Photo editor sees university through a different lens

Huber is a December graduate from the Olin Business School and Student Life senior photo editor. (Photo: Joe Angeles/Washington University)

Here’s what senior Stephen Huber learned as Student Life senior photo editor.

The lighting in Umrath Lounge is the worst.

The best place to shoot volleyball is from the second tier of the Field House.

And the worldviews of Washington University students are way more diverse than most realize.

“I’ve had the opportunity to go to every kind of event sponsored by every kind of student group,” Huber said. “I really appreciate the diversity here. People have such different passions and backgrounds.”

Huber graduates in December with degrees in finance and operations and in supply chain management from Olin Business School. He has accepted a position as a strategy insights and planning associate at ZS Associates in Chicago. But first he will spend the spring taking culinary arts and glassblowing classes at home.

“If not now, when,” said Huber, who is from metro Detroit. “I love being creative as long as it doesn’t involve a paintbrush or a pencil.”

Huber was born an entrepreneur. In kindergarten, he proclaimed his dream gig was Pokemon dealer. His passion for photography came later. In high school, he started taking nature shots — flowers, trees, that kind of thing. Then he discovered sports photography.

“I love the action, the not knowing what would come next,” Huber said. “But I also love the challenge. To me, great sports photography isn’t just about getting the big play; it’s about telling the story of the game in a single shot.”

During his first year at WashU, Huber joined Student Life as a sports photographer, but soon he was assigned to shoot news and feature assignments.

“We had a really thin staff of photographers, so I covered everything,” Huber said. “I was forced to go to events that I otherwise would not have gone to and meet people I would have never met. To me, that’s definitely been one of the best parts of the job.”

Since then, Huber has shot hundreds of games, productions, protests and concerts, and he’s edited some 20 shoots a week. He’s also recruited and mentored a new generation of 25 Student Life photographers. His favorite assignments include the Presidential Debate and LouFest. In this slideshow, Huber shares the story behind some of his favorite images.

Fans celebrate a last-minute shot as the women’s basketball team defeated Wisconsin-Whitewater. One tip I learned while at WashU was to never forget what’s behind you. This crowd celebration shot is one of my favorites.

Guard Jordan Thompson complains to a referee after a failure to call a penalty. After a few years, it was easy to get good photographs from games. What was harder, though, was finding moments like this that tell the story of the game.

The WashU Bears volleyball team plays at the Field House. Volleyball is always the most difficult sport to photograph. A rule in sports photography is to get the player’s eyes in the photo. That’s hard when there is a giant net in the way.

The University of Rochester goalie tries to block a sliding shot from WashU at Francis Field. I usually take about 1,000 photos per sporting event, but only one or two will show action like this one.

The Misterwives perform on stage at LouFest in 2015. I was later able to meet the band at the press area, which is often one of the coolest parts of photojournalism.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump face off at the second Presidential Debate, which was hosted by WashU. Covering the debate as a senior was the apex of my photography career at WashU. Because most photographers were placed up near the rafters, I had to borrow a $10,000 lens to capture this shot.

A protester holds up a sign for a $15 minimum wage outside Olin Library. Some of the most interesting events my photographers and I cover are rallies and protests on or near campus. Emotional rallies can be hard to cover because you want to balance good journalism with respect for people in the community.

Local union workers take photos of former President Bill Clinton as he campaigns for his wife. A team of three other photographers and I went to the event together to kick off our presidential debate coverage.

Dario, 9, and his alumna mother listen to speakers at the Love Rally outside the Danforth University Center. The rally came after Republican nominee and now president-elect Donald Trump unexpectedly won the 2016 presidential race.