LIFE + FILM PHOTOGRAPHY WITH ZHAMAK
Updated: Mar 25, 2020
GUSTO35 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
WRITTEN BY: ALEC WELSH
Zhamak is originally from Iran, but moved to Vancouver, Canada as a child. Her father was an architect and her Mother an artist. "It was a super art-oriented household". One would think that she was born a creative, but that's not the case.
"It was a super art oriented household".
Possibly out of a typical child's rebellion, Zhamak "wasn't really into art at all. I was really interested in sciences and I went to university for pre-medicine. I wanted to be a heart surgeon." But she decided to leave school in her fifth year. "Actually I'm just going to be a photographer and be broke".
What would spark such a transition into the photographer we know today? Well, due to Canada's elective process within their educational system, she was practically forced to take a magazine class that her counselor recommended.
"I didn't have any more art classes I could take, I didn't like anything". The professor was curious as to what her capabilities were to see how she could contribute. "I don't do shit, I'm a nerd. Uh, my dad has a camera?" This is where she started,
"I was shooting all my friends trying to figure it out. I had to learn how to understand exposure and shutter speed and F-stop, like all that shit, by myself. The photos were so terrible".
Not long after, Zhamak start buying up disposable point-and-shoots. She kept one on her at all times. "I became that person with the camera always around". At nineteen, she bought her first real film camera, but was used to operating her parents' Pentax ME. "In general it's super cool that we're getting into film, everyone's shooting film.
"When you shoot for clients on tour, it's always instantaneous, 'I want those photos sent my phone right now'. As a film photographer, well, that's not really how it works."
Zhamak is clearly content with where film stands now, but as for what's next, "I wanna go to Paris for fashion week... I'm working on an art show, it all involves my photography, I just want to do more off-instagram shit". We'll be eagerly awating Zhamak's plans to take the tangibility aspect of film to the next level.