Welcome to Zach Fry Photography

Even though I am just now starting my photography website and blog, I am not new to the joy of photography. Photography has been one of my passions since I took my first picture with my own camera when I was 8. For many years, I just enjoyed capturing moments I wanted to remember in the form of a snapshot. Later on I became intrigued with photography as more of an art form. I was always looking for unusual angles in which to take my photographs. Being active in 4-H, it was only natural to add photography to my list of projects. This provided a way to share my work with others and have it critiqued by those more knowledgeable than myself. I learned on my mom's 35mm Minolta SLR (manual only). Photography soon became one of my favorite projects. I went to 4-H Photography Camp in the summers and learned from professionals and other enthusiastic peers. It was very rewarding to see my work at the Kansas State Fair year after year and eventually receive Best of Show. When I was old enough, I enrolled in Photography night classes through the local community college, where I further progressed my skills and learned darkroom techniques. It was partially due to these classes that I developed a love for black and white photography. During my senior year of high school, my art teacher encouraged me to enter the National Scholastic Arts Competition. I entered as many categories as I could including a portfolio category which featured twelve of my nature photographs, each carefully framed in my own handmade mattes. I was thrilled to receive the Gold Key Award and have my portfolio featured in a gallery in New York City. I also had several of my photos published in national calendars around the same time and even had one of my local photographs chosen as a gift to the Kansas governor. I continued entering contests and eventually earned enough money to buy my first digital camera, a Canon Powershot A80. It was a great little camera while it lasted (about 4 years). I have now upgraded to a Canon 40D SLR. Throughout college, photography was forced to the back burner. I still took pictures whenever I could, and even enrolled in a Digital Photography class, but I no longer had the time to just shoot to my heart's content. However, even though photography was no longer a focus, I feel that during those four years I really expanded my concepts and techniques. Now that I have graduated and have more free time, I am beginning to explore again... searching for new techniques and creative ways to share my view through the lens.