"You see [his work] on the walls of offices, and not just here on campus but in all alumni offices across the world," Grant said. "You see it on publications and brochures and books and you see it on the Dartmouth website ... Literally millions of people see that, so his spirit isn't going anywhere anytime soon."
Mehling's last photograph as College photographer was of physics professor Marcelo Gleiser for the Dartmouth Now webpage, he said. Although he said he has taken too many photographs to be able to choose just one favorite, Mehling said he will always remember that last picture, in which Gleiser gazes thoughtfully in a woodsy area of College Park, above the BEMA.
"Depending on the season and what I happen to be thinking at the time, I would think of a different [favorite photograph] that comes to mind," he said. "But I don't even have a small group that are favorites, because they're like children and you love them all."
Mehling's work has appeared in publications as varied as The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as campus guides and books such as "Living with Flowers," a colorful book of intricate floral arrangements.
Replacing Mehling will be difficult, said David Prentice '69, who has worked with him on the annual Alumni Reunion Book since 1994. Mehling regularly supplied Prentice with "exactly what [he] needed" within just a few hours of receiving an assignment, Prentice said.
"Being able to shoot pictures of the campus all day long is sort of an ideal job and I know he loved it," Prentice said. "You would never see him without a camera and a bunch of lenses around his neck. He found new ways to do old stuff. I don't know how they're going to replace him, but it will be a long way to top Joe."
Mehling took his first photograph when he was 10 years old, using a box camera to take photographs of his brothers, his dog and other scenes, he said in an interview with The Dartmouth. While studying English at the College, Mehling continued to take photographs "sort of haphazardly." Mehling said his interest in preserving the present through photography did not fade during his time as an undergraduate, and when he participated in a 1967 anti-Vietnam march in Washington, D.C., he took his camera along with him.
Mehling left the College after his junior year in 1968 to move to Vermont, where he lived until "around 1976," he said.
After leaving Hanover, Mehling lived in Baltimore and worked in construction, after which he resided in New York City and worked as a cab driver. Although he continued to take pictures, it wasn't until around 1984 that Mehling realized he could translate his hobby into a profession, and he began to work as a freelance photographer.
In 1989, Mehling returned to the Upper Valley to live near friends, he said. He worked as a freelance photographer for the College before applying for and then receiving the College photographer position.
For his first few years on the job, Mehling took photographs for Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, Dartmouth Life and OPA, which was then called the Dartmouth News Service and published a campus paper called Vox which ceased publication in February 2010 for the administration and faculty. At that time, Mehling shot mostly black and white photographs.
"The big change was going from film to digital," Mehling said. "When you start shooting digital, then you can start throwing away things you don't want to keep. Digital is much, much better. I resisted it for a long time because I liked the quality of film better and the early digital cameras weren't as good."
Despite the many publications in which his photographs appear, the most recognized part of Mehling's job may be the pictures at the top of the Dartmouth homepage, which higlight the diverse aspects of student life and campus scenery.
"I like photographing people and walking around taking pictures of the campus," Mehling said. "If I had to choose, I think the pictures of people are in a way more interesting, but Dartmouth is such a beautiful place so it's wonderful to just see it at different times of day and different seasons."
Mehling's ability to capture the "vibrancy of Dartmouth" in both staged and candid shots has brought him the admiration of his co-workers, Grant said.
Mehling was "always everywhere, happy to be everywhere and always with a smile on his face," said Matthew Schwartz '06, who worked with Mehling on photoshoots and concerts for the Dartmouth Aires, and also coordinated with Mehling to take photos of Dartmouth Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alumni/ae Association reunions.
"Coming back to campus is sometimes a frightening thought as a young alumnus, and running into him on campus was always welcome and he was always ready to take a picture and reflect on times past," Schwartz said. "I was impressed he remembered them."
Mehling plans to continue living in Norwich, Vt., where he will read, tend to his garden and take walks in the woods, he said. He also plans to come to Hanover to visit friends and take advantage of Baker-Berry Library's collection.
"I felt very fortunate for being able to work at Dartmouth for so long in this job," Mehling said. "I think out of all the things that made it a good job, the thing I enjoyed the most was the people that I worked with. Students, faculty, staff, everybody it's really a wonderful group of people."
The search for a new College photographer is ongoing and will hopefully be completed by the end of Fall term, according to Grant. Until then, students, freelance photographers and OPA staff members will continue to take photographs for Dartmouth publications, he said.
