What a day! On Sunday, August 9, the sun was shining, campus was buzzing and the UW community came together for one of our favorite summer traditions: UW Photo Day. This year, 2,000 UW families signed up for the opportunity to enjoy free professional photography at some of the most iconic locations across the Seattle campus.
From smiles in front of Drumheller Fountain to family photos in the Quad and wagging tails beneath the trees of Sylvan Grove, the day was filled with joy, connection and plenty of Husky spirit. Employees brought partners, children, parents, grandparents, friends and four-legged family members to campus to capture memories together and enjoy a gorgeous summer day at UW.
For many employees, UW Photo Day has become much more than a chance to get a great picture. It has become an annual tradition and an opportunity to bring the people they love into a place that is such a meaningful part of their own lives.
The highlight of the day: Dubs
Of course, no UW celebration would be complete without a little extra Husky spirit! Thanks to the generous support of BECU, UW’s beloved mascot Dubs joined the fun again this year, drawing families to Red Square for hugs, high fives, plenty of tail wags and one-of-a-kind photos.
From longtime Huskies to some of our youngest future fans, the excitement of meeting Dubs brought smiles all around and created even more memories to take home from the day.
A special thank you to BECU for helping make this favorite UW Photo Day experience possible for our UW community.
Photos that tell a story
Every photo taken on UW Photo Day tells a story.
For some families, it’s an annual portrait that shows just how much their children have grown. For others, it’s a chance to gather multiple generations together, celebrate a milestone, bring beloved pets along or finally update a family photo.
Employees use their UW Photo Day pictures for everything from holiday cards and graduation announcements to professional headshots, gifts and framed keepsakes at home.
For Eileen Wai Ling Chin, administrator in Pediatrics, Photo Day has become something her entire family looks forward to:
“UW Photo Day has become our family’s annual tradition, bringing together our kids, their partners, and their pets each year.”
And for Margaret G. Engstrom, Registered Nurse 2 at Harborview Medical Center, the tradition celebrates generations of connection to UW. Her family includes UW graduates dating back to her father, who earned his master’s degree in teaching in 1956.
“The kids (us) have our pictures taken on Photo Day to commemorate all of our hard work and the mentors who guided us along the way. Thank you, UW!”
More to enjoy on Red Square
UW Photo Day was about more than getting the perfect family photo. Our partners joined us on Red Square to connect employees with exclusive benefits and resources available throughout the year.
Decathlon joined us to share more about the 20% company-wide discount available to UW employees, helping Huskies save on gear for running, hiking, fitness and everyday adventures.
Husky Mobile was also onsite to remind employees about its wireless plans built exclusively for Husky Nation. UW employees and their families receive 20% off eligible plans, with fast, reliable T-Mobile service and a built-in Give-Back Program that contributes up to 7% of monthly payments back to UW and UW Athletics at no additional cost.
And TIAA connected with employees about their UW retirement plans and the resources available to help them better understand and prepare for retirement. UW employees can meet with a TIAA financial consultant at no additional cost, regardless of age or account balance, and access financial education, webinars and tools designed to build confidence for the future.
Thank you to Decathlon, Husky Mobile, TIAA and BECU for joining us and helping make Photo Day an opportunity to connect, celebrate and learn more about benefits available to the UW community.
What attendees had to say
One of our favorite parts of Photo Day is hearing what the experience means to the UW community.
“This event makes me feel seen and appreciated as a human being. Everyone we interacted with was kind and professional. I look forward to this event every year. I share about it with the new employees hired by my department during our onboarding process as an example of the wonderful Whole U programs available.”
Bethany I. Chamberlain, Clinical Pharmacist, Medicine ICU/Thoracic Surgery, Pharmacy
“Best event of the year! It’s so fun to see people with their families and enjoy a beautiful day on campus.”
Sara T. Kover, Assistant Professor, Speech & Hearing Sciences
“UW Photo Day has become our family’s annual tradition, bringing together our kids, their partners, and their pets each year.”
Eileen Wai Ling Chin, Administrator, Pediatrics
“Thank you so much for this opportunity. We had our picture taken at the fountain and I can’t wait to give the photo as a Christmas gift to my family.”
Lisa A. Guerrero, Subcontract Administrator, Office of Sponsored Programs
Thank you to our photographers
Behind every smile was one of our talented photographers, capturing thousands of moments across campus throughout the day. Their creativity, patience and ability to make families feel comfortable in front of the camera are what make UW Photo Day possible year after year.
We encourage you to explore their work and support their businesses:
- Jeni Derrick Photography
- Diogo Fagundes of BY DIO
- Jason Luc of Project Bokeh Photography
- Schaffin Concept
- Photos By Lily Luu
- Kris Ladera Photography
- Hielen Enyew of Kelem Photography
- Josi Ribeiro Photography
- Katherine Hill of Mama Kat Photography
- Shylynn Dewey
- Leslie Suarez of Alyae Moments Photography
- Savannah Moon Photography
- Latife Whittington of L.A.W. Shootz
Until next summer
A huge thank you goes out to our photographers, volunteers and partners who helped make the day possible and welcomed thousands of UW families to campus.
And thank you to everyone who joined us. Whether UW Photo Day has been a family tradition for years or this was your first time participating, we hope you walked away with wonderful memories and soon, some beautiful photos to go with them.
As one participant put it, UW Photo Day is “a great benefit to the UW community,” and we couldn’t agree more.
We can’t wait to see your photos, and to do it all again next summer!
When will I receive my photos?
Our photographers are hard at work sorting and editing thousands of photos from the day! Each photographer will create a virtual album featuring the photos taken at their location.
In early October, everyone who registered for UW Photo Day will receive an email with links to the virtual photo albums and instructions for finding and downloading their photos.