Information Technology Services (ITS)
IT@UofT People — Neda Demiri
Published on: October 18, 2022
The backbone of any successful team is its hard-working people. The University of Toronto’s Information Technology Services (ITS) unit is no exception. It is made up of a diverse range of people with an even greater diversity in their interests and talents.
In this segment, entitled “IT@UofT People,” we will get to know our IT@UofT team across the tri-campus community and find out more about their hidden or not-so-hidden talents and/or pursuits outside of work.
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Department: EASI
Title: User Experience & Process Design Assistant
How long have you worked at U of T?
I’ve worked at U of T for three and a half years.
What is your secret or not-so-secret talent or hobby outside of work?
I have a lot of hobbies that involve working with my hands, like DIY projects and sewing, but currently photography is the hobby that I spend the most time on.
How and why did you get involved in these hobbies?
My sister bought me a DSLR camera when I was graduating from university, so that was my first experience experimenting with a camera.
Since then, I’ve become more involved in the photography community online (exploring photography pages on Instagram and Flickr) and in-person (meeting with other photographers and admiring their work). This exploration has led me to realize I really love the look and feel of film photography, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do more of.
I bought a couple film cameras and have been taking more film photos over the last several years. I really like the way they turn out – the colours look so much like real life, and you really feel like you are inside the scenery. It’s a very grounding experience. There’s a certain quality to them that you can’t get with digital photos.
Film photography can get expensive, so I don’t want to waste a shot, which encourages me to slow down and really take in the scene before shooting. This encourages me to notice the world around me and helps me be more present in the moment.
Do you have any professional training?
No, I’m self-taught but I’d love to take classes in the future.
Who/what are your inspirations?
I really like the visuals in Greta Gerwig and Luca Guadagnino’s movies, especially those shot on 35mm film. Call Me by Your Name and Little Women are some of my favourite movies because the visual impact really elevates the storytelling.
I also really like Joe Greer’s film photography work – the colours of his photos always blow me away. Similarly, Dan Tom, a California-based photographer, takes beautiful shots of the ocean on his iPhone. Both photographers do a lot of landscape work, which is what I find most inspiring. Living in Toronto, there’s a lot of concrete, so photography pushes me to look for more greenery in and outside the city.
