Meet Zoe
I’ve always loved to capture the world through my eyes. Looking at old photos of family, friends, and pets always brings me joy when I need it the most.
This is my story.
2008 - The Beginning of my photo journey.
My mom gave me my first point-and-shoot camera when I was a little girl, around 8 years old. It was a pink (my favorite color at the time…and still now) digital one and I instantly fell in love. At first, it was just me taking silly photos of myself or my brother and capturing moments in our everyday lives. I wasn’t allowed to take it to school, but as you can see in the self-portrait below…I took it on the bus with me anyway. My brother and I kept each other’s secrets: If I didn’t tell on him for bringing his Nintendo D.S. to school, he wouldn’t tell on me for bringing my camera. As life went on and I got older, I was encouraged by family members to keep taking photos. They could tell I enjoyed it and were supportive of my love for it — they always saw it as my passion.
2013 - The Spark.
Around 13, my uncle decided he didn’t want his DSLR camera. He said it was too large to travel with and knew I had a love for cameras so he gave it to me for Christmas. I was in shock! This was a huge game-changer for me. A real camera with a big lense and all the settings, high-quality photos. This sparked a whole new level of excitement for me. Photo ideas were doubled and my creativity was instantly sparked with fresh perspectives.
2014-Now
Throughout my teenage years, I got the chance to take a few photography classes and A.P. Art. I learned about past photographers who had the same passion I do. Each artist had a completely different approach, but all were loved in their own special ways. I still look back and admire these artists as their unapologetic art is how they expressed themselves. I got to learn how to use a film camera and we developed the film ourselves in the class dark room. This science of taking photos without knowing how they turn out, viewing your work on the projector, choosing your art to develop on the paper, and intricately watching the clock as you move the paper from one chemical bath to the next. The most amazing part for me was emerging into the light with my finished product and viewing the picture that I had created with my own hands.
This moment — whether it’s a film or digital photo — of seeing the final product of my work is the part that is euphoric for me.
It is my art and I’m the artist.
Shelley
