Karen Jerzyk


 
 

 

Karen Jerzyk is a self-taught, internationally published photographer from the Greater Boston area. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire, her parents gifted her with her first digital camera. In 2009, she started shooting portraits of people, and ultimately decided to concentrate her focus on photographing models. Her trademark of shooting elaborate scenes in abandoned buildings involves a laborious process of cleaning and restoration, with attention paid to even the smallest of details. She lives and works in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Despite having a BA in English, I have quite a hard time expressing myself externally. Verbally trying to convey my feelings has always proven to be a nightmare. In 2011, my father passed away unexpectedly; I struggled for a long time after that to feel like myself again, and I turned to photography as therapy. My world during and after this event contributed to what is seen in my portfolio today. I had feelings and experiences that I would - and could - never build into words. I strive to produce photos that tell a story that connects with the viewer on a personal level. I like to find locations that were abandoned before any sort of technological age, typically locations with relics left in them from 1980 and earlier (the older, the better), to capture a feeling of "future-past." I ultimately strive to present my photos as "readable images." There is no right answer to the ultimate meaning of any one of my photos, as each viewer can read the scene differently.