Student Aims To Master The Shutter
/By Jano Tantongco
jtantongco@longislandergroup.com
Balancing the finer points of shooting and editing, Huntington High School photographer Alyssa Fox is honing her skills in the art of photography.
Alyssa Fox, a senior at Huntington High School, is on her way to master the finer points of aperture, shutter speed and white balance as she attempts to capture the individuals, emotions and the zoomed-in side of life.
She’s started her path by taking both digital and film courses in photography and has now fully dived into Advanced Placement 2D Photography with Pam Piffard, Huntington High School photography teacher. She also attends Wilson Tech, a technical school, part-time to study the art.
Having taught Fox for three years, Piffard said she possesses a “natural talent.”
“She works really hard and her determination has really paid off. Her portfolio is a beautiful display of her talents,” Piffard stated. “This year Alyssa is in my AP-2D class and she has developed a beautiful concentration that focuses on mental health issues.”
Fox said that she wanted to paint a picture of how those with such issues see the world.
“For my AP concentration I chose mental illness because I’ve suffered with mental illness for a really long time. I wanted to get awareness out there,” Fox said.
Having struggled with mental illness herself, Fox also aims to shed light and bring awareness to the issue through her art.
The 17-year-old said her begins in photography began when she picked up a Kodak disposable camera as a child. At age 10, she took hold of her first digital camera and fell in love. Today, she uses a Canon Rebel T5 digital camera and particularly enjoys macro nature photography, portraits and capturing close-ups the human body.
“It shows personality and the quality of the person. It tells a story,” Fox said.
She attributed her growing abilities and confidence to the high school’s photography program.
“It has provided the materials and the dark room to help advance my skill in film photography, as well as teaching me my way around Photoshop, which I now know fairly well,” Fox stated. “In addition, Mrs. Piffard has made me feel more confident in myself and my work. It’s an amazing program that I am so lucky to be a part of.”
Photographer Alyssa Fox has studied both film and digital photography at Huntington High School and currently uses a Canon Rebel T5 digital camera.
She plans to continue her higher education to master the art and eventually dreams of working in the field, starting a business of her own or potentially working in the field of journalism. She is currently gathering her work together to produce a comprehensive portfolio. She’s applying to various schools, and has her sights set on SUNY Purchase College in Westchester.
“Photography is my passion and I wouldn’t feel right doing anything else as a career,” Fox stated.
She also expresses herself as a painter, and is exploring graphic design, too.
“I try to incorporate art into everyday life because without it I feel dull and boring. From my fashion sense to the way I decorate my room, it all has art involved in some shape or form, Fox stated. “I also take photo at Wilson Tech. So basically my day is photo, photo, photo!”.
