We caught up with one of our Toronto campers, Ruby Szczur to learn about her photography journey. Ruby was an honourable mention in our ‘Views From Generation Z” youth photography contest. She has also participated in our Distillery District Photo Tour and our Teen Camp 1 program.
Ruby loves to shoot portraits and is really excited to join us for Teen Camp 2 this summer! Read on to find out more about her photography journey and to learn more about Teen Camp 1.
What inspired you to start taking photos?
Being up at my cottage and being immersed in that beautiful scenery is really what inspired me to start taking photos and being interested in photography. I used my mom’s camera for the longest time (Canon Rebel t3) and I started fooling around with it here and there and ended up getting some great shots! Right then, I realized this was my passion. Last year, I saved up my money and I bought myself a new Canon camera (DSLR) and have been attached to it ever since (literally!). Now I find inspiration almost everywhere I go! I love turning what I see into beautiful photos! Also, since going to the Teen Camp 1 last year, I have been using my camera much more and also using Manual Mode, which I got some great shots with as well. I loved camp last year and learned so many tips and tricks and also had a blast.
What is your favourite photography style?
My favourite photography style is Portraiture (portrait shooting). I love portraiture because I can take a single photo of someone and try to reflect their story within it.
Where are your favourite locations to shoot?
I have always loved shooting pictures at my cottage, in my neighbourhood and downtown, Toronto. In March of this year, I went on a trip to Mexico with my family and I loved all the beautiful scenery. I realized the beauty of taking photos of the ocean and shooting in an entirely different landscape other than in my own country. This summer I would like to practice taking more cool ‘water’ shots, I want to go down to Lake Ontario and also take more photos of my lake at my cottage. There are so many interesting aspects to shooting water images.
What camera do you use?
I use a Canon Rebel t5 camera. I use two lenses such as 18-55mm lens and 55-300mm lens that I share with my mom, who also has a passion for photography.
What’s your next photography purchase?
My next photography purchase will be the sigma 18-35 1.8 Art lens and I am looking into upgrading to a full frame body in the next year.
What advice would you give to other photographers your age?
The advice I would give to future young photographers would be to experiment and try things. When I first got my camera, I did not know how to use it properly so I would just experiment with it, and in return (and sometimes by accident), get some really cool photos! Also, when experimenting, you can learn new things and maybe even improve the way you take a picture.
What are a few other photography styles or techniques do you plan on learning?
I learned how to use the manual mode on my camera, last year in camp. I would love to use that feature when learning to do long exposure photography. I hope to get a chance to shoot a night city scene. I look forward to learning how to do “light painting” photography in Teen Camp 2 this summer!
Just so we can find out a bit more about the person behind the lens, could you tell us…
What is your favourite dessert? My favourite dessert is a vanilla milkshake. Even though it’s not really a dessert……Yum!
What’s your dream vacation destination? I would love to visit Italy. It’s very beautiful there and has great food! Delizioso!
What’s your favourite movie?
Who’s your favourite musician/band? It is hard to pick just one, but I do love Maroon 5, Cardi B and Drake.
What is your favourite kind of pet? A dog, for sure. I mean…. Who doesn’t love dogs?
Learn More About The Camp Ruby Took: Teen Camp 1
If you are a new to photography, this is the place to start! Teen Camp 1 teaches you the basics of photography complete with field trips, manual mode, and a ton of fun.
