T.J. D’Andrea is a lifelong photographer.  706 Photography is the outward expression of my digital art.  Considering myself an artist has been a lifelong process.

I am asked where the 706 comes from and it is a bit complicated. I believe it is my life number, a special number for me.  To start with, it was the hull number of the destroyer I served on in the US Navy.  From that point on, it always had a special significance to me.  At the time I was assigned to the ship, I noticed that 706 was the reverse of the area code (607) of my home town.  I know, it is a bit geeky to think along those lines but it is who I am.

I am technically trained (Mechanical Engineering and Math/Physics). So I do think a bit like a geek. Good photographs are in the eye of the beholder. Understanding the equipment is essential to bringing the image I want to see, to life.  So this is what’s in my bag:

Nikon D750 and Nikon D7100 Bodies

Sigma DX 17-70mm 2.8-4.0 Zoom

Nikkor DX 85mm 3.5 Macro           

Nikkor F 80-200mm 1:2.8 Zoom     

Nikkor  DX 35mm 1.8 Prime 

Nikkor F 50mm 1.4G Prime

I have always had a simple straight forward approach to photography.  The digital world has opened a door that allows my dark room to be a photographer's dream.  I use Adobe Lightroom and Elements to process my images. It is also a portable darkroom, making the processing of photos much more immediate.  This digital technology has not changed my simple approach of wanting to capture the reflected light of what is appealing to my creative instincts at the time.  If I were to assign a genre to my work, it would be to shoot it as it is, without the side effects that are capable today.  My first requirement is to make a "good negative".  This comes from my technical understanding of the camera/lens combination and how it captures that reflected light onto my photo sensor.  The hard part of this art is to capture what is real to me in a form that reflects this simple approach.

By definition, the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces is photography.  I hope to be always original and fresh in my approach. Giving the viewer the essence of my art.