Best Photographer
Best Visual Artist
Zach Adams has been interested in photography since he was introduced to it by his high school art teacher. Adams has been working solely as a photographer since July 2022. Whether it's event coverage, high school seniors, families, or models or creative art, "pretty much anything you need a picture of, I'm willing to try," says Adams.
Adams' pictures often capture that special quality of aliveness, that sparkle of beauty, or really, that certain je ne sais quoi, because it is so hard to translate the emotions evoked by his pictures into words.
His amazing photo of Reggie Guyton performing poetry recently graced the cover of Activator Magazine's Black Artists Matter 2023 special edition. Adams says he waits for the right moment to capture such passion. "I will just have my lens on somebody until I think it's the right time to snap the picture. I pay attention also to what that person is doing. Whether it was actually listening to Reggie, or feeling his words, if I get attached to what they're doing, I can capture what they're doing, too."
After a sudden near-death health crisis in September, Adams is healing up and looking forward to the future. In November, he will be a guest artist at the Pharmacy, with 15 pieces in a portraits exhibit. The only photographer, Adams' section is named p(ART)s of Us. His success seems to still be sinking in, as he says he has just received one of his first prints back and "it's crazy seeing my work that big!"
In December, Adams will be covering the 97th Urban League Conference, featuring acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler as the guest speaker. "I'm extremely excited to meet him. I'm going to give him all my information!"
