Campus: Then and now

For the magazine’s “Then & Now” Winter 2025 issue, our photography team worked with Creative Director Bill Thompson to align old photos of campus with current images to show the growth of JMU over the years.

Initially, the photo team tried to use a drone to capture the “now” images but quickly found the technology to be restrictive. Photo Manager Cody Troyer then reached out to Blue Ridge Aviation at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport about chartering a Cessna aircraft for the task. 

Using ChatGPT, Cody had estimated the altitude and lens used in the old photos to be able to direct the pilot and the team to capture the desired shots. During the flight, Rachel Holderman had the idea to use iPads connected to Sony cameras to align the old and new photos, which Thompson used to produce composite images like that of The Village area below.

To see how it all came together, pick up a copy of the Winter 2025 issue of Madison. 

Select images from the flight follow. For the full album of photos, click here.