Each issue of Vanderbilt Magazine opens with a single photo as a spread, called “1,000 Words.” Our choice for the summer issue was easy: a photo of Vanderbilt’s baseball team winning the College World Series in June. It was the baseball team’s second national championship in five years. Taken by Vanderbilt staff photographer John Russell, who was in Omaha, Nebraska, for the series, this particular photo perfectly expresses the players’ exuberance and sheer joy of a hard-won victory.
From the Judges
This celebratory photo of Vanderbilt’s baseball team winning the College World Series entranced the judges. We didn’t want to stop looking at it, and there was so much to look at. “Like a Renaissance painting,” praised one judge. Every single face and gesture in this photo creates an emotional connection with the viewer. Composition-wise, the photo is perfectly balanced, with the two teammates in the center and the third teammate in the middle. The wide angle makes it crazy fun. The beautiful sky and light coming through the trophy are icing on the cake. Plus, what timing! There’s nothing more you could want out of this photo. It’s sheer exuberance.
