The Spirit of ’25: A Photo Journey Through a Year at CSUN

How sweet it is! Senior Photographer Ringo Chiu describes this adorable photo as his “picture of the year.” “I shot this with a telephoto lens, so the baby’s reaction is completely natural. The grad dad poses proudly, while the baby biting the certificate makes the moment funny and unique for a commencement photo.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

Commencement joy, front and center. “I love this photo because it delivers the message so simply. The grad’s cap says “All thanks to you,” and the professor’s joyful smile shows exactly what that means. It’s a sweet, honest moment of gratitude.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

Goals achieved at Commencement 2025. “As the graduates walked into commencement, their families and friends lit up with excitement. You can see the joy in their faces, the high-fives, and the phones raised to capture the moment. I wanted this photo to show that powerful connection — the pride in the crowd and the happiness shared between grads and their loved ones.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

Celebrating at Black Graduation: “This was a challenge to get because moments earlier I was on the stage capturing the president with the last student. The students were jumping really high and dancing around in the walkway. I just let myself get bumped into and focused on holding the camera steady.” —B.R. (Bryan Rodgers / CSUN)

It’s all in the details. “In this art class, I watched the student work carefully on his piece. I took a close-up shot to show the small details and the patience he puts into his artwork.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

Students and engineering professor Peter Bishay work in the Haas Lab on Senior Design Projects. “The image looks busy on purpose — I wanted to show what the classroom really feels like, with everyone focused on their projects and the space full of activity.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

A portrait of engineering professor Peter Bishay. “What I like about this photo is the creative pose for a portrait. Using the prosthetic arm to not only demonstrate how well it works but give context to Dr. Bishay. The conditions for this where challenging: I only had a few chances in the small room I was in to make a unique and creative portrait that tells a story of my subject.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

A remarkable year for the women’s soccer team. “This photo captures a huge moment for the CSUN Matadors, scoring in the Big West Championship Semifinal was especially meaningful because the team had just won their first Big West regular-season title in nine years. The players’ celebration shows how much this achievement meant to them—the excitement, the pride, and the joy of reaching this stage.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

A little bit of luck. “I got this shot by pointing my 70-200 lens straight down over the basketball hoop and originally, had my focus locked to the rim to try and get a player’s face as they dunked the ball, but instead got the ball perfectly placed.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

Capturing a high-flying moment at a men’s basketball game. “With a wide-angle lens, I sat right below the hoop and had the action happening right in front of me. All I had to do was wait ’til the action came to me and have my camera ready, since these players move fast.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

“This photo works because of the motion and layering of the men’s soccer team running cooldown exercises after a game. The conditions were perfect as they had to do this drill at least five times, giving me plenty of opportunities to get the shot I had in my mind.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

The crowd always loves “Big Show.” In April, the event featured Deorro. “Crowd moments like this happen really fast, so I took a quick burst of photos. This one stood out right away. What I love most is how it shows the students fully enjoying themselves. They look happy, free and taking a real break from school. Moments like this are what make shooting the Big Show so fun and rewarding.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

Matador Nights, September 2025. “What I like about this photo is the joy and excitement as Matadors party to live music. The conditions were challenging, as it was a constant switch between darkness and sporadic laser light shows. Using flash not only helped to freeze the action, but also see more of the audience.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

With friends in Matador Square. “What I like about the photo is how candid it is, capturing their joy in music and laughter.” —S.G. (Sonia Gurrola / CSUN)

Student Ethan Molina celebrates with friends at the Alumni Association Scholarship Awards, September. 2025. (David J. Hawkins / CSUN)

A live-to-film performance opportunity for the CSUN Symphony Orchestra. “I love the energy in this photo. Even though it’s a still image, you can feel how focused the students are — their hands moving, their eyes on the music, and their bodies leaning into the sound.” —RC (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

A very happy (and hot!) day. The grand opening of the new Autodesk Technology Engagement Center. “This was the most important photo of the event — the ribbon-cutting moment with CSUN President Erika D. Beck, Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost, and all the VIPs — so I had to be extremely careful with how I shot it. The biggest challenge was the bright sunlight. The light created strong shadows on everyone’s faces. When the ribbon was finally cut, my flash only fired once — but it fired at the perfect moment. I was lucky to catch the exact shot I needed, with everyone in frame, well lit, and full of energy.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

Kicking off the new academic year at the President’s Welcome Address. “I took this photo the moment everyone turned their attention to the phone camera for a selfie. I just snapped a quick shot, and it feels very natural.” —R.C. (Ringo Chiu / CSUN)

A beautiful sunset. “I like this photo because of the gradient of light from deep shadow to the beautiful, warm sunset light still hitting the tops of the trees.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

Chasing the moon. “I particularly like that there is still some daylight left, so the CSUN letters are visible. The conditions were nice but stressful: You don’t realize how fast the moon rises and looks smaller in the sky. I got this shot by backing up and using a long 300-mm lens.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

Rainy days on campus. “I love the sharp reflections and layering in this photo. Luckily, I went to photograph during a light drizzle before the downpour returned. I went low to the ground for this one — actually, I used my camera strap to keep my camera from getting wet and put it on the ground, to get as close to the puddle as possible.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

From Lila Downs’ performance in October at The Soraya. “What I like about this photo is the flowing of the dancer’s dress and her expression as she performs.” —B.F. (Blake Fagan / CSUN)

Impressive alumna: Arby Jean Wolkov, 2025 Teacher of the Year, outside her classroom at William Howard Taft Charter High School in Woodland Hills, January, 2025. (David J. Hawkins / CSUN)

An impromptu performance: “Faculty member Nelly Guevara came in for staff headshot day and said, ‘I should have brought my violin,’ and I said, ‘Oh, go get it and come back!’ She did and played for all of us and I caught this shot.” —B.R. (Bryan Rodgers / CSUN)

YUMMY! “K-9 officer Daisy was retiring and this was the moment she finally got to take a bite of what her nose was excited about the whole ceremony. Well deserved!” —B.R. (Bryan Rodgers / CSUN)