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Randolph celebrates 20 years as USI's visual storyteller

July 21, 2017

Elizabeth Randolph, manager of Photography and Multimedia, fell in love with photography her junior year of high school. She bought a camera and shot photos for her high school year book. After working for various newspapers, she decided to take on a new challenge as a university photographer and, after 20 years, she is still at it. Elizabeth and her team spend countless hours bringing to life the visual story of USI.

Pre-USI years

 

Elizabeth got her first photography internship with the Kalamazoo Gazette while a student at Western Kentucky University. After graduating, she took a job in Fort Smith, Arkansas with the Southwest Times Record and later moved on to the Paducah Sun in Paducah, Kentucky. At all three newspapers she was the only female photographer. She accrued a lot of knowledge as a photojournalist, learning to process black and white, color slide and color negative film, as well as making negatives for the press plates. These were still the days of spending innumerable hours in the darkroom developing.

  

During her newspaper years, she photographed every president, from Jimmy Carter to George H.W. Bush. She even rode in a helicopter with then governor Bill Clinton, snapping shots as he surveyed flooding in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In Fort Smith, she shot the two-state rodeo, which kept her on her toes. "I would be in the arena with the bucking broncos, and if they ran in my direction, I'd have to jump the fence," she said. Feature photography meant she often had to go out and look for something photograph-worthy--some of her favorite work.

At the Southwest Times Record, she developed a passion for sports photography after watching the almost religious enthusiasm that a University of Arkansas football game sparked in the citizens of Fort Smith. It also led her to love. While covering a baseball tournament, she met writer/photographer Joey Randolph, and when he accepted a job in Evansville, Indiana, she moved along with him.

USI years

Photography, which was one component of the News and Information Department (now University Communications) in 1996 consisted of Elizabeth and one student worker. She received the help of an administrative assistant in 1999. The office was located in a tiny studio next to Human Resources. She had to get used to adjusting her mindset and photo choices, depending on how the photograph was to be used. She now not only shot for news and athletic events, but also for promotional pieces and publications across campus. Group photos weren't something she had done much of, so Ray Simmons, director of Athletics Communication, took her under his wing for team photos, giving her tips on posing large groups.

  

The University's magazine, which was then called 8600 University Blvd., consisted of black and white photos, the only color being the cover. USI Today, formerly known as University Notes, was printed and a hole cut out to insert a photo before copies were run. Slides and negatives were still used to make drop scans.

Elizabeth had to learn new techniques as technology moved into the digital realm. "Digital cameras were so expensive then and had very little storage," she said. "The first digital camera we got at USI was tiny, but useful for shooting sports and other things that needed a quick turnaround. I didn't know much about digital, so I went to a conference in New Mexico to learn it."  Digital photography has made things easier. "You can see immediately if your exposure is correct," said Elizabeth. "With film, you shot and prayed you would have something when you got back to the dark room."

Another big change came in the early 2000s with the creation of the USI website. The need for photos to fill the site skyrocketed, prompting the hiring of another full-time photographer.

Reflecting on 20 years

Photography at a university requires being able to shift with changing needs and to imagine all the different ways photos may be used: web pages, publications, news, marketing and billboards. While Elizabeth still enjoys the photojournalistic approach of being a fly on the wall and waiting for the perfect shot, she also has to think of how to capture the same setting for a number of different platforms.

  

After 20 years, Elizabeth still gets her greatest inspiration from students, whether it is capturing photographs that introduce new students to the University or working with student workers in her department. "With our student workers, I like to see how they grow and what they gravitate to," she said. "We gain a lot of creativity and balance with our student workers, and they help keep me from getting stagnate."

The excitement of Commencement or capturing athletes or teams advancing to the next level are some of the moments she enjoys the most. "Even after 20 years I still get an adrenaline rush from taking emotional images of our students at events like Commencement and sporting events," she said. "It's exciting to see a coach who's worked so hard to get their team to the point of reaching a national championship, or a graduate giving their family that million-dollar smile after completing their journey at USI."

Elizabeth has forged a strong connection with her team. Barb Goodwin, senior administrative assistant, has worked side-by-side with her for nearly all of her 20 years, and LaVerne Jones, photographer, since 2004. Elizabeth and her team's work will forever be woven into the history of USI, as future generations look at photographs they have taken and see the visual story of the University unfold.

View Campus Snapshots to see examples of Elizabeth's work through the years.

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