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25-Year Profile: Sam Parsons

Sam Parsons

A bat is loose in the Academic Technology and Creative Services hallway, and several staff members are either trying to catch the bat or get away from it. Sam Parsons, the picture of serenity, surveys the chaos, smiles and says calmly, “Well, that’s never happened here before.”

Parsons, a 25-year veteran of Academic Technology and Creative Services (formerly University Media Services) and the university photographer, has seen it all on campus. It’s possible that after all these years nothing can surprise him anymore—not even a wayward bat.

Parsons started as a photographer in University Media Services when it was called the Center for Instructional Media. “Of course I was working with film then,” he says. “I began using digital photography in 1996, and I’ve used it exclusively since 2002.”

Parsons’ work over the years includes thousands of “head shots” and group portraits for various departments on campus. “I take pictures of all the athletes for the media guides, and I’ll take head shots of faculty if a department wants a gallery of faculty photos for a wall in their area, or their website,” Parsons explains. “I also take head shots of newly appointed administrators or faculty on campus. Sometimes we need to update portraits that are dated.”

Parsons practices what he calls “painless portraiture.” “When people come to see me, it’s like they’re visiting the dentist. Many people don’t relish the idea of having their picture taken, but they know they need to do it. I try to make it as quick and easy as possible.”

But his work isn’t all about portraiture. Many of the photographs associated with campus publications, including the website, feature Parsons’ work. He also supports many faculty members with scanning and original photography used in their lectures and presentations. In addition, he says, “I enjoy teaching, so I have become involved as a regular in the rotation of faculty/staff workshops offered by UCCS. Naturally, I specialize in digital imaging.”

Parsons’ work isn’t limited strictly to his role as the university photographer. He also teaches a photography class on campus. “I’ve been teaching photography classes for the Department of Design on a part-time basis since 2000,” he says. I majored in motion pictures at Brooks Institute, but I also studied still photography. Now that I’m a photographer, I like the idea of a marriage of movies and stills. Therefore, the culminating project for my Photo 138 Basic Color students is a movie made from still photographs. My students have had some wonderful results from those projects.”

Parsons has seen the campus grow over the years and realizes the challenges that have come from that. “It’s nice to have new buildings to photograph,” he says, “but it’s getting harder to shoot the older buildings because of the tree growth. Unless the building is five stories high, it’s almost impossible to take a workable picture of it—all you see are trees.”

In spite of Parsons’ many years on campus, he has no plans to retire in the immediate future. “When you enjoy what you do,” he asks, “why stop doing it?