I'm not quite sure what I'm stepping into, yet I'm sincerely intrigued and full of optimistic curiosity. As the algorithms on most social media platforms seem increasingly designed to suppress, I've felt less and less inclined to post anything meaningful. I'm hoping this space will reignite my desire to share 'cause I've got more original content than I'll ever know what to do with.
So, who am I and why do I suppose I'm worth following? Allow me to introduce myself and my intentions for this space – in both words and visuals.
I'm Zipporah Lomax, known by most as simply 'Zippy'. My namesake was Moses' wife from the old testament, meaning 'Little Bird' in Hebrew (or some variation of 'bird', depending on who's translating.) That's me, up there, sitting pretty in the Costa Rican jungle, as seen by my dear friend, Edu.
A San Francisco native, I made the move to Portland, Oregon in late 2012. Though I've lived in other rain-drenched cities (Seattle & Vancouver, BC), the lushness of this place has turned me into a pluviophile – a lover of rain. I'm certifiably obsessed and spend an unreasonable amount of time on the hunt for perfect, watery spheres.
Though I'm creatively multi-faceted, photography is my primary focus – both professionally and otherwise – with a particular strength for portraiture and a keen appreciation for kids and all things tiny.
Photography has always held a particular magic for me – this incredible technology that allows us to archive ephemeral moments – to gather illuminated details and fleeting reflections and make a record of them – to, quite literally, write (graph) with light (photo.)
To my eye, light speaks the most beautifully poetic language. Studying its linguistic patterns has been one of my life's greatest joys – as well as my most reliable coping mechanism.
Whether viewing miniature worlds through an olloclip and iPhone or wielding a Canon 5D Markiii in observation of humans across the globe – if I've got a camera in hand, I'm a happy little bird.
Along with more than a decade of pro photo experience, I've traveled extensively, studying diverse cultures through my trusted prime lenses. Stamps in my passport include Canada, Costa Rica, India, Nepal, Guatemala (South America) and many countries in Southeast Asia.
Notably, I've had the honor of being part of Burning Man's official 'Doc Team' for the last 4 years (I've been attending since 2000) and recently self-published my first photo-book: Dusty Playground – featuring portraits of the children of Black Rock City. As the BMOrg is quite strict about use of related media, sharing here would require clear permissions – something I'm not yet sure I could (or should attempt to) acquire. For now, you'll just have to imagine (or – if curious – do a good 'ole google search.)
I've also been tasked with documenting numerous festivals over the last 6 years, including Envision, Symbiosis, Lightning In A Bottle (LIB), BassCoast, Beloved, Bali Spirit, Faerieworlds, The Oregon Country Fair and more. Though I've taken a bit of a hiatus from such work, I still appreciate all the beautiful faces I've encountered and deeply value the friendships forged with an impressive list of talented musicians and artists.
Aside from all things camera, I may occasionally post glimpses of my other artistic and musical creations. I suppose that'll depend on how welcome I feel here and whether or not it seems safe to share my less polished offerings. Time will tell!
I do hope I've piqued your interest. Regardless of your decision to follow along or not, THANK YOU for taking a moment to meet me here. I feel a bit like the new kid in class, delivering my intro, fingers crossed that I get more than blank stares in response.
If you're keen, please leave a note below so I know who to look out for – I'm excited to see what the rest of you are sharing.
Until next time,
xo • Zippy
