MSU Hinds County Student Photo Selected for New York Exhibition

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Press Release) — An intriguing image created by a senior Mississippi State art major is among those that will be on display Feb. 4-28 at the SohoPhoto Gallery in New York City.

Zachary S. “Zach” Boozer’s black-and-white photograph titled “Miss Lucy’s House” is one of 43 entries recently selected as finalists of the 17th annual international SohoPhoto Krappy Kamera competition.

Specializing in photography, Boozer is the son of John and Linda Boozer. The Jackson native took his winning photograph with a Holga camera, one which takes 120/medium format film and is often referred to as a “toy camera.”

“I took the image because I was intrigued by the house with its many decorations and the woman who was sweeping the porch as I approached the house,” Boozer said of his work that was printed in a darkroom. “After introducing myself, I found her name was Miss Lucy. She was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and moved to this home in Natchez with her husband, who passed away a few years ago.”

“I wanted to portray her as truthfully as I could within the context of her house that she calls her ‘happy house,’ while conversing with her about the house and her life,” he added.

When asked why he opted for a Holga camera over a digital one, Boozer explained that “using a Holga freed me from having to worry about capturing the most technically sound image I could capture due to the simplistic nature of the camera.”

“This allowed me not only to capture the composition I envisioned, but it also allowed me to be more fully aware in the conversation that I shared with Miss Lucy while I was taking her portrait,” he said.

Serving as juror of this year’s competition was Miriam Leuchter, who is editor-in-chief of “Popular Photography Magazine” and “American Photo Magazine” as well as a board member of the NYC-based Josephine Herrick Project.

Of the more than 40 artists selected for inclusion, Boozer is the only one from Mississippi. In addition to the United States, artists hailed from Great Britain, Italy and Russia.

“I am extremely impressed that Zach’s image was accepted,” said professor and photography emphasis coordinator Marita Gootee. “I know that I see great talent in him and this only confirms my belief that he is going to go far in photography.”

For more information on the Krappy Kamera competition and exhibit, contact the SohoPhoto Gallery at 212-226-8571 or visit www.sohophoto.com/participate/competitions/krappy-kamera/.

MSU’s art department is home to the Magnolia State’s largest undergraduate studio art program. Part of the College of Architecture, Art and Design, it offers a bachelor’s degree with concentrations in ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

Information about the college and its art department is available at www.caad.msstate.edu, facebook.com/CAADatMSU and twitter.com/CAADatMSU.

Learn more about Mississippi’s flagship research university at www.msstate.edu.