Student Feature: Christian Lusardi
We invited fourth year Photo Sciences student Christian Lusardi to share some of his experiences at RITphoto. His answers are below
My name is Christian Lusardi and I am a 4th year Imaging and Photographic Technology student from Ridgefield, Connecticut. I became interested in photography at age 9 when I first used a digital camera while on vacation with my family. I found photography to be incredibly freeing and expressive. While in college, I found that I loved the combination of photography and science, which has led me to the place where I am now. I find that I am happiest when I get to use a camera as a tool and utilize its incredible power to capture sometimes invisible data.
Can you share a reason why the photo program at RIT attracted you?
The history and reach that the photo program has was and remains attractive to me. In general, not too many people knew about RIT from my high school, but those who knew about photography, knew about RIT. Their eyes seemed to light up when they heard I was looking into the school. They knew I was heading somewhere great.
Why did you choose RIT?
I chose RIT because of the world renown photography program that is here. I started off my college career as an advertising photography student, so naturally I fell in love with the studios and the facilities here, as well as the deep history that this school has in the photo industry. At the time, I was also considering schools that were only dedicated to the arts but I found the diversity of passions around all of RIT to be more comforting. I did not want to be surrounded by people who were all similar to me, I wanted to see what else was out there, while still getting a phenomenal education in m discipline. RIT seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
How is this community helping to shape your goals
The community has allowed me to follow all of my passions and they have changed over my time here. Going from Ad Photo to Science Photo, I was supported the entire time. The community has encouraged me to be whatever I want to be and to follow whatever I want to do. Even though I tend to be a quieter student, I am still treated just as well as anyone else in the school and am given the same support.
What have been your experiences as a BS student at RIT
My experiences as a BS student have been excellent. After I made the switch from BFA to BS, I never looked back, I knew it was the right decision. I have been challenged to go above and beyond what I thought I was capable of and I find that the work I am doing is rewarding and I want to continue to learn more. I found a new desire to learn more math and computer programming than I ever had in high school. I have enjoyed my programming classes the most. The ability to control a computer to do a custom function was addicting ever since our first “Hello World” program in Instrumentation.
What has been your most challenging assignment as a photography student?
My most challenging assignment as a photography student was the double water drip rig in Instrumentation class. This assignment implemented a lot of coding as well as knowledge about electronic components. It also required a lot of patience as well. We needed to build a rig that would let go of a single drop of water, flowed by a second drop of water a few milliseconds later, then we had to time it perfectly to fire the flash right as the water drop collided at the bottom. Our equipment was being very finicky and our results were not exactly repeatable, but in the end I did get some of my favorite images I’ve taken.
You can share an RITphoto story
One of my first memories of RITphoto was going to the RIT Big Shot in at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. It was an incredibly packed weekend where we were on the move the whole time. While there, I got to meet some incredible people. I remember when the last shutter was closed and the whole track cheered in complete darkness, it was a powerful moment. The best part was seeing the final image and being able to show my family exactly where I was standing, helping the people light up the original section of the grand stands
Have you won any awards?
I won the Jack Renfro Scholarship this past year. I also have been on the Dean’s List for 4 of my 6 semesters at RIT. I also have won the New England Camera Club Scholarship 4 years in a row.
What are you plans after School?
After school I really hope to go on to the graduate program in Imaging Science or a similar field. I would love to end up in the automatic car industry helping to improve the current systems that are in cars. Now is a perfect time to get involved because there is so much innovation happening every day and companies are trying to create the best product they can to ensure they can be a part of the inevitable future. I have always had a passion for cars and cameras, so this seems like a great place for me to go.
