Manuel Ayala, a freshman at FHS, began his photography journey when he was simply looking for something to do. 

“I just wanted a hobby,” Ayala said.

He noticed another student in his grade, Elmer Gomez, with a camera. He liked Gomez’s photos, which led him to consider — and eventually begin — photography. From there, he picked up a Canon EOS t6i, a 75-300mm lens, an 18-55mm lens and decided to give photography a try.  

“Starting out, when it comes to equipment, don’t buy the best ones, because it might not always be the best, you gotta know how to use it,” Ayala said.

He found it difficult to find objects and subjects to photograph at first, so he started by taking photos of his friend’s car, which he later shared on Instagram.

“I really liked how they turned out for the first time using my camera,” Ayala said. “I was excited to show people my work, but I had to learn how to edit.”

He considers learning to edit his photos to be the hardest obstacle in photography that he has overcome. So far, he has taken a liking to sports photography and taking photos of cars. Ayala plans to continue photography throughout high school and potentially make money through it.

While Ayala was learning the ropes of photography, the classmate who had originally inspired him was continuing his photography journey himself. 

Gomez’s inspiration for his photography came from his cousins. After getting himself a Sony A7 IV, he experimented with taking photos of his friends, sunsets and anything he could find outside.

“I liked them because they showed real moments. Looking at them now, I can see how much I’ve already learned,” Gomez said. 

To Gomez, photography isn’t just a way to capture how something looks, but it’s also a way to capture the feelings behind a moment.

“I liked the idea that a photo could make someone feel something, not just see it,” Gomez said. 

In the beginning, Gomez didn’t exactly know what he was doing; he was simply excited to get into it. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous. As he took more photos, he began to like landscape and nature photos and now prefers cinematic composition. 

“It just felt natural to me,” Gomez said. 

Finding time to take photos has proved to be a challenge for Gomez; however, he sees himself continuing photography throughout his life. 

“I think photography will always be a part of me,” Gomez said. “Every picture felt like a way to show how I see things.”