My name is Eric Zhu. I am a ninth-grade student who attends Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. I grew up in Nanjing, China, a city known for its numerous historical sites, mountains, and rich history. It was also the former capital of China and served as the seat of power for several dynasties.

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For most of my childhood, my interests centered around sports and video games. I was always an athlete at heart, playing basketball and competing in the high jump, which I still do today. As a kid growing up in Nanjing, I never would have thought I would fall in love with photography, or even the arts in general. 

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This all changed when I started using my mom’s camera hands-on. I found myself drawn and intrigued by capturing what I was seeing in a way that felt true, and I felt this new field of photography was different from the other arts. Gradually, I began to carry the camera everywhere, trying to freeze those fleeting, ordinary moments, and Photography has taught me to slow down, to look closer, and find that "moment", that peace of calmness in everyday life. As someone who loves travelling, my camera is the most important thing to capture the visions I see. Visions. 

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- Eric Zhu