HI, MY NAME IS ZILLA.
I am a creative creature. But most people call me a ‘photoshop freak’, ‘retoucher‘ or ‘digital artist’.
My fascination for photo manipulation was born when I started modelling at the age of 16. I watched a photographer edit my body, which was weird and confronting. On the other hand, I was also intrigued by the possibilities and started experimenting myself.
Nowadays I am Art Academy trained in Graphic Design and earn my money in the field of post-production.
To me, the creative process does not stop after a photo is captured – it has only just begun.
HI, MY NAME IS ZILLA.
I am a creative creature. But most people call me a ‘photoshop freak’, ‘retoucher’ or ‘digital artist’.
My fascination for photo manipulation was born when I started modelling at the age of 16. I watched a photographer edit my body, which was weird and confronting. On the other hand, I was also intrigued by the possibilities and started experimenting myself.
Nowadays I am Art Academy trained in Graphic Design and earn my money in the field of post-production.
To me, the creative process does not stop after a photo is captured – it has only just begun.
Curious about my work? Have a look at my retouch portfolio.
I am committed to create pixel perfection in visual storytelling
PHOTO FAKE
I am in conflict between being a big fan of working the photoshop magic as a retoucher and on the other hand making people more aware about the risks this editing software brings along. It fascinates me how I am able to create unworldly beautiful scenes and people. But it also worries me that these filtered and edited photos can change our perception of the world or even damage one’s self esteem.
I created a social experiment and faked a 5-week holiday which got me caught up in a worldwide viral. Among others the New York Times, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed and Metro UK talked about my ‘fakecation’.
This gave me the opportunity to spread my message about social media appearances and the concerning difference with reality to a wide audience.
I faked a 5-week holiday and this is how and why
We get to see a large flow of images daily which allows us to get to know the rest of the world from our living room. But Images made in the advertising world…
Why do I continue to manipulate my personal photos?
Every time I meet new people and get to the ‘What do you do?’ question, I mostly get blank stares when answering that I'm a retoucher. “Photoshop” I then add, which...
BEHIND THE SCENES
As a retoucher I often wished people could see the raw image I started with. I believe they would appreciate the end result so much more. If they only knew about the hours and hours of preparation, planning, post-production and loads of effort from a complete team that comes with organizing a photoshoot.
Sometimes the journey is as impressive, touching or funny as the end result. And therefore it deserves more attention.
Which means I will take you with me while working together with my favorite team of powerful woman. A day with them is always surprisingly unpredictable and adventurous.
But I am also curious to see what the daily life of other creatives looks like. What is fake and what is real? And how do they deal with the pressure for perfection? I am on a mission to find out.
GET FEATURED
Are you a photographer / blogger / influencer / visual artist or other creative creature that wants to get featured in the behind the scenes section of this blog?
Please get in touch: info@byzilla.com
‘Ying/Yang’ fashion editorial Cape-town
Looking back on this creative adventure it still feels like a dream came true. To be part of this team. To cooperate with these amazingly powerful...
Finding flow
The idea was to play with the wind: send some fabric up in the air and get things flowing. After lot's of yo-yo-ing between different colors and types of…
PERSONAL GROWTH
Sometimes (and more often then I want to admit) I feel the pressure that social media brings. Shame creeps up on me, telling me I haven’t achieved enough in my life. Others seem to have done so much more so I need to catch up.
But I realized that this automatic and unconscious response is the wrong kind of attitude towards life. Becoming successful is not the goal. But becoming my most happy self is.
In a life where work and private are mixed and inseperately linked, finding balance is key. I made it a challenge to myself to do more in less time so I can incorporate more “joyful moments”. And I hope that by sharing my tips, trics and findings, I might inspire you to take action on pursuing the things you’ve always wanted to do.
My biggest bravest step so far? I tried Ayahuasca:
Ayahuasca,
soul searching in pain
I have been told that hidden emotions might be causing my migraines. And finding out where these emotions come from, might make the recurring phases of pain go away.
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