Axel Cattano is a young man of many talents. The Huntington High School junior is smart, athletic, a great vocalist and an imaginative photographer.
Some of Mr. Cattano’s recent photographs have garnered special attention. He has been working closely with Huntington photography teacher Pamela Piffard-Williams and he’s been learning his lessons well.
The teenager snapped an intriguing photo of his cousin, Sophie Westergren at an apple orchard located in Granby, Connecticut. “She’s very photogenic so I thought that was going to be a really good photo,” Mr. Cattano said.
A second spectacular photo was taken on Martha’s Vineyard. “My friend and I were riding around on our bikes and I was looking for places to shoot photos for my photo project and I saw that tree and it was just the perfect giant tree in a big open green field,” Mr. Cattano.
The junior’s artistic abilities seem to be in his DNA. “Well, my father is a musician and writer and my mother is a fashion stylist and photographer so ever since I was super young I was exposed to all that art and how to interpret that art and I was always a fan of drawing, but photography is way more in the moment and I like that a lot,” Mr. Cattano said.
The teenager uses several different camera, “but I think my favorite one is the Canon D Mark III,” he said.
Among Mr. Cattano’s closest friends this year are Will McClellan, Jaheim Hawkins, Nate Deegan and David Chavez.
“I was always an athletic kid, but I never really joined any sports teams, but last year I joined the fencing team (saber) and I loved it,” Mr. Cattano said. “I’m planning on doing it again this year.”
The junior is close to high school choir director Victoria Garbarino. “She’s been there for me through thick and thin,” Mr. Cattano said. “Ms. Garbarino has really helped me step out of my comfort zone and realize my true potential as a singer.”
The teenager hasn’t made any decisions about his future yet. “I thought about a few colleges, but haven’t thought too heavily about one in particular,” Mr. Cattano said. “But I know that I love math and science, especially biology, and I am a very artistic person. So any school that can really help me build on my knowledge of science and math while also pushing me to embrace my artistic abilities [I would consider.]”
Mr. Cattano is in the midst of a great run. “I’ve really enjoyed my Huntington experience so far,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of great people that are great friends of mine and will continue to be great friends of mine for years to come and Huntington also has a lot of great teachers that have helped me become a better student as well as a better person.”
