Bethany Zawadzka

As a photographer I like to keep an open-minded approach to my ways of working, never wanting to rule out anything and push myself into a rigid way of creating.
My work centers around storytelling and bringing the myths (and words) of old into the modern day, exploring ideas of identity, belief and femininity.
Through my photography I aim to create a dialogue between these myths and the modern day, reflecting on the changes, or lack of, in humanity through constructed narratives, showing the merging of these seemingly separate worlds.

These images are a part of an ongoing project in which I look at the story of Persephone, the Greek Goddess of the Spring and the Queen of the Underworld. In this project I examine the duality of her character, and the many different versions of her that exist in the different retellings of her story.
I guess on a base level this project is about breaking out of expectations and the journey of self discovery. When everyone is telling you who you should be, how do you know who you actually are?

Instagram: @bethanypetersphoto

Where would you like your work to take you?

Narrative is a huge part of my work so I'd love to work in Editorial photography. Working with a team to create images to illustrate the story is something I enjoy, especially the collaborative process.

Which part of your creative process do you enjoy most?

When it comes to my creative process I enjoy the beginning and the end the most, the excitement of new work and all the possibilities you can accomplish and the beauty of it all together as a final product, is so satisfying for me.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

A big part of my inspiration comes from the world around me, especially when in nature. I love weaving together narratives from the past with the present, it highlights both the changes and the similarities between seemingly separate worlds.

What piece of music would you say compliments your work the most?

When I started this project I remember I was listening to the new Bring Me The Horizon album (Post Human: Survival Horror) a lot, and I was drawn to the final song (One Day The Only Butterflies Left) which stirred this beautiful emotion which I knew I had to try and translate into my work, although its more to do with the music itself rather than the lyrics.

Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?

I'm visually inspired by quite a few people I've met while at University, Moon (@moonimmishphotography), Steph (@hola.estefa), Bronwen (@bronwen.s), Sam (@sam_spinks), Jaz (@jazguise) and Colm (@col.mm) are to name a few but there are so many more than inspire me to keep creating and elevating my work