Welcome to our World Photo Day celebration gallery

First-year Shield staff member, Lanie Sepehri chose a photograph taken at a live-fire drill held at the Austin Fire Academy for the LBJ Fire Academy students in November of 2020. "This image is just striking. It’s dramatic and it forces you to look at it," said Sepehri. "I love the dark blue and black background plus the towering column of fire; the colors contrast in a really nice way and it’s...

At the National Scholastic Press Association awards ceremony, held virtually on the afternoon of Nov. 21, 2020, as part of the NSPA/JEA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, senior Caleb Melville earned first place in the nation for feature photography in NSPA's Photo of the Year competition. Caleb won for this picture of the Blue Brigade performing at halftime of the varsity football game...

MacJ co-adviser Dave Winter  chose Gregory James’ image of the student walk out at McCallum in January 2017 to protest Donald Trump’s inauguration as president. “This image captures a decisive moment," Winter said. "The students in this photo were organizers of the walkout, and it was at this moment that they emerged out of the fine arts corridor and saw the hundreds of students who had preceded...

Knight photo editor Anna Bausman chose this image of the 2021 Mask-erade at Stubb’s Ampitheater on May 1, 2021, captured by Esme Moreno. “I really like the photo because it represented a kind of return to normalcy,” Anna said. “The entire year was so crazy, but I was just so happy that the seniors of 2021 were able to have this one event that made a unique year normal. I love the lighting...

For her World Photo Day selection, first-year yearbook staffer Meredith Grotevant chose this image of a solitary protester holds a sign with a simple message seemingly directed at the Texas Capitol and the government that convenes there. Russo captured the image on May 31, 2020, a day when hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Austin during the second day of demonstrations against police brutality...

First-year Shield writer and Mac sophomore, Francie Wilhelm, chose an image from Austin's Blanton Museum of Art in December of 2020. "This photo is really interesting to me because even though there are many “people” in this photo, there are only two that are actually real, and they’re the ones that would be the easiest for you to look over and pass by," Wilhelm said. "However, the photographer...

As her World Photo Day selection, fifth-period digital media student Mia Plemons selected this image by digital media student Bo Witzel of Mr. Seckar-Martinez instructing his fifth-period art students about their assignment to capture black-and-white photos of interesting compositions and then sketch them with charcoal. "The angle of the photo makes it appear as if the two students are framing the t...

Shield co-EIC Samantha Powers chose this image of McCallum 2021 graduate, Jay Mathias at the first Micro-moon festival back on Nov. 1, 2019, captured by Risa Darlington-Horta. "This photo immediately invokes a feeling of joy," Samantha says. "Especially now, I need a reason to smile, and the look on Jay's face in this photo reminds me of so many reasons to be happy. The composition of the photo...

Shield co-EIC Grace Nugent chose this image of McCallum 2021 graduate, Paulo Zambarano (then a senior) playing drums with the Point during the Micromoon Battle of the Bands on Feb. 1, 2020, at Lazaurus Brewing Co. “The subtle emotion and contrast of black and white spotlights Zambarano,” senior Grace Nugent said. “With so much color in other Micromoon pictures the stark black, whites and grey...

Shield reporter Kate Boyle chose this image of the Taco Shack Game in August 2019, taken by Caleb Melville. Taco Shack is the annual rivalry game of McCallum vs. Anderson. “I loved the joy that this photo showed,” Boyle said, “this picture is from the same year that I joined McCallum Journalism and I remember these being some of the first pictures by MacJ that I saw. I was so inspired by them...

As her World Photo Day selection, Shield photo editor Kennedy Weatherby opted for this image of freshman middle hitter Gella Andrew spiking the ball for a kill during the second set of the Knights’ 3-1 bi-disrict playoff loss to Pflugerville Connally in 2020. "This photo, taken by Bella Russo, is one of my favorite sports photos actions shots that MacJ has ever taken. The position taken by Russo...

Co-online editor and Mac Senior, Lucy Marco, selected a photo from McCallum choir's Cabaret in November of 2019. "There is so much depth in this image- both compositionally and emotionally," said Marco. "The curved position Zion Flores is standing in with his hands clasped at his chest, and of course his beautiful brown afro contrasting with Abby Leman's feather boas makes the photo visually, so...

Fifth-period digital media student Isley Cameron chose this image by Mac Fine Arts commercial photography student Risa Darlington-Horta. The portrait of models Weatherly Giblin and Kate Reuter earned honorable mention among advanced photographers in the fashion category of the 2020 Association of Texas Photography Instructors Fall Photo Contest. "I like this photograph a lot because I think the...

First-year Shield reporter Ingrid Smith chose this image of math from March 24, 2020, the day teachers came to school to collect the things they would need to teach virtual classes from home. “To me, this photo depicts walking away from normalcy and into the unknown, walking out of the light and into the darkness,” Ingrid said. “Ms. Ashton, the teacher shown here, enlisted her adult son to...

Shield opinion editor Josie Bradsby selected this image of then junior Henry Rodgers strumming his guitar during the chamber guitar performance at Stubb's B-B-Q on Feb. 11, 2020. The show was very serious and intimate, the audience listening closely to the soft music coming from the guitars. "We were all seated so closely together on stage", Rodgers said. "It was kind of difficult to keep a straight...