As I learn more and more about photography, I decided it would be a good idea to just show off my best works on the site. So now there's a photography page on the top bar. If that's too difficult a link to find, click here.
Here's the short history of photography for me. I started taking pictures seriously when editors started asking if I have a good camera for product shots. So I started borrowing my mom's Nikon D40x. Around the same time I'd just started classes at CSUN, so I signed up for a introductory photography class. The two went hand-in-hand. The first week we had an assignment and my teacher was amazed at how well I did. I used a photo similar to the shot above. Cheers all around made me feel like a pro.
Ironically, I had no idea what I was doing and just played around with various settings. But I did have my research on what cameras were good, and ended up giving a short 10 minute lecture to the class about DSLR brands. Fun stuff.
As I worked for Tom's Guide, I never had a need to produce high-quality and unique pictures. The site didn't really push photography much, and I was never asked to do something special. Some of the better ideas for shots I had were either too difficult or too time-consuming to do. In fact, I can't think of a single article that demanded any significant thought or effort into photography.
Then I pitched Gizmodo to review the Alienware M11xR2 and got the greenlight. I know Matt Buchanan is a photography freak, and that the senior staff drools over good pictures. Mark Wilson - who gave me the go-ahead to write the review - is especially big on photography, so I knew I had big shoes to fill. Joel Johnson even recently returned, and he oversaw the review's editing and photography (which I didn't know until after I submitted the review).
So when I sent in my shots and was told how good they were, it meant a lot. Now I aim to have at least one excellent shot - usually the headlining image - for every review. I carry my camera around more for great shots, because you never know when the moment strikes. In any case, my best stuff I'll put on the photography page for all to see.
