Photography

Photography has been a part of nearly my entire life. My most active time was during high school, where I took photography classes and was heavily involved in the Light Writers photography club. During that time I shot, developed, and printed both black and white and color film photographs using the school’s darkroom. My photographs won many awards in various contests and I even sold a few prints. My photos were also featured in Light Writer’s projects including a calendar and a large scale art installation in the school. In addition, I have shot extensively with digital cameras and had one of my prints featured in a Honeywell calendar. As of November/December 2014, I am in the process of renting and analyzing cameras to replace my current Olympus E-520 dSLR.

Sample Portfolio

Select Awards

 

Videography

I’ve dabbled here and there with videography. My main interest revolves around the challenge of filming air shows and composing highlight reels. I’ve also used video in my work and for events with friends, family, and colleagues.

 

Computer Animation

In middle school and high school, I experimented with computer animation. I started with Ray Dream Studio and progressed to various versions of Newtek’s Lightwave 3D for overall animation. I used Poser for character animation with Daz pre-made character packages and Lip Sync Mimic for voice lipsyncing. I even built a small render farm within a server computer chassis to reduce render times. My ambitious goals were overcome by events, but I did manage to produce a couple scenes of an animated short as well as the trailer shown below. The skills I acquired were applicable to CAD work and I still use computer animation occasionally in my work.

 

Music

I started piano lessons when I was four years old and trumpet lessons near the end of elementary school. On the piano, I participated in innumerable recitals and competitions. I also composed an orchestral piece, the digital soundtrack for the trailer above, and the piano piece in the player below, the last of which received state-wide recognition. On the trumpet, I participated in school bands, wind ensembles, and jazz bands in addition to numerous recitals and competitions; I often led the trumpet section. I also briefly formed my own band, the Runaway Five, and we performed at my Bar Mitzvah. I was also able to leverage my trumpet abilities in my ECE 476 final project.

 

R/C Helicopters

I got into flying R/C helicopters in high school with an Align T-Rex 450 helicopter kit and RealFlight G2 simulator. I’ve made numerous modifications and upgrades over the years, including transitioning to the 450XL platform, and I bought an Axe CP for practicing riskier maneuvers. I also have some previous experience with R/C cars.

 

Racing

I enjoy indoor karting at places such as Octane Raceway and Speedway Raceway (now K1 Speed). When the opportunity presents, such as with the Xtreme Xperience, I also enjoy racing exotic cars.

 

And Everything Else

The prior sections of this page only touch on the highlights of my hobbies. My favorite outdoor activities include hiking, biking, zip-lining, riding personal watercraft, kayaking, and gliding (Segway riding). My best sports are bowling, ping-pong, and tennis, although I’ve played my fair share of basketball and, fairly recently, indoor soccer. I enjoy console and PC gaming as well as astronomy. I also enjoy being a tourist while traveling.