Photography

silent black and white images

subdued in their solitude—

drawing me to a place

where there is

no chaos, no rage—

 

hidden in this place

i find only beauty

reflected in still images

of black and white—

 

© Copyright 2007 by Zoë Pamintuan

(8/4/98; 12/15/07)

 

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I’ve been taking photographs since I was in middle school. My mom bought a manual Pentax SLR, gave me the manual, and said “Figure out how this works.” I haven’t stopped taking pictures.

 

In addition to being the family historian, I consider myself primarily a landscape and nature photographer specializing in black and white. I’ve always taken photos of people but it’s only in the last few years that I’ve come to consider myself a portrait photographer.

 

Whether I’m taking photos of the grand views of Yosemite or focusing on the smiling faces of my twin nephews or capturing the love between a couple on their wedding day, photography gives me hope. The world can be an ugly and cruel place and it is in finding beauty that I find hope. A hope that as long as there is beauty to be found, there is hope for a better world.