The Photography of Jill Zwicky

July 31, 1948 – October 9, 2020

Jill was a graphic artist who took up photography late in life. With a love for beauty, a fine eye for composition, and a passion for advancing her skills, she quickly be came a well-admired Nature photographer. Her photos were regularly accepted for inclusion at juried shows like the Marin County Fair, and for calendars like Wonderfully Wild Marin.

Whenever she had a shot in mind that she wanted, be it a full moon rising exactly over the church steeple in Nicasio or a Milky Way nightscape silhouetted by a lighthouse, she would climb over fences in the dark, even crawl out on precipices to get just the perfect angle, then wait—sometimes for hours—until the right moment to catch what she had so clearly envisioned finally occurred. Rising in the dark, sometimes in frigid weather, to catch the dawn’s unique light was a challenge she willingly accepted in pursuit of excellence. That was her standard. If the sky was filled with billowing clouds she would drop everything to go position herself for a breathtaking sunset, resulting in a breathtaking image that will stay with us forever.

Jill’s sparkling personality and charming smile endeared her to everyone she met. She would often strike up conversations with fellow photographers she met while awaiting a sunrise or sunset; she’d share tips and tricks with her newfound peers, and was tenacious in her effort to grow as an artist. Jill was an avid learner, and her commitment to honing her craft is ever apparent in these masterpieces she’s left behind. Many collectors asked to buy photographs that they’d seen on Jill’s Facebook page, or on many of the online photography sites where she regularly posted her photos, and she would comply. But Jill found joy in the pure artistic pleasure of creating beauty for beauty’s sake and and loved to share her work online.

Her untimely death in 2020 was a shock, and her many online followers were saddened to know there would be no further postings of her work. Vibe Gallery has received special permission to display and sell Jill Zwicky’s photographs in her honor. In this way, the beautiful images she created may continue to live on and remain accessible to admirers new and old, inspiring anyone fortunate enough to gaze upon her masterful work for years to come.