Marketing and Communications staff and students at work
Often when you see a photo, you are not aware of all the details that go into making that photo a reality. In the Marketing and Communications office at Berea College, we partner with Director of Photography and Digital Engagement Crystal Wylie ’05 and her team of student photographers to bring our print and digital publications to life through great images. After many long discussions and idea sessions about the cover of our summer magazine, our staff settled on the idea of a farm table set in a picturesque location in Appalachia lavished with foods that would be represented at family gatherings in Appalachia. The theme of the Summer 2021 issue was completely focused on Berea’s Appalachian connection, and we wanted to represent that in a way that was inclusive and beautiful, yet not stereotypical and trite.
Pulling off the photo shoot was no easy task. We gathered staff members, students and other alumni to help us represent Berea well. And we wanted to be sure the food and setting told just as much a story of Appalachia as the people around the table. Food was ordered from local restaurants, including spoonbread from the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant. Place mats were borrowed from Student Craft, specifically from a brand new design called The Bell Patch, created by craft student Isabella ’22 from Homewood, Ala. A table, originally crafted by alumnus Charlie Thomas ’02, was driven out to Owsley Fork Reservoir, which served as the beautiful Appalachian backdrop for the entire photo shoot.
We hope you enjoy a glimpse behind the scenes of just one example of how our Marketing and Communications staff work to make each piece we put out the best it can be.
Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
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Owsley Fork Reservoir is a picturesque location outside Berea. This drone photo shows the beautiful Appalachian setting we chose for the cover photo shoot. Photo by Jay Buckner 
Looking out across the Owsley Fork Reservoir from the bank. This was part of framing up the perfect shot for the cover image. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Behind the scenes as Marketing and Communication staff members begin setting the table for the magazine cover photo shoot. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
Berea College students working in Marketing and Communications assist with photo shoots, capturing images for print publications, digital marketing and social media. Photo by Jalen Prater ’21 
Alumnus Scott Darst ’02 places mashed potatoes on the table. Mashed potatoes with melted butter is a staple at any southern meal. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Photography students Siree ’22 and Osman ’23 direct placement of food for the photo shoot. Photo by Anh Ngo ’23 
Warm, fluffy biscuits are essential to complete a southern hospitality meal. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Anh ’23 kneels to get a better angle for taking photographs. 
Nothing says home like a child feeding her dog under the table. This is Jaci, age 11, feeding Willow. Both are members of Abbie Darst’s ’03 family. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
The oldest sweet tea recipe in print comes from a community cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree, published in 1879. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
“Corn was the very heart of southern Appalachian agriculture. Throughout the 19th and well into the 20th century, corn and corn leaves served as the primary source of nutrition for southern Appalachian farm families and their livestock. The crop required little cultivation…and could be grown in rocky soils and on steep hillsides.” —University of Tennessee Knoxville Library, Agricultural database. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
Capturing images for social media is part of the students’ job during special photo shoots as well. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Berries picked from the Berea College Farm, mixed with grapes were the perfect fresh addition to the meal. The placemat in the background was designed by y Isabella ’22 from Homewood, Ala. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Student Ahn ’23 photographs Siree ’22. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
Crystal Wylie ’05 photographs an up-close image of macaroni and cheese, another common food served at southern meals. Photo by Jalen Prater ’21 
Spoonbread, which is more like a cornbread soufflé with bread-pudding consistency, dates back to the 1700s when local settlers adapted the Native American tradition. In Berea, that tradition continues at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant every lunch and dinner, which starts with a serving of the famous dish. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Owsley Fork Reservoir is a picturesque location outside Berea. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Fresh berry pie served at the end of a homestyle southern meal. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
From lemonade stands to family reunions, cold lemonade on a hot summer day is a universal comfort. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
“Southerners were not the first people in the world to fry chickens, of course,” noted John F. Mariani, one of the authors of The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. “The Scottish may have brought the method with them when they settled the South. And fried chicken did not become particularly popular in the northern United States until well into the nineteenth century.” Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
Deviled eggs seem to be common at Appalachian meals. The earliest known American recipe for deviled eggs was printed in the Montgomery Advertiser, a local news publication in Montgomery, Ala., in 1877. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
Behind the scenes photo shoots also include snapping photos of our students enjoying the beauty of the location. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
Marketing and Communications students and staff relax by the reservoir at the end of a long day, enjoying the beautiful sunset over the water. Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 
As the day came to a close, the sun set over the beautiful water of the Owsley Fork Reservoir. Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’23 
Berea College Marketing and Communication staff and students toast to a job well done at the conclusion of the photo shoot. Photo by Jay Buckner
