![\"layers](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-anthamatten.jpg\")
The heat is on\n<\/strong>Fenster is regularly called upon to photograph research with a visual component. But he faced a challenge when asked to document a new type of polymer, one that changes shape when exposed to body heat alone.<\/p>\n
Capturing an image of the translucent, heat-sensitive material, developed by Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Mitchell Anthamatten and graduate student Yuan Meng<\/a><\/strong>, required four separate visits to Anthamatten\u2019s lab. After some trial and error, Fenster opted for multiple exposure photography to create a time lapse-like image of the polymer recoiling from the heat of Meng\u2019s middle finger, which was clamped down to ensure it remained perfectly still.<\/p>\n \u201cWe spent, maybe, four hours doing this,\u201d he recalls, \u201cand this was the one image that came out right.\u201d The end result meets Fenster\u2019s standards for composition, color, and scientific accuracy, while also depicting an innovation that could have a variety of future applications, from artificial skin to self-fitting apparel.<\/p>\n The photographer and the frog To properly photograph X. laevis<\/em> tadpoles, Fenster bought a brand new five-gallon aquarium, added the dark background, and set up a few lights. With hundreds of tadpoles in the tank, he waited patiently for one of the fingertip-sized creatures to assume the right pose. This macro photo (an extreme close-up) was shot at a high aperture, reports Fenster, and you can see the bubbles in the foreground and background, mimicking snowflakes.<\/p>\n It turns out that tadpoles, like polymers, can take hours to shoot. But for Fenster, it\u2019s a worthwhile effort, especially when a \u201ccollaboration results in an image that helps tell the researcher\u2019s story.\u201d<\/p>\n Lots of well-deserved hoopla Fenster admits he watched the video many times. \u201cImmediately after they made that basket and won the game, they ran toward each other and did a bump. I saw that and thought, \u2018That\u2019s the photo I need to get of them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Working with the players and coaches, Fenster set up the multiple-light shoot\u2014one of his most complicated this past year\u2014in the Palestra. He had Borst-Smith and Montague do the \u201crun and bump\u201d multiple times while the coaches threw basketballs in the background. \u201cI don\u2019t often get the opportunity to put some fun and weirdness into the photos,\u201d he says. Luckily, the Yellowjackets were game\u2014and the end result is a dynamic image that captures the spirit of teamwork.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you don\u2019t often see are the unsung heroes of theater, and that\u2019s what I was going after in this photo.\u201d Mirroring the actors on stage are the musicians in the pit, who are heard, but rarely seen, by the audience. \u201cAll of these people are working together to help create that exact moment,\u201d notes Fenster. His photograph reveals how much work and precision go into creating a seemingly effortless theater performance.<\/p>\n Fenster\u2019s standout photo from this year\u2019s event was a panning shot of Aisha Mohamed \u201919 on the spinning chairs. For such shots, Fenster sets a slow shutter speed and then tries to track on his subject. \u201cThey\u2019re very low percentage shots, meaning you get a lot that don\u2019t work at all. But when it does work, you get a shot like this one, which features colors and swirls and the reflection in her sunglasses.\u201d<\/p>\n His one critique? \u201cI just wish I hadn\u2019t cut off her hand in the photo.\u201d<\/p>\n He recalls also photographing Chomsky speaking at a podium, but prefers shots of public figures and intellectuals having one-on-one time with Rochester students. \u201cSuch opportunities are part of the reason why students go to college here.\u201d<\/p>\n He photographed the scene from atop a picnic table using a tripod, long exposure, and high aperture. That setup created the starburst effects from the streetlights and parking garage, as well as the trails of light from passing cars, set against a backdrop of purple-blue twilight sky.<\/p>\n \u201cThey always say don\u2019t put your subject in the center of the photograph,\u201d says Fenster. But knowing the rules enables you to break them occasionally. The juxtaposition of Hodge\u2019s abstract painting with the space\u2019s converging lines and geometric shapes meant Fenster needed the artist to anchor the image. \u201cAnd especially with a canvas this big, you have to photograph him in the process of making his art.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to use a flash to get this photo,\u201d he explains, \u201cotherwise you don\u2019t get the blue sky or they turn into silhouettes. You also have to make sure to clear his head from the horizon.\u201d For Fenster, the windswept tassel is what makes the photo special, giving it a sense of whimsy. \u201cIf that tassel hadn\u2019t flown up, I probably wouldn\u2019t have filed this meta photo.\u201d<\/p>\n With a new camera in tow, Fenster went to check it out. \u201cI took this with a 16 millimeter fish-eye lens very close to the bricks,\u201d he says. His aim was to showcase the overall geometric patterns\u2014squares within a circle\u2014as well as the individual cranes and colors. \u201cI\u2019m a huge fan of M. C. Escher, so that may have subconsciously informed this image.\u201d<\/p>\n Fenster spent a full day at the Hogback Hill Motocross site, where the competitors tested their mechanical engineering mettle as part of a four-hour endurance race. Initially relegated to the grandstands, he secured permission to shoot on the course. \u201cYou can imagine the liabilities and waivers involved.\u201d<\/p>\n He had originally envisioned a shot of the University\u2019s Baja vehicle flying through the air, but the team designed this year\u2019s model with sturdiness in mind. Then Fenster saw the mud. \u201cI thought to myself, \u2018That\u2019s the photo.\u2019\u201d He used a long lens to compress the multiple elements into one frame, with a wide enough aperture to keep the background drivers out of focus. The resulting action shot spotlights the Rochester team before layers of mud made the vehicles nearly indistinguishable from one another.<\/p>\n Fenster covered the ceremony, but was more excited to document the energy and enthusiasm of the students after the formalities ended. A group selfie in front of iconic Rush Rhees Library is practically de rigueur<\/em> for Rochester students. Fenster\u2019s meta photo of that moment depicts \u201ca lot of great faces and expressions. They\u2019re all fired up, like young Padawans.\u201d<\/p>\n John Kessler, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences,<\/a><\/strong> led a team of undergraduate students on a research trip to measure methane emissions on Lake Ontario. \u201cMany of our professors do their field work in far-flung places. This project sounded interesting and had the added bonus of being local,\u201d Fenster says. He couldn\u2019t pass up a rare opportunity to go into the field with University scientists (even though it meant having to get his passport renewed).<\/p>\n He chose this photo as a standout because it \u201cshows the whole story: They\u2019re going off into the horizon while our student is getting his sample and the equipment operates in the background.\u201d What the photo doesn\u2019t clearly convey is the small size of the boat. To get this shot, Fenster used a monopod (a kind of professional selfie stick) while sitting on the edge of the boat.<\/p>\n On his way to cover Trevor Noah\u2019s sold-out appearance, Fenster noticed the Eastman Quad curiously devoid of people. Every other photo he\u2019d taken of the letters had people on or near them, so \u201cI put my camera on the meridian and set the long exposure,\u201d he recalls. Relying only on the available light, he managed to capture an iconic Meliora Weekend image.<\/p>\n \u201cI had no idea just how dark most of their late season practices are. I\u2019d prepared myself for scenes of mist coming off the river, with streaks of early morning sunlight filtering through fall foliage, not pitch black. I had to make a few adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"frog\"](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-African-clawed-frog.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>What can frogs teach us about tumors? Quite a bit, according to Jacques Robert, professor of microbiology and immunology at the Medical Center<\/a><\/strong>. He uses African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis<\/em>), which have transparent skin as tadpoles, to study how tumors grow and spread.<\/p>\n![\"two](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Borst-Smith-Montague.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s not every day that our Division III basketball team becomes a viral sensation. That\u2019s what happened after a video surfaced showing guard Sam Borst-Smith intentionally missing a free throw and then assisting a game-winning shot by teammate Mack Montague in overtime. Borst-Smith went on to win the State Farm Assist of the Year Award for this play.<\/p>\n\n
![\"opera](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Le-Nozze-Figaro.jpg\")
Unsung heroes
\n<\/strong>In April, the Eastman Opera Theatre<\/a><\/strong> presented Mozart\u2019s Le Nozze di Figaro<\/em> (or The Marriage of Figaro<\/em>) at Kodak Hall. Fenster was tasked with photographing the dress rehearsal. \u201cAs photographers, we\u2019ve made lots of these stage photos,\u201d he reflects. \u201cThey\u2019re very easy to get because the lighting is always really good and the actors are hitting their marks.\u201d The result is a typically beautiful, if somewhat expected, photograph.<\/p>\n![\"student](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Dandelion-Day.jpg\")
Swing time in springtime
\n<\/strong>\u201cDandelion Day is one of the few opportunities to photograph students tearing loose and having fun,\u201d says Fenster. Part of the annual Springfest Weekend, the Dandelion Day celebrations typically feature amusement park rides, festival food, and street performers.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Noam](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-chomsky-class.jpg\")
When Noam Chomsky came to Rochester
\n<\/strong>\u201cNoam Chomsky is a legend. He\u2019s the closest thing to a rock star you can have in higher education,\u201d says Fenster. In April, the linguist, philosopher, political commentator, and activist met with Rochester students and faculty<\/a><\/strong> in his capacity as the University\u2019s Distinguished Visiting Humanist. \u201cThe best way to show that this is a whole class is to shoot it wide, while also getting close,\u201d Fenster explains.<\/p>\n![\"large](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Eastman-Dental.jpg\")
Happy anniversary
\n<\/strong>The RIT Big Shot\u2014a nighttime community photography project\u2014provided the inspiration for the Eastman Institute of Oral Health\u2019s 100th anniversary<\/a><\/strong> celebration photo. The goal was to get as many people as possible together at night with their flashlights and camera strobes aimed at the institute\u2019s building. About 300 people encircled the building for the shoot. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to get a photo of just the building. Instead, I wanted to show the people involved collectively lighting this structure,\u201d says Fenster.<\/p>\n![\"main](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Nate-Hodge-MAG.jpg\")
Mural, mural, on the wall\u2026
\n<\/strong>As part of a project documenting murals and public art at University-affiliated spaces, Fenster photographed local WALL\\THERAPY artist Nate Hodge painting Inhabited Space<\/em> at the Memorial Art Gallery.<\/p>\n\n
![\"graduate](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-RRL-tower-grads.jpg\")
The sky\u2019s the limit
\n<\/strong>The Rush Rhees Library tower is open for tours during the week leading up to commencement. \u201cA lot of your typical commencement shots are taken onstage or during the aftermath.\u201d Fenster hoped to photograph candid moments, too; so he joined some of the seniors taking their first or final tower tours before graduation.<\/p>\n\n
![\"origami](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Interfaith-cranes.jpg\")
Colorful cranes
\n<\/strong>The University\u2019s Interfaith Chapel<\/strong> <\/a>is regularly reserved for weddings, memorial services, and other events. Someone tipped Fenster off about a bevy of colorful paper cranes left tucked in the brick wall of the chapel after a weekend wedding. In Japanese culture, the crane is considered a symbol of happiness, good luck, and peace.<\/p>\n![\"Baja](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-baja.jpg\")
Mud life
\n<\/strong>\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to photograph a Baja race since I found out the University has its own team,\u201d says Fenster. In June, he got his chance when the University\u2019s Baja team participated in the annual Baja SAE competition<\/a><\/strong>, held this year in Palmyra, New York. The goal is for each team to design, build, and race their off-road vehicles on rough terrain.<\/p>\n![\"large](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-URMC-White-Coat.jpg\")
Physician, photograph thyself!
\n<\/strong>Each year, the School of Medicine and Dentistry holds the Dr. Robert L. and Lillian H. Brent White Coat Ceremony to welcome incoming medical students and mark the start of their journey to becoming physicians.<\/p>\n![\"student](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Lake-Ontario-Kessler.jpg\")
We\u2019re going to need a bigger boat
\n<\/strong>Freshwater environments are known sources of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that affects the atmosphere. The Great Lakes are the world\u2019s largest collection of freshwater\u2014and they\u2019re located in the University\u2019s backyard, making them an ideal place for research of this kind.<\/p>\n![\"giant](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Meliora-RRL.jpg\")
Ever better letters
\n<\/strong>\u201cWhen was the last time you saw \u2018meliora\u2019 written out in giant letters on the quad?\u201d Originally commissioned for the campaign kickoff, the letters were reused as part of this year\u2019s Meliora Weekend festivities\u2014and they were a big hit with attendees!<\/p>\n\n
![\"women's](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-womens-crew.jpg\")
Rowing on the river
\n<\/strong>Photographing the crew team was on Fenster\u2019s bucket list. This early morning shot of the Yellowjacket women\u2019s team<\/a><\/strong> rowing on the Genesee River is reminiscent of an impressionist painting.<\/p>\n![\"student](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-Douglass-bridge.jpg\")
Walk this way
\n<\/strong>The new bridge between Frederick Douglass Hall and Rush Rhees Library is one of several completed renovation and construction projects from this past year. Fenster purposely wanted to make a photo featuring the bridge and autumnal colors, so he set up shop on the Eastman Quad and hoped for people to walk through the passageway. After much waiting, he managed to take this candid photo using a long lens. Although the subject appears to have a knowing look on his face, Fenster suspects he was unaware of being photographed.<\/p>\n
![\"I](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-SBA-grave-stickers.jpg\")
\u201cI Voted Today Because of Women Like Her\u201d![\"large](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-election-protest.jpg\")
Different points of view