Zoe Timmers

Zoe Timmers

How did you get started in photography?

I've always had a passion for photography, and I think it

is something that started with my Dad who would take photos all the time and show me. From a very young age I had my own camera and have been snapping ever since. I have packets and packets of pre-digital age photography packed into boxes at home.

What role has your iPhone and Instagram played in it?

When I discovered Instagram I realized the full extent to which you could use your iPhone camera. I had used it up until this point purely as a point and shoot. But once I started posting on Instagram I learnt more about the possibilities of the iPhone camera, how to shoot better with it, how to edit and just how wonderfully instant it could be.

How has London influenced your perspective?

London is my home city and I have been photographing it for years. However, with Instagram I have seen London in a fresh light. I see shots everywhere now, and I believe that Instagram has really opened my eyes.

Where are your favorite places to go in London?

For me, at the moment, West London is home. I grew up in North West London so I haven't moved far, but I currently live near Portobello Road and I love wandering down there on a weekday (not at the weekend when the market is on, it's

too busy!) and chatting to the stall holders and discovering little Mews cottages. The colors around there are striking.

What are you inspired by?

Other photographers inspire me. I love seeing other people's takes on shots I have already got in the bag and seeing how their vision is different. And I love nothing better than walking around to new areas of my city and being inspired by light, sounds and buildings.

What are some of your favorite shots?

I am a bit of a “wide open spaces” kind of person. Even in a big city like London, I love the expanse of the skyline you get from shooting along the River Thames or on Hampstead Heath. So some of my favorite shots would be those wide open spaces with perhaps a figure in shot somehow.

How would you describe your style?

I like to take photos that tell a story. Where everything in the shot can detail the mood and the moment. I tend to go for slightly muted colors and simple edits.

What elements of the city in London do you like compared to other great nature and country shots you also get?

I actually love how I can get country style shots in London! We have so many vast, open green spaces here that often it feels as though you are not in the middle of a capital city. I like to shoot these scenes almost more than the quintessential cityscape in London itself...though I'm a sucker for Big Ben and St Paul's Cathedral. They get into my shots quite regularly!