Graduate and undergraduate students from across UVA responded to the Karsh Institute of Democracy’s first Student Photography Contest, each submitting a series of images answering the question: What does democracy look like to you?
The winning submission came from third-year media studies student Tony Davis, whose collection of ten photos showcases democratic participation, culture, and institutions at work.
“I submitted my photos because I wanted to share important moments in contemporary U.S. history that, I feel, deserve to be viewed and revisited,” said Davis. “I pulled photos I've taken from different aspects of what I consider ‘democracy in action.’ The raw emotion of protests, the politics inside the nation's capital, the annual ceremonies our country holds—I wanted to share what happened and how I saw those events occur.”
Davis, a native of Arlington, VA, said his interest in photography was sparked as a high school student living through the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement. “I was always interested in how contemporary issues were perceived by the public,” he said. “As a junior in high school, I was reading about protests happening in downtown Washington D.C., and I jumped on the events being so accessible and in close proximity to my home. I felt, especially in a world that was rapidly consuming more media, that significant events needed to be captured visually and shared with others.”
The contest’s judges, led by photojournalist and Karsh Institute Practitioner Fellow in Democracy Sanjay Suchak, noted that Davis “crafted a thoughtful and cohesive photo essay that shows both the voice of democracy and the activity of a functioning government.”
“Photojournalism is extremely important to the health of democracy,” said Davis. “It reveals the raw and true nature of events the majority of the world cannot be there to experience. Even if it is a monumental event that vicariously impacts thousands, there is always a story at the heart of the scene that can be told through a photograph.”
The judges selected second-year foreign affairs student Ella Doddridge and second-year government student Caleb Kuo as the contest runners-up. Davis, Doddridge, and Kuo received cash prizes, Karsh Institute merchandise, and the opportunity to have lunch with award-winning photojournalists featured in the Karsh Institute’s recent public event, “Photojournalists on the Front Line: The Emotional Toll.”
Winning Photo Series
Photos and captions by Tony Davis
