The photochemical reactions of (p-benzoylphenyl)diphenylmethyl (1) and (p-benzoylphenyl)bis(4-tertbutylphenyl)methyl (2) in various solvents were investigated. The photophysical parameters of the first excited doublet state of the radicals were measured using spectroscopic and kinetic methods and led to a "molecular rotor" model to characterize the excited-state behavior. The charge-transfer excited state for both radicals was observed. Photoproducts separated from the photolysis of 1 and 2 in benzene suggest photodecomposition proceeds via H-abstraction (55%), fragmentation (20%), cyclization (10%), and addition (10%).