Anne Harrington '98, a photographer for the Aegis, was almost wrestled to the ground by a stagehand when she was shooting the Indigo Girls concert.
Such an incident is fairly common for a photographer from Aegis, the College's annual yearbook.
"People aren't always amicable about having pictures taken of them," Harrington said.
"You have to be courteous, but you can't be cowed," she said.
While sometimes a bit risky, shooting photographs for the Aegis is often a fulfilling experience.
"Once you get used to the limits on where you can stand, you look around and you realize that you are getting to see amazing events that you otherwise might not have the opportunity to see," Harrington said.
At the beginning of each term, Aegis editors begin to recruit students with fliers that advertise "free pizza and soda" and an open-house for "anyone that can hold a camera," Editor-In-Chief Garrett Gil de Rubio '96 said.
Aegis photography has won awards for its quality. Printing Industries of America pronounced Dartmouth's Aegis the winner of a Best of Category Award in their 1995 competition, Gil de Rubio said.
The Aegis was chosen from among at least 5,000 other entries from colleges across the nation.
For many members of the yearbook committee, shooting for the Aegis was their first real experience with photography.
Several Aegis photographers said they took photography courses in high school or college, but most of the staff said they were novices before they joined -- driven only by an interest in photography and a desire to improve their skills.
Aegis loans cameras and film to students for use on their photo assignments, and photo editors offer any and all instruction in camera use to beginners.
"[When I started], I knew nothing about photography. It's a great place to learn," said Jack Kolodny '96.
Active members of the Aegis gain experience quickly. It is not unusual for photographers to take three rolls of pictures at one event, Harrington said.
For every picture in the Aegis, there are many that go unpublished, and photographers take numerous photos before one can get the right kind of piece for the Aegis.
"The way to get a good photo is to take picture after picture ... only one to three pictures out of a roll of 36 are what we are looking for," Harrington said.
After spending some time doing photography, it becomes apparent what to look for in a yearbook picture, said Harrington. "There are those pictures that have artistic appeal, and then there are those that try to capture the moment, the action or the play," Harrington said.
Kolodny said people are a favorite subject for Aegis photographers.
"Most photographers like to take pictures of people with good expressions," he said. "It conveys more emotion and makes the picture more personal."
Photographers also pay attention to color, composition, clarity and contrast Gil de Rubio said.
"You have to make sure everything coordinates," he said.
Pictures pertaining to certain Dartmouth themes are always favorites for the yearbook. Those pictures that illustrate the uniqueness of Dartmouth life and surroundings are especially popular.
Photos of New Hampshire foliage, people studying in the tower room, freshmen encircling the bonfire or students building the Winter Carnival snow sculpture always compete for space in the yearbook.
In the 400 pages of the Aegis, there are seven sections: prologue/epilogue, societies, events, sports, student life and seniors.
The 22 Aegis editors examine the contact sheets and choose the pictures appropriate to their particular sections.
Pictures chosen for the prologue and epilogue tend to have artistic or eye-catching beauty, while photos in the sports section would be those that have exceptional focus and convey a sense of action Gil de Rubio said.
Photo Editor Anh-Thu Cunnion '96 said the Aegis is trying to "increase the standards so that every picture in the yearbook is artistically done ... even though it is not always easy to get artistic photos for sports."
With the renovation of Robinson Hall, Aegis members anticipate quite a few improvements in the organization's facilities, Gil de Rubio said.
A newly advanced ventilation system and water-filtration system will enhance the development of photos and will prevent chemicals from damaging the prints, he said.
Aegis photographers are especially excited about a new, state-of-the-art darkroom which will be the biggest on campus.
"Darkrooms are hard to come by on campus," said Gil de Rubio.
Such developments are expected to attract more photographers in the future Gil de Rubio said.
