UK’s Chet White Named Kentucky Sports Photographer of the Year

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky boasts the Kentucky Sports Photographer of the Year for the second year in a row as UK’s Chet White was honored by the Kentucky News Photographer Association this past week.
 
White’s 10-photo submission included imagery depicting the Kentucky men’s basketball team, football team, baseball team, swimming and diving program, softball team, and track and field squad.
 
Kentucky photographers have claimed that award two years in a row as Elliott Hess picked up the same honor for 2018.
 
“I’m so proud of Chet and our talented group of photographers,” Executive Associate Athletics Director for Brand & Content Tim Bernal said. “It’s great to see their work celebrated at this level. Chet does a tremendous job connecting our fans to the teams they support with compelling visual storytelling. He travels all over the country with our teams and that labor of love is exemplified brilliantly through this collection of images.”

White is in his 10th season as a photographer for UK’s 22-sport athletics department.

Chet is the most tenured member of Kentucky’s award-winning photography department. During White’s decade at UK, the photography staff has expanded to cover all home events for UK’s 22 sports.

White oversees the scheduling of all photo shoots and serves as the primary photographer for the men’s basketball team, including traveling to all away games and postseason events. He contributes heavily to Kentucky’s social media presence.

White won first and third place in the sports action category at the 2018 Kentucky News Photographer Association photo contest. He also took home first place and third place at the 2017 KNPA contest in the sports feature category. He’s earned honorable mention in the portrait category in back-to-back years.

White previously worked as a staff photographer at the News and Advance in Lynchburg, Virginia. He began his career at the Morning News in Florence, South Carolina.