6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 14-20, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Putting together a gallery show— everything from selecting the theme and the artwork to arranging them in a way that makes them flow—is a creative decision-making process that takes a lot of thinking. For many, art is a universal language; for others, it’s a code they don’t fully understand. A new game, Z Photo Game, which will launch on Tuesday, Nov. 19, will give people an easy way to put together their own photographic exhibition. Steve Zmak is a local commercial photographer and graphic designer based in Marina who designed this game. For years, he was hunting for an idea he could turn into a board game when the idea struck him. “I’ve just been waiting for the idea, and then it hit me on a [Big Sur] camping trip with my friends,” Zmak says. He was inspired by the National Park games and Cards Against Humanity, but with photographs instead of illustrations or words. Zmak spent three years developing and refining the game. He made a few changes to make it entertaining while keeping its fine art essence. Zmak played games from a young age, but growing up he never saw photography games, so he says this was his opportunity to combine his skills and passion into one. The game brings nostalgia for those who grew up with analog photography or have taken analog photography classes. The board looks like a negative sleeve—a plastic sheet where you store the developed film. The pawns players use are 35mm film canisters. It is more than a board game. It has a collection of 209 curated images from Zmak’s collection, including photos from California, Hawaii, Oregon and elsewhere with an array of style of content: close-ups, abstracts, people, animals and landscapes. The players are fine art photographers, and on each turn there is an exhibit curator (think of the Banker from Monopoly) that leads the game. The curator chooses the name of the exhibition, at least two words, and the players select a card from their portfolio—their hand of cards—for the exhibition. The goal is to earn points, which happens when players choose your photo, or find out which one came from the curator. The winner of the game becomes the next Ansel Adams, a master landscape photographer. People of all ages have tested the game, from fifth-graders to adults. Zmak has visited schools as well as local bars and breweries, noting the outcome has been creative and fun. Amber Kohler was at The Brass Tap in Marina on Saturday, Nov. 9 trying out the game. “It’s nice when a game inspires your imagination and gets your mind thinking,” Kohler says, adding that playing board games can be way to socialize and learn about others. “But on this one, it inspires on so many different levels, because it’s so beautiful. All the pictures are works of art.” With the Z Photo Game, “you learn about how different people think, because we pick a theme, and everyone tries to tie into that, and you don’t know if the theme is based on the artwork or how the person’s thinking,” Kohler says. Zmak says this game could be a good asset in classrooms since it may help kids with abstract thinking and storytelling. It could also be a tool for teachers or school therapists if a child is experiencing challenges in or outside of school. “What was really interesting and unexpected is that within 10 minutes, I could tell you which kids’ parents were going through a divorce, or which kid was physically picked on on the playground,” Zmak says. Zmak is releasing his game on Nov. 19, and a Kickstarter fundraising campaign will be open online until Dec. 19. Zmak plans to develop expansion decks with other topics, including black-and-white images, other countries and themes suitable for adults. Z Photo Game launch party takes place 5-8pm Tuesday, Nov. 19. Springhill Suites, 215 10th St., Marina. Free to attend. Limited edition of the game available for purchase for $125-$400. Rolling the Film A local photographer combines his skills and hobbies to create an entertaining board game. By Celia Jiménez Steve Zmak (left) joins in on a game of Z Photo Game at The Brass Tap in Marina. Zmak created the board game after three years of development and testing among different age groups. “It inspires on so many different levels.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE CELIA JIMÉNEZ SHOP. EAT. STAY. LOCAL Fall in love with shopping small at your favorite Monterey County businesses this holiday season! SHOP SMALL Need ideas? Visit our Member Directory at montereychamber.com/list
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