"Thanks to the widespread availability of vaccines, the University of Maryland community was able to start celebrating the milestones missed during the pandemic. Under a cloudless sky and cooled by a light spring breeze, spring 2021 graduates and their families sat, physically distanced, in Maryland Stadium to celebrate the first outdoor commencement in 66 years.
I knew that the groupings of families was going to be one of the best ways to show the uniqueness of the 2021 commencement. And I figured the best view of the pods of families was going to be from above. The day before commencement, I scoped out several points in the stadium to make overhead images from, so I knew where to be day-of. In addition to making this image, I also needed to cover images from the floor of the stadium and fireworks from the back of the stadium. Getting the time logistics right this image was critical in order to photograph everything that I needed to."
From the Judges
The judges loved the simplicity and effectiveness of this image, documenting the pandemic in a way that reflects a universally relatable celebratory moment. The judges enjoy the framing and composition, and think it reflects timeless photojournalism.
