I fell in love with photography at 17, when I spent a year shooting portraits that encapsulated the magic and tragedy of teenage girlhood. I would’ve laughed and rolled my eyes at the idea of photographing sports.

A week before my 20th birthday, I traveled to Las Vegas on assignment for the Daily Bruin. Simultaneously daunted and pinching myself, I covered UCLA men’s basketball’s run in the last-ever Pac-12 Tournament. My credential felt very official, and it got me access wherever I wanted. As I stood on the stadium floor, I noticed a bleak reality: There were no women photographing this game.

An hour later, the Bruins took the court. I headed back into the arena with a couple of cameras and a lot of nerves. In Pauley Pavilion, my spot on the baseline was always labeled: Ella Greenberg Winnick, Daily Bruin. In T-Mobile Arena, as I would come to find out, it was first-come, first-serve. I looked around, confused and lost. But then I saw UCLA Athletics’ senior creative content producer Suzi Mellano. Though Suzi and I had never talked before, she explained that I had to bring tape and a marker to label my own space to shoot from.

UCLA beat Oregon State 67-57; freshman guard/forward Brandon Williams celebrates in the photo above.

The next day, UCLA would face the University of Oregon. Empowered with new knowledge that I needed to mark a space for myself, I felt much more confident heading into the second round of the tournament.

The Bruins lost that quarterfinal game, but for me, Vegas was a victory – a feminist one. In the most masculine of environments, it was the advice of another woman that helped me make the literal and metaphorical space I needed to succeed. It’s ironic, maybe, but it also makes sense. When I photograph UCLA men’s basketball, I see the very same things I obsessed over capturing in my portraits of teenage girlhood: passion, struggle, confidence and love.

In high school, my favorite events to photograph were volleyball and basketball. When interviewing for the Daily Bruin, they were at the top of my reasons for applying to the newspaper. I loved the fast paced games, the electric crowds, the emotion of faces. However, when I first photographed volleyball at UCLA, I struggled. College volleyball is paced a lot faster, and I could not figure out how to use a Nikon camera. I remember leaving my first game so disappointed in all of the blurry, horribly timed photos. Volleyball was also my first solo breaking story experience. Breaking stories require photos to be uploaded right after the game ends in a timely manner. Photo Mechanic, one of the platforms we use to process photos, stopped working on my computer. I didn’t know I needed to send raw files, and it was a stress-filled mess. However, throughout the difficult experiences, I fell more in love with the sport. I loved the challenge of a faster pace, and eventually, the breakings did get a lot easier. By the end of the season, I had photographed so many men’s volleyball games that I could predict who would be passing and who would hit. This photograph is from my favorite game, the MPSF finals at the Galen Center. I remember photographing with ease, experimenting with different angles and enjoying myself in the excitement of the game. That night was also the night I applied to be Photo editor. Photographing volleyball was an integral part of how I fell in love with photography, and I’m excited to continue learning more about the art through volleyball next year.

Entering my first year at UCLA, one of the things I was sure of was that I wanted to join the Daily Bruin as a photographer. I had photographed enough events during my senior year of high school to build a portfolio specific to content similar to the Daily Bruin, and I applied. During my interview, I was asked what I was excited to shoot most, and I said sports, because there was always something going on. After looking through previous DB galleries, I noticed energy was a notable component, whether it was fans in the background or the players having the fiercest expressions.

Looking back on that moment and where I am now, I feel very grateful to have been given many cool opportunities to shoot various events. Specifically, the NCAA tournament for women’s water polo and the Pac-12 tournament for softball. Those two events are highlights of my first year because one of the assistant Sports editors, Felicia Keller, graciously drove us to the Bay Area and back to cover six breaking stories in four days. I hadn’t done a breaking story before, but I rapidly got familiar with the process of immediately ingesting the photos and sending them to the Photo editors. It was an amazing experience, especially with UCLA softball and women’s water polo advancing further into their respective tournaments.

I remember as soon as the game ended, I wanted to go onto the field but wasn’t sure if I could. However, I saw other people with media passes go onto the field and figured maybe I was allowed, so I tried and it worked. I was scared of missing crucial moments, so at some point, I started holding the shutter button and hoping for the best. As I was looking for a photo for the Instagram card, I found this one and knew it was one of my favorite ones.

The photo pictured is of the softball team holding the Pac-12 tournament champions trophy with everyone celebrating. Being on the field that night made everything feel so real because although I was just there taking photos, the energy and atmosphere felt so electric.

I still remember the sound of the Wildcats cheering, coaches yelling, shutters going off endlessly. This game against the University of Arizona was not only my first football shoot but also my first time ever attending a football game. During the eight-hour car ride, I was exhausted and questioned, “Is this going to be worth it?” The answer was a profound, “Yes.” When I stepped onto the stadium’s soft grass, I was in awe. Fans started filling the seats, color guards waved their massive flags, and the band played a series of songs that elevated the energy. When the players made their entrance, charging through the field, I was enveloped in the overwhelming energy and smiled. Immediately, I grabbed my camera and started shooting with joy.

This photo shows redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Garbers making a run through the Wildcats’ defense, while his teammates watch him from behind. I like this photo because it is often more common to see quarterbacks throwing the ball rather than sprinting down the field. It illustrates the athleticism and agility football requires quarterbacks to possess. I cannot wait to shoot next year’s games.

Coming into the Daily Bruin my freshman year, my dream was always to shoot a concert – but I never felt like I was ready. As a junior this year, I finally got to accomplish this goal and photographed the Cruel World music festival. It was easily one of the most tiring days of my college experience, as I was on my feet running from stage to stage from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. But it was also one of the most rewarding. I loved seeing the diversity of the attendees, as fans young and old united to sing along to radio hits from audience-favorite groups such as Blondie, Duran Duran and Simple Minds. While I was a fan of the more popular bands already, I got to discover so many artists for the first time, from new age band Dreamcar to 1970s singer Gary Numan.

This photo was one of my last shots from the night and features headliner Duran Duran’s lead singer Simon Le Bon and bassist John Taylor. Overall, the experience was one of the most memorable from this year, and I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity through the Daily Bruin.

As this year’s Photo editor on the Arts beat, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to shoot concerts all around the LA area – from the Belasco to the Palladium to the Wilter. But this one, boygenius’s Halloween-night performance at the Hollywood Bowl, takes the title for the most memorable. I arrived at that shoot already a megafan of the group’s fluid, haunting vocals. Yes, I even dressed up for it, specifically as the creepy doll character from the “Cool About It” music video. The group’s members – Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker – harmonize with such skill that I sometimes wonder if they were 1960s folk singers in another life. What makes this band truly so meaningful to me, though, is its members’ unapologetic pride for their queerness. As a gay person myself, I rarely see LGBTQ celebrities so outwardly expressive of their identities. It’s groups like boygenius who make young, often afraid, queer people feel a little bit more safe and understood.

When shooting this concert, surrounded by thousands of people like me, I felt enveloped by the warmth and comfort of community. I am incredibly grateful that, in the photo gallery we published from this concert, I was able to write in the first person about my connection to the band and the overall experience of attending that performance.

This photo, of two fans kissing while the group played its hit song, “True Blue,” encompasses what I learned that night: Art, whether in the form of a song or a photo, has the power to create a home and a sense of belonging for so many people.

Walking into Pauley Pavilion on game day is a feeling like no other. Around the stadium, anticipation rises, adrenaline rushes and UCLA pride radiates. To me, this photo exudes all three feelings. For my second photo shoot for the Daily Bruin, I had the amazing opportunity to be a photographer at the UCLA men’s volleyball game against Long Beach State. I became consumed with trying to capture decisive moments during the game. The music, the energy, the players and the crowd were mesmerizing as they played off each other, creating the incredible feeling that can only be felt in Pauley Pavilion. As soon as I captured this photo, I knew I had a great shot. The following Monday, I remember heading straight to the fresh stacks of the Daily Bruin in the Rieber Hall lobby, quickly scanning the pages to check if, by chance, my photo was chosen for the article. I have never gasped so big as when I saw my name for the first time in print. No one forgets their first published photo, and it felt unreal that one of my photos was chosen to represent such a pivotal game. I feel incredibly honored to have captured the Bruins as they dealt Long Beach State its first loss of the 2024 campaign.

Capturing international superstar Jay Park, this photo was taken last September at Intercrew in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Holding an exclusive event, Jay Park celebrated the launch of his Korean spirit brand WON SOJU in the U.S. This marks my inaugural venture to red carpet coverage for the Daily Bruin, a moment that still feels surreal. Never did I ever think that I would be able to cover red carpets and concerts. The Daily Bruin has provided precious opportunities, creating invaluable memories throughout my two-year journey as a contributor and then editor.

Capturing Yves Tumor’s performance in UCLA’s Arts Party at the Hammer Museum was an unforgettable experience. As a musicology minor with a deep appreciation for the magic of live music, being able to shoot this event was a unique opportunity for me to capture a display of artistry and energy. This image encapsulates not only a captivating performance but also the vibrant spirit of the UCLA community. The electric atmosphere that fosters a special connection between artist and audience.

This photo was taken the night when the police swept the Palestine solidarity encampment at Dickson Plaza. What took place that night is something that I will carry with me forever. This photo in particular has a lot of significance to me. This night, as well as the nights leading up to it, felt like a haze. Despite so much going on, everyone took the challenge to be at the front lines and ensured that we could provide coverage to the public on the activism on the UCLA campus. I am proud of every single student journalist that I had the honor of working alongside of. Calling back to the moments when the photo was taken specifically, I am proud to have been on the ground with the upcoming Photo editor Zimo Li for the first hours as everything was developing, despite it being less than a week since she had officially hired. I also have to mention my fellow Photo editor Myka Fromm, who was next to me when we were at the top of Janss steps where the photo was taken, after pushing through bushes as we followed the officers up. I also had the honor of this photo being used as the cover of the print paper which went out just a day later; a summary of the dedication that everyone put into the coverage of the encampment.

This was one of the last photos I took after a very, very long night. Aggressors attacked the Palestine solidarity encampment at UCLA for hours before law enforcement intervened, and I captured this moment at 3:41 a.m. I had my first experience with irritant gasses on this night, but the stinging and coughing subsided by the time I took this photo. My pants were drying up after a plastic water bottle was thrown near my legs, and my adrenaline was wearing off as well.

I spotted this protester while police officers were ushering everyone out of Dickson Plaza. Their eyes are slightly off-center and gaze at the officers rather than straight into the camera. I like the sense of vulnerability and calm conveyed by the protester’s expression – even with all the cameras and lights hovering around them.

I’m happy with how this photo turned out, despite the struggles and fear I faced leading up to it. I’m in awe of my peers’ brave coverage of the encampment as a whole, and they make me so proud to be part of the Daily Bruin.

This shot also holds a special place in my heart because Photo editor Megan Cai – watching live from the office with a group of other editors – spotted me on TV and got a video of me right as I took this exact photo.

In my time at the Bruin, I’ve been a contributor, assistant Photo editor, Photo editor and senior staff (though not in that order). My time as a contributor was marked by meeting amazing people both in the newspaper and in the shoots I took. I loved Arts shoots in particular because I had fun talking with students who were creative and passionate. I took these shoots because I enjoyed it.

When I became an editor, I was caught up in the excitement of the big assignments: football, basketball, gymnastics. As the role cut into my time of being a photographer, these big shoots became the few times I actually picked up a camera and it was honestly more stressful than fun. Instead of picking up shoots because I enjoyed it, I took them because I felt obligated.

After almost two years of doing these shoots, I saw an opportunity to be creative again when I decided to photograph fourth-year theater student Juliana Simone, a singer-songwriter who was slated to perform at Spring Sing. During the shoot, I was reminded how much fun photography can be and I had a great time being creative with my shots, getting to know Juliana. This shoot marked a turning point for me, a return to the fulfillment I felt when I was a contributor. As I enter my last year at UCLA, I’m looking forward to more of these shoots.

I spent much of the end of April and the beginning of May covering the Palestine solidarity encampment at UCLA. From the afternoon of its second day in existence to the morning after the sweep, I witnessed it all unfold on the ground as events in Dickson Plaza gained the world’s attention.

I understood my responsibility as a photojournalist to document the moments, the ones we try to remember and the ones we can’t forget, that pushed our campus into the flowing stream of history.

So much is lost between the pages of a newspaper, the behind-the-scenes stories and nuances of coverage that never make it into print. Here’s one of mine:

After spending much of the previous day and night in the office and out covering the police sweep of the Palestine solidarity encampment, I joined a small group of DB staffers, walking out of the office into the darkness to take photographs.

We weren’t planning to go near Royce Hall at first. But we stuck around campus for a while, watching a confrontation between riot police and protesters near the Inverted Fountain before walking over to Kaufman Hall. And then we decided to walk up the side stairs to Royce, where we were allowed entry into the encampment by a handful of officers in riot gear.

Because I had lost my press credential, which was sitting in an office drawer where I found it much later, I had to wear a bright yellow press vest to prove I was a journalist, only hours after being threatened with arrest by CHP officers along with several other photographers as we were trying to cover the police sweep.

I still find it difficult to put into words everything we saw.

These roses lay scattered across the ground near Royce. Red petals gathered over the pink chalk scrawled onto gray pavement and orange brick.

This is where journalism fails me. I don’t know how these roses found themselves here. I can’t say what they meant or to whom they belonged to.

They’re long gone now, probably removed with every other piece of the encampment by maintenance staff only a few hours after I took the picture.

At that moment, I didn’t think to touch them. But now I wonder.

Were they even real?