanley Hargraves looking through a window

8 of 10: Wilkey: “This is a portrait of Christopher Lloyd posing as his character, Professor Stanley Hargraves, in BYUtv’s period drama Granite Flats. I decided to put his character in the familiar environment of the classroom, watching his students through the window. Because we are unsure if his character is good or evil, I used my lighting to give him two faces. One side represents the light of learning and the other side is the shadow of deceit.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

9 of 10: Wilkey: “This photo was created to promote an upcoming concert for the Theatre Ballet Dance Company. I decided to use stage light to backlight the dancer in order to highlight the amazing shape she creates in this pose. I intentionally didn’t want to show her face so that the viewer would instead focus on the leading line created by her outstretched leg leading up to her curved arms.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

A student dives into a slide of blue foam as a hose sprays more on him

10 of 10: Wilkey: “The highlight of our Homecoming week is the ‘True Blue Foam’ event hosted by our student association. It is a long-standing tradition in which we create giant waterslides of blue foam for the students to play on. This student dove headfirst into the slide, and my camera was able to stop the action at 1/2000 of a second so that we could see every piece of foam frozen with the student in mid-flight.” Photo by Jaren Wilkey.

BYU photographer Bradley H. Slade (BFA ’94), who is the primary photographer for BYU Magazine, was honored as a finalist. Slade’s portfolio also included work featured in the magazine, including heartwarming shots of nursing students bonding with war veterans.

Greg Wrubell stands in the football stadium gazing into the distance

1 of 10: Spotting boards in hand and mind brimming with memorized names, facts, and stats, Voice of the Cougars Greg Wrubell is ready to go one hour before kick-off at a 2014 football game. Photo by Bradley Slade.

2 of 10: Michael C. Hsiung freestyles in the WSC Ballroom during one of the Hip Hop Club’s weekly jams. Photo by Bradley Slade.

3 of 10: Two boys have fun with their robotics homework at Foothill Elementary in Orem, Utah, as part of a STEM curriculum. Photo by Bradley Slade.

4 of 10: Bart Longson, a 1999 Marriott School grad, is one of the league’s newest refs. And while his on-field accomplishments are impressive, Longson also has business chops to match. Photo by Bradley Slade.

William Turner reads a letter on an airplane

5 of 10: “Dear Papa Bill,” begins a letter to William Turner written by a granddaughter and distributed during the Honor Flight’s mail call. “I am beyond thankful that you were willing to continue to forge ahead in securing the sanctity of human life,” it reads. Nursing student Christi Swenson rests her hand on his arm as Turner is reduced to gentle sobs, a slew of letters still to go. Photo by Bradley Slade.

6 of 10: University photographer Mark A. Philbrick (BA ’75, MEd ’78) has short more than 400 games over the last 40 years. Photo by Bradley Slade.

7 of 10: Before sharing the long flight home, nursing student Julia Rummler (’16) embraces her Honor Flight veteran, Sidney Smith, who served in the Coast Guard in WWII. Photo by Bradley Slade.

Jan Zollinger teacher a blind, young student

8 of 10: For nearly 40 years, Jan Zollinger has employed a variety of methods—including music, drama, and poetry—to teach her Idaho students braille. Photo by Bradley Slade.

9 of 10: The J. Reuben Clark Building. Photo by Bradley Slade.

Jayson Edwards, owner of the popular J Dawgs restaurants.

10 of 10: Not a hot-dog fan? Jayson Edwards, who started selling his signature dawgs in a south-campus shack 11 years ago, just might make you a believer. Photo by Bradley Slade.

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