Thomas A. Ferrara

Like many of us, I’m a Long Islander. I was born here. I grew up on the South Shore, went to school, swam at the beaches, played in the streets, and rode my bike far and wide from my town just to see what was in the next one. A typical Long Island childhood.

And like many of us, I went to college here, Nassau Community College and Long Island University. This is where I first fell in love with photojournalism. I took a job taking photos for the school newspaper as a means of meeting new people. I had no idea, at the time, how that decision would change my life. Within weeks, I fell in love with it. I had found my calling, and I was on my way.

We serve the community, we tell people’s stories with our cameras, and as a result of that, we have a hand in documenting the history of Long Island.

I first came to Newsday as an intern; I was completely green, but I was privileged to meet and be taught by some of the best photojournalists in the business. There was a lot to learn then, and now, twenty-something years later, I’m still learning.

Newsday has a tradition of great photojournalism. We serve the community, we tell people’s stories with our cameras, and as a result of that, we have a hand in documenting the history of Long Island. I’m extremely proud to be a part of that.

In my career, I’ve been involved in Newsday’s coverage of many memorable events, some joyous, and some heartbreaking.

Among them were the TWA Flight 800 disaster, the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City, the Gilgo Beach serial killings investigation and Superstorm Sandy’s effects on Long Island. I also was there for Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera’s last days as Yankees. Two World Series, three Super Bowls, multiple national political conventions and the Papal Visit of Pope Francis to America.

I’ve photographed presidents, celebrities and sports icons, but more important, what I absolutely love about my job is that I get to meet ordinary Long Islanders, with extraordinary stories, and I get to help them tell them.