Fascinated with the way the world looks through the lens, Conor Finnerty’s interest in photography began during 7th grade. Now, as a freshman, he is enrolled in the photography. The class has further developed his enthusiasm for the art form. “It’s a great way of expression, and to capture a moment,” said Finnerty.

Finnerty is also a member of the campus photography club, which allows him to sharing his passion with other avid photographers.

Finnerty tries to capture “timeless moments” with his camera. He prefers to use a macro lens for close up shots of objects people wouldn’t ordinarily notice, “like the lady bugs on a flower.” He has developed a knack for finding these unique moments through careful observation and uses an understanding of artistic composition to isolate them in a shot to create a sense of drama or surprise.

Finnerty’s initiative is one of the attributes that has led to success: “He’ll finish up his photoshop lesson and come in before the other students, asking if he can go out with the camera,” said photography instructor Collette Sweeney.

According to his teacher, Finnerty has a particularly strong aptitude for innovation. “From the moment he came in it was apparent that he had an aptitude. He also likes do do problem solving. His style seems to be experimental and using new techniques seems to come naturally,” said Sweeney.

While he is a standout in Sweeney’s introductory course, Finnerty is not ready to embrace photography as a career path. “It is too early to know,” he said. Finnerty understands that, like the perfect shot, planning a future career takes time and precision.