Senior Zachary Porter has always loved watching sporting events, but he said he will rarely be found in the stands with the other fans. Instead, he roams the sidelines with a Nikon D5200 camera around his neck while watching the game for a purpose other than just for the love of the sport.
According to Porter, he found his love for photography on a family vacation to Alaska three years ago. With a beginner’s camera that he bought with Bar Mitzvah money, Porter shot landscapes and “experimented with what he could really do with a camera.”
As an amateur photographer, Porter first looked online to learn the principles of photography and then started taking photography class as a sophomore at Glenbrook North to gain further insight on how to apply new technique to his shots.
“You got to learn what all the settings on your camera are and learn where to move and where to get the shot, but after a while it just becomes second nature,” Porter said.
Specifically with sports, Porter said he finds it disorientating to watch a game through a camera.
“You have to be able to focus on where the ball is,” said Porter. “You can’t look at the other players. It’s difficult to gather your senses when you’re focusing on something far away while you’re looking through a tiny window [on the camera]. Sometimes you can peek outside the camera to see where everything is, but then you [have] just got to snap the picture.”
According to Porter, his favorite shot was taken during his first shoot. By surprise, 15 minutes into a junior varsity football game, he took an action shot with three players and one football in the air.
Along with his sports photography, Porter said he got a unique opportunity to take landscape shots in Maine at Acadia National Park.
“We hiked to the top of the mountains, got a couple pictures there,” said Porter. “I woke up early in the morning at 5:30 to get the sunrise above the water which was pretty difficult, but I managed to do it.”
In addition to being a hobby, photography is also a job for Porter as he works for CSLinsider, an online newspaper. Porter also created a website to serve as a portfolio for future employers.
“Being on an online newspaper is a pretty cool thing,” said Porter. “I never thought I’d be published. I don’t just do it for the money, but it’s a fun job to go out onto the field.”
Art teacher Robert Milkowski taught Porter in all 4 photography class levels and currently teaches Porter for his fourth semester.
“[Porter] works all the time to perfect his craft,” said Milkowski. “He’s constantly shooting pictures outside of class and doing things that interest him with photography. Just going beyond the general assignments. He’s constantly working to improve.”
According to Porter, finding a subject to photograph is not difficult.
“You just got to walk around and look at every single angle possible to see what the most interesting angle is,” said Porter. “Every situation is different.”