Zero KellyThompson
Zero started taking pictures in middle school with a Kodak film camera; most of the
pictures had their thumb in it but the spark was ignited for their pursuit of photography. That
same year they took that passion and captured many rolls of film of Egypt and The Pyramids.
That was the moment that solidified their path to become a professional photographer. From
there they took a photography class in high school and was encouraged to submit their work to
art shows. Columbia College Chicago became their dream school.
In September of 2020 they moved from Los Angeles to attend Columbia College
Chicago. They graduated in May of 2022 with a bachelor’s in photography with a specialty in
portrait and documentary photography. Their passion project has been ongoing since 2020 of
capturing individuals in the queer community, showing the humanity that hate strips away from
people labeled queer. In 2024 they started their MFA in Photography at Columbia College Chicago.
StatementMy Work explores the queer community in Chicago and my place in it. This is
done through photographing individuals in their neighborhoods. We meet up as
strangers, that connected through an app and leave the photography session that can
last a couple hours as close friends. Meeting on a queer app breaks down the walls
strangers have with each other, and we start from a comfortable baseline. We talk about
our lives, over share, and connect while I’m photographing them. These pictures are not
posed they are a in the moment reactions of these conversations. The photos are a
healing session for the person getting photographed and me taking the images. We get
to talk out of feelings, feel more connected to our community, learn some new things,
and they get picture that make themselves feel beautiful (like they are seeing their
beauty for the first time).
Their reaction is why I keep making my photos. I have been told almost every
time I deliver the photos to the person posing that they never saw themselves the way I
captured them and have never felt so beautiful. As a community we are told that we are
other/different and not considered beautiful, we are beautiful, and I want everyone in the
community to see and experience that.
Company Name
