A letter from the photo editor:
2020 has been anything but ordinary. This year, the photo desk has had the unique experience of documenting life during a global pandemic. This year has brought us opportunities to visually capture the effects of a presidential election, nationwide civil unrest and wildfires across Oregon.
A year ago, the Emerald’s photo edition featured photos from inside stadium-filled sports arenas and sold-out concert venues. This year we’ve had to learn a new normal. Although this year’s selection of photos may look different, we chose to continue the tradition with the third visual edition documenting the best images of the year.
The importance of photojournalism is at an all-time high in 2020. Through lockdowns and quarantines, photographs have allowed people to be educated about what is happening in the world around them and stay connected with their communities. A photo has always said a thousand words. Right now, it says a million.
We carefully chose these photos based on creativity, historical importance, technical quality and the image’s ability to tell a story and evoke feelings and emotions from the viewer. We hope these photos allow you to connect, feel and reflect on the past year in some way.
Maddie Knight
Photo Editor
The following Emerald photographers shot the photos in this collection: Will Geschke, Kimmy Harris, Maddie Knight, Madi Mather, Sarah Northrop, Maddie Stellingwerf, Summer Surgent-Gough, Kevin Wang, Marissa Willke and DL Young.
The Emerald’s Top Five Photographs of 2020:
5) Will Geschke: “I took this picture on a day that was constantly changing between cloudy and sunny, so it made it a little more difficult, and I was surprised when the pictures came back looking good. This was one of the last ones I shot that day and it was kind of a last minute idea, but it ended up being my favorite . Also, she brought her young child with her to the shoot — they’re just out of frame on the right. They were adorable!”
4) Summer Surgent-Gough: “This photo, and capturing that whole protest in general, was one of the most meaningful things I’ve done with the Emerald. These students held such a powerful demonstration by spending the night chained to the doors of Johnson Hall, but at the same time there was this weird sense of normalcy. And I think that comes across in the photo too. They’re chained to the door, corralled by caution tape that UOPD put around them, but they’re also snuggled up in blankets and have Sizzle Pie leftovers and coffee within reach. It was a really special moment.”
3) Kevin Wang: “This was my first protest I shot for the Daily Emerald, and I was nervous. When the two parties clashed, it was surreal to witness in person. As I was photographing the protest, I was aware of the danger but felt calm at the same time. I remember reading about the Wall of Moms a few days before and how they were at the front lines during the Portland protests. I was able to get behind the Wall of Moms to photograph this photo. I felt safe behind them.”
2) Maddie Knight: “This was such an emotional moment filled with so much passion. The Rose Bowl game was really close; Oregon won by only one point. It was clear how much this moment meant to Troy Dye, and I’m so glad I was able to capture that.”
1) Kimmy Harris: “I took this photo at a Black Lives Matter rally in Eugene in May 2020 during national protests in response to police brutality against Black Americans. I wanted to capture the size of the rally by getting high up and behind the speakers. I was in awe of how many people showed up to call out systemic racism and violence.”
Photos: Emerald’s 50 best of 2020
December 7, 2020
(Design by Kira Chan)
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