Clockwise from top left: Billy Weeks, Kathleen Greeson, Patrick Murphy-Racey, Jess Harris and Mike Stewart
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Department of Communication is bringing professional photojournalists to campus for its ninth Photo Night, an evening dedicated to storytelling through images.
From 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall, the campus community and the public are invited to attend a discussion and Q&A session featuring four accomplished photojournalists. As founder and leader of Photo Night, photojournalist and Associate Lecturer Billy Weeks gives each professional the chance to showcase their work and share their experiences.
The presenters include Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer Mike Stewart, former Sports Illustrated photographer Patrick Murphy-Racey, freelance photojournalist Kathleen Greeson and portrait photographer and UTC alum Jess Harris.
Between each presentation, videos from the communication department’s student publication Rising Rock will be showcased to highlight the work that students at UTC are creating.
Before the event begins, photojournalism students will have the chance to meet with the professionals directly, allowing them to make meaningful connections with people in the field.
“The goal of Photo Night is to get our students and our students’ work in front of the community—and the five o’clock moment on the schedule is where the pros meet the students one-on-one. To me, it’s the most exciting part,” Weeks said.
Earlier in the day, workshops will be held for UTC students to attend. At 10 a.m. in Lupton Hall 210, corporate photographer Stanley Leary will teach a workshop on how to work as a freelancer. Meanwhile, Associated Press photographer Wade Payne will be giving a lighting workshop in Lupton Hall 214.
At 1:30 p.m., a video workshop will be hosted by Murphy-Racey, who is now an artisan of imagery at Sony Electronics. During this time, UTC photographer Angela Foster and Tennessee Tech photographer Nick Fantasia will give a workshop on university marketing photography.
Later in the afternoon, photojournalist and clinical social worker Rick Glickstein will host a workshop on mental health in journalism at 2:30 p.m. in the University Center’s Tennessee Room.
With the exception of the two years it was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, Photo Night has been held on the first Wednesday in March every year since 2015.
Originally hosted in the University Center’s Raccoon Mountain Room, the first Photo Night’s audience was twice the size of what Weeks expected. As he continued to host the event, it grew a little more each year.
From a lecture hall seating up to 120 people to an auditorium that fits 505, Photo Night has become a communication department staple, allowing students and professionals to connect in a way that helps students learn how they can be successful.
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