Picture perfect pop-up opens in North Shields

A North Shields-based photographer is preparing to open her largest exhibition to date, celebrating the people, places and everyday moments of the North East.

Gaby Zak, who moved to the region from Reading, will launch a large-scale pop-up shop at Newcastle Quays, North Shields, from Thursday, July 9.

The exhibition will showcase hundreds of images spanning landscape, nature and documentary photography, with a special event taking place on Saturday, July 12.

The launch event will feature North East DJs, food stalls and opportunities for visitors to meet Gaby, whose work has become known for capturing the character and identity of the region.

Gaby’s interest in photography began in childhood, inspired by regular family trips to Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, where her grandparents lived.

She later turned the passion into a career during the Covid-19 pandemic and has since built a reputation for landscape photography and documentary projects focused on North East life.

Gaby said: “I’ve always been creative.

“I chose photography at A-level and I love the outdoors, the world amazes me, and I just wanted to capture it.

“During Covid I picked up my camera and posted my work every day online. 

“I began researching ways to get my work published and secured features and interviews. 

“From there, things just started to grow.”

Gaby added: “I love telling people's stories through photography. 

“Often people don’t even realise they’re being photographed. 

“It’s about capturing genuine moments and showing the beauty in ordinary life.”

Gaby’s black-and-white documentary series, now in its third volume, records local people, communities and everyday scenes from across the region. 

The work has also been published in book form, with many residents collecting each edition.

Working with manager Kelly Hodgkiss, Gaby has developed projects that aim to create a visual record of the North East while celebrating local identity.

Kelly added: “Gaby has a unique ability to capture moments that people can’t forget.

“She has a special ability to capture the mundane beautifully. 

“People see a photograph and recognise a street they walked down every day or a familiar moment from their own lives. 

“That’s why her work resonates so strongly.”

The pop-up will include landscape collections, documentary work and immersive projection displays featuring seasonal woodland scenes.

Visitors will also be able to book photography sessions during the event, with a dedicated studio space set up on site.

Following the pop-up, Gaby is planning the next volume of her documentary series.

She added: “I want people to look at the images and think, ‘That's my place’.

“I want people to feel proud of where they come from and see themselves within the beauty that's all around them.

“People keep asking when the next book is coming out. 

“I’m always taking photographs, so the next project is never far away.”

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