You Should Make a Zine

I had the pleasure to visit the Portland Zine Symposium this weekend. Being a touch neuro-spicy, I don’t deal with crowds well, but I’m so grateful I went.

On the periphry of the crowded space, I spotted two people who made zines with photos and was inspired by them to make a zine.

Meeting (Virgil)[https://photoverge.studio], I learned that anyone can make a zine and there a no rules. I’m not the best at following no rules, but talking to him I felt inspired. He said to just print out images that were your favorites last month or from a specific shoot or photos that fit a certain theme.

In the same less-crowded area, I also saw the work of (ti garcia)[https://scarsandmoss.com]. Their work was so moving and deeply personal. I asked them about making zines and they said they made them using photo printouts and clipping words from a typewriter for poetry.

Being unexperienced in zines, I had never heard of this technique before, but it produces stunning results. My guess is that this is a traditional zine-making technique. As a digital native, I feel a sense of awe when learning about other ways of making things.

Step 1: Make Something

After about half an hour of being in a crowded space, my brain was cooked. I discovered that there was a space nearby that was a quiet area/art room that had instructions for making a one-page zine.

I followed the instructions to learn how to fold the paper, and now I feel confident to make an 8 panel one-page zine to hand out at my next photo club meeting.

Step 2: Give it to someone

Virgil said it is important once you make something to give it to someone and ask for their feedback. This sort of in-person loop of making and then asking friends is how you can get into making zines.

I’ve been recently inspired to think smaller. To make things for a couple of people and inspire them rather than to try to make things for the world. This is the perfect opportunity and I hope to report back in a few weeks that I’ve made a zine.

Summary

I hope this has inspired you to make your own photo zine. Check out these artists’ work I mentioned above and happy making. Please enjoy the photos I took at the event!