Coming from a small town, 40 minutes outside New York City has given me the opportunity to live an exciting double life for as long as I can remember. Being immersed in a relatively ‘normal’, suburban community outside of the realms of city mayhem, has allowed me to develop a more clear understanding of my focuses and studies. However, the city is constantly shouting at me from across the Hudson, and making my way over to FIT would definitely heed to that call.

Between weekly dance lessons, student council, SAT preparation, and a part-time job, taking on another responsibility is probably the last thing I should be doing right now. But making the most of my teenage years is something that is very important to me. I have three friends who have taken Precollege classes at FIT in the past; all of them constantly raving about the amazing professors, cool new classmates, and of course, the constant overflow of assignments. I am taking HPH 168 Introduction to Traditional and Digital Photography, for I am eager to improve my technique and mediums used in this art form. I am also in the process of adapting to my own style of creativity when shooting. Being exposed to new points of view and creative thinking while shooting will definitely open my mind and allow me to shoot to my strengths. As great as the suburbs are, if you want to be surrounded by muses and creative inspiration, I believe that the city is the place to be.

I’ve been experimenting with my DSLR camera since I was in eighth grade, and this year I was elected to be my school’s junior class Historian. As Historian, it is my responsibility to take photos at all important school events, which brings joy to the students and faculty alike (and also helps to improve their Instagram feeds). Seeing as though this is one of the less fashion-oriented courses, I feel that I have a few things to expose readers to that wouldn’t be touched upon by other bloggers this semester.

I hope to leave this course with not only a new understanding of photography, but also an adequate exposure to a college-like course, new friends that share the same creative interests, and a more assured idea about what I would like to do with my future. Seeing that I plan on majoring in Communication Design, a creative Precollege course focused on a vital element in that field would greatly assist me in making a final decision on my major when the time comes. I couldn’t be more excited to begin class in a few days, and to be exposed to a side of photography that I have never experienced before.

-Francesca