A photographer who moved to North Shields from Reading to document the North East is preparing for her biggest exhibition yet, celebrating the people, places and everyday moments that make the region special.
Gaby Zak, known for her striking landscape photography and documentary work, is to launch a large-scale pop-up shop at Newcastle Quays, North Shields from Thursday, July 9th, with a special event on Saturday, July 12 featuring local North East DJs, food stalls, and opportunities to meet the photographer behind the lens.
Photography has been part of Gaby’s life since childhood. Inspired by regular family trips to Scotland, where her grandparents lived in Dumfries and Galloway, she developed a fascination with landscapes and the power of capturing a moment in time.
“I’ve always been creative,” said Gaby. ” I chose photography at A-level and I love the outdoors, the world amazes me, and I just wanted to capture it.”
Photography had long been a passion; it was during the Covid pandemic that she transformed it into a career.
“During Covid I picked up my camera and posted my work every day online. I began researching ways to get my work published and secured features and interviews. From there, things just started to grow.”
Today, she specialises in landscape and nature photography and has become known for her documentary projects capturing the North East. Her acclaimed black-and-white documentary series has now reached its third volume, documenting local people, communities and the character of North East. The work has been published as a series of books, with many residents collecting each edition.
“I love telling people’s stories through photography,” she said. “Often people don’t even realise they’re being photographed. It’s about capturing genuine moments and showing the beauty in ordinary life,” she said.
Working alongside manager Kelly Hodgkiss, Gaby has developed projects that celebrate local identity while creating a visual record of life in the region.
Kelly said: “Gaby has a unique ability to capture moments that people can’t forget.
“She has a special ability to capture the mundane beautifully. People see a photograph and recognise a street they walked down every day or a familiar moment from their own lives. That’s why her work resonates so strongly.”
The pop-up shop represents Gaby’s first pop-up store. The expanded venue will allow visitors to explore collections of her work, including landscapes across the North East and beyond, documentary photography and immersive projection displays featuring seasonal woodland scenes. Visitors can also book photo sessions during the event, with Gaby setting up a dedicated photography space.
For Gaby, the pop-up store is about more than displaying photographs, it’s letting people find their moment.
“I want people to look at the images and think, ‘That’s my place.’ I want people to feel proud of where they come from and see themselves within the beauty that’s all around them.”
Following the event, Gaby is already planning the next chapter of her documentary series, with Volume Four currently in development.
“People keep asking when the next book is coming out” she said. I’m always taking photographs, so the next project is never far away.”
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Photo: Gaby at Newcastle Quays (Kelly Hodgkiss)
PR and Media keitH@highlightspr.co.uk 07814 397951