Beacons of Light
Zoe Tidd
Spring 2019, Film Photography, archival ink jet print
12inches x 12inche

Tidd, Zoe

English

North Georgia College & State University: Digital Commons

Papers & Publications: Interdisciplinary Journal of Undergraduate 
Research 
Volume 8 Article 7 
2021 
Beacons of Light 
Zoe Tidd 
University of North Georgia 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/papersandpubs 
 Part of the Fine Arts Commons, and the Photography Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Tidd, Zoe (2021) "Beacons of Light," Papers & Publications: Interdisciplinary Journal of Undergraduate 
Research: Vol. 8 , Article 7. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/papersandpubs/vol8/iss1/7 
This Visual Art is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative 
Activities (CURCA) at Nighthawks Open Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Papers & 
Publications: Interdisciplinary Journal of Undergraduate Research by an authorized editor of Nighthawks Open 
Institutional Repository. 
Tidd | 31
 Papers & Publications, vol. 8.1
Beacons of Light is a body of work that focuses on the city of Atlanta. This includes expressing the dynamism of the urban environment, its celebratory settings and the eye-candy of its colors, textures and 
overall aesthetic. It is a series of nine large-scale double exposure color 
prints representing my home city through my eyes. I chose to photo-
graph Atlanta to show the beauty of its night life as well as the memories 
that I hold at each place that is documented.  
As a daughter of a film photographer, I have always been inspired 
to do film photography. My father did a series on Las Vegas neon signs, 
and this has always inspired me to photograph many of the neon signs 
back home. I used my father’s Hasselblad camera to have a symbolic 
similarity; however, my series is in color and uses double exposures, but 
it still shows inspiration he has given me to be an artist. This portfolio is 
a combination of dreamy, nostalgic, and timeless photographs. There is a 
cinematic feel in some of the photographs as well. This show represents 
commemorating achievements, dance recitals, getting a job, birthdays, 
and holidays. All of these special events from my life were celebrations; 
usually a drive down Ponce de Leon Avenue where the many vivid neon 
signs were reflected off the windows of the other passing cars as we made 
our journey to whichever restaurant my parents were going to surprise 
us with. There was always a feeling of excitement as the destination’s big 
bright sign appeared in our windshield. I want to show the liveliness of 
the city. When you look at these photographs, I want you to think back 
to a time you were celebrating something special. I want you to think of 
where that place was and how special and vibrant it was. 
My medium for this series is medium-format film photography. I 
am also using a digital program to create the double exposure look. The 
double exposures allow the photographs to have a surreal quality. This 
creates more of a nostalgic feel. I chose to do nine photographs, consist-
ing of three still lifes, three portraits, and three landscapes. I did this to 
show different views of each place. I am photographing at twilight, so the 
neon signs are very vibrant on the dark background. 
This series has a unique aspect of how I see Atlanta and the memories 
each place holds. Growing up in the city has given me a different perspec-
tive, and now I am able to share what I see with my viewers. The energy 
of Atlanta is shown through the dazzling colors of each photograph. The 
nostalgic feel is created by the double exposures. Lastly, the symbolic sim-
ilarity is presented by the use of my father’s Hasselblad camera. Beacons 
of Light is a portfolio that focuses on the celebratory memories of my life 
since early childhood. 
Beacons of Light
Visual Arts Finalist
Zoë Tidd
University of North Georgia
32 | Tidd
Beacons of Light
ß
Contributor Bio
Zoë Tidd was born and raised in Atlanta, 
Georgia. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts 
degree from the University of North Georgia in 
2019. She was an Art Marketing major with a 
concentration in photography. Zoë specializes 
in digital and film photography. As a practicing 
artist, she created a series of film photographs 
focusing on the memories of growing up in 
the city of Atlanta. Her photographs represent 
memories of places she and her family would go 
to celebrate.
Faculty Mentor
Craig Wilson
Tidd | 33
 Papers & Publications, vol. 8.1
Spring 2019, Film Photography, archival ink jet print
12” x 12”


Beacons of Light

https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1304&context=papersandpubs

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