Beyond the Aperture: An Inside Look at Photography

Photography is merging with society in a fast and fierce way.

In the past, cameras were only used by professional photographers and those that had enough money to dabble in them.

Because photography is an expensive hobby, a lot of consumers use point-and-shoot cameras, such as a Nikon CoolPix or a Canon Powershot. iPod touches and iPhones have multiple applications for photography, further peaking the interests of the public.

With the interest in photography rising, more and more people have turned from point-and-shoot cameras to DSLR cameras, or digital single-lens reflex cameras, ones with interchangeable lenses, such as the one I have now. 

In this blog, I would like to give you the best tips possible for amazing photographs that you can take yourself, as well as my best shot of the week. But first, a little background information:

I am a born and raised Wantagh resident who always had an intense love for nature and animals in them. In my second year of high school, I took a photograph with an Olympus point-and-shoot camera of the sun setting behind the New York City skyline...while shooting it in my mother's car on the Throgs Neck Bridge. Amazingly enough, it wasn't blurry at all and the photograph changed my life forever. I knew then and there that I wanted to be a photographer.

For my sixteenth birthday, I received my first DLSR camera- a Canon EOS Rebel xTi. I ran around for years with my simple 18-55mm lens, trying to get the best shots possible. This sometimes included getting very up-close and personal with friends and family. That was when I knew I needed a better lens and bought my first zoom lens, a 70-200mm. (If you don't understand this, don't worry. I will explain it all in future blogs.)

Now, almost five years later, I finished my second and final year at Nassau Community College as a photography major with a 3.63 overall GPA (a 3.91 GPA in photography) and am continuing my education in photography at Sage College of Albany. I recently purchased a Canon 60D, a much needed upgrade from my five-year-old beginner's DLSR and am falling in love with my photography all over again. I am writing this blog to share that love with all of you.

This week, check out some of my past favorite shots. Check out my first "favorite shot of the week" next time!