West Essex sophomore Skylar Lacerda has begun taking incredible photos of various sports teams. Ever since she took photography as a freshman, she has fallen in love with capturing the moment and sharing her impressive work with the school community.
As Lacerda familiarizes herself with different styles, she has become comfortable using the lenses 70 to 200 millimeters or the 100 to 400 millimeters on a Canon R8.
“A lot of people who don’t take pictures say that it’s really easy,” Lacerda said. “But it’s a lot of just the photographer because you have to determine what settings to use, who to take pictures of, where to go, and how to get the best angles.”
Lacerda first discovered her passion for photography when she sat on the sidelines, taking pictures of different sports teams. She loved the energy of the game along with the action from the players. However, sports photography comes along with plenty of challenges that she has to overcome while taking pictures.
“Some challenges are not being able to go on the field, or get up close for every single sporting event I’ve been to,” Lacerda said. “When I go to baseball games, usually I’m behind the net, which is also a bit tricky to take pictures of.”
Despite these obstacles, Lacerda feels confident in the photos she took, knowing people are going to see her work. One thing she enjoys about her work is that many people admire her photos, along with receiving many compliments about her work.
“It’s a really good feeling because after the game, when I get to edit and upload my pictures, people like them and share them on social media,” Lacerda said.
Looking ahead, Lacerda hopes to turn her high school hobby into a career at the professional level. She loves being so close on the sidelines and getting to watch her favorite sports in person. She is motivated to continue to try and shoot for more other games, especially hoping to take a chance beyond high school sports. Her dream is to eventually photograph NFL or NHL games.
“The only way you’re going to get somewhere is just by asking, and the worst thing that can happen is them saying no.”
As the first in her family to pursue photography, Lacerda hopes that she will inspire others to start getting into photography and will be influenced to do what she loves most.
