Photos of the Year

“We don't usually get to see Scott [Cowen] do stuff like this. He was at Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School, and he had just read to the class. He was getting ready to leave, and this is what they do at the school. They 'give each other love' with their hands, and he did it back to them. It was just so cute because the kids loved it, and you don't normally see that side of him. But when he's around kids he's like a grandpa.”

“I laugh every time I look at this picture. I was shooting at the sno-ball stand and I saw them and thought, 'I have to take their picture.' They just performed sitting there. Kids are so unpretentious. They're just themselves, and that's what I like about shooting them. It's a shot where you capture an everyday event in a child's life. Those are the ones that are the most special.”

“This is a shot of Buzz Podewell from the theater department and his daughter, Jessica. It's always fun to photograph actors because they will pretty much do whatever you want. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I wanted to include the willow tree just outside McWilliams Hall in the shot. You can see how much affection they have for each other. It's a family portrait; that's why I really like it.”

“We don't usually get to see Scott [Cowen] do stuff like this. He was at Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School, and he had just read to the class. He was getting ready to leave, and this is what they do at the school. They 'give each other love' with their hands, and he did it back to them. It was just so cute because the kids loved it, and you don't normally see that side of him. But when he's around kids he's like a grandpa.”

“Morgan Spurlock, who did the movie Supersize Me, filmed a DVD on campus in April. He was so goofy, and to catch him with the flag in an almost reverent pose, that's why I love this shot.”

“This is a shot of Clark Peters from "Treme" and "The Wire" … when he got to the classroom, nobody knew he was coming, so they were all kind of freaked out. They were all engaged in what he was saying. He was very animated. I was just sitting on the floor in the back of the classroom and he just happened to walk up. I think this shot really captures his presence.”

“Dr. Wallace Tomlinson is the adviser to the Tulane History of Medicine Society. He was given this medal, which he was very proud of. I like the perspective. I like that he's wearing his seersucker suit. I wanted to focus on the medal. It makes you wonder who he is and what's the story.”

“Jake Wicks did this over and over again for me to go with a story about a proposed skate park. He was such a good sport, and so eager to help me get the shot. I love it because the photo captures him at this age. I froze him in the moment and also in this moment in time.”

“What makes this photo special is the story behind it. This was a 'domino' paired-donor kidney exchange where three patients in dire need of a kidney transplant received new organs from people they had never met. When you learn who these people are, their relationship, it becomes really powerful. What a selfless act. I'll never forget this shot.”

“Leann Halsey graduated from the School of Social Work this year. She used to be in fashion retailing, and she got tired of coming home and thinking, 'is this all there is?' She decided to go back to school and get her master's degree. She was leaving for India in a few weeks. She was so optimistic and so positive, so full of life and so vibrant. To me, her eyes are very strong and when I look at her eyes, I think of all the things she's hoping for and dreaming of.”