Why I created Zest Photography

‘Every person has greatness inside of them… it’s our job to magnify it’.

I created Zest Photography because I wanted to create truly meaningful, artistic images for people to have on display in their homes to make them feel great about themselves every day. I also wanted to have a place where photographers can express their individual, artistic and creative talent to interpret the meaning of our customers’ lives through different photographic styles.

We inspire people by showing them the greatness, strength and love within themselves and for others through a powerful, creative photography experience. Creating art for life is our mission, inspiring those we photograph to see their Zest; their worth, their strength, their beauty, their love. We create an uplifting experience where people discover their gifts in life.

Every person I have met had something unique and special about them, and most of the time they didn’t even know it yet. After photographing thousands of people, I witnessed what the power of a photography experience can do for a person’s soul, if done at the highest level.

Capturing great images of a person is not about just the photography – that’s the easy part. The key is understanding the way a person wants to feel about themselves and how they would like to see themselves.

And with that ethos, Zest Photography was born. A Perth Photography Studio that starts with curiosity - discovering who a person is, what makes them unique and what love they share in their lives. A Photography studio that creates art that reflects your life, and art that will last a lifetime and beyond. Our mission is that when someone sees a Zest image of themselves or of their relationship, they instantly feel empowered by seeing their strength and love creating massive self-worth. This changes the way they feel about who they are and what they have in their life.

“Creating art for life is our mission,
inspiring those we photograph to see their Zest;
their worth, their strength, their beauty, their love.”

Our team

Gary Levy

Studio Owner & Master Photographer

I’m Gary - owner of Zest Photography, professional photographer and lover of people.

Over the many years of photographing thousands of people, I realised that it wasn’t just photography I was passionate about, it was the people! People’s lives, people’s stories, people’s beliefs, people’s desires, and people’s passions in life.

Throughout my 20 years in the photography industry, my purpose has evolved from making people look good to inspiring them to feel great. I realised that the way to make people look great on the outside is by helping them to feel good about what’s inside. By connecting with people on a deeper level, I realised I had a gift of listening to people’s stories and I was able to show them insightful images of themselves in a way they had never seen before.

Family is such an important part of my life. I love being a husband to Elisha, and Dad to Oliver, Indiana and Georgia; they bring endless joy and remind me how quickly time passes by and how important it is to cherish each precious moment.

Born in Manchester, England I moved to Australia in 1989 and after my Australian journey began in Adelaide we moved to Western Australia and Perth has been my home since 1993.

I feel blessed to live in this incredible country and have the freedom to live on our terms, enjoying Perth’s iconic lifestyle.

When I’m not with my family and friends or at the Zest studio, I’m usually listening to an audiobook or participating in a workshop on personal development, health or relationships. I am currently on track to become a Master NLP Practitioner so that I can bring these skills together with photography to enhance the experience we create for people.

Master of Photography | The Australian Institute of Photography (AIPP)
2006 | WA Portrait Photographer of the Year

Call Gary | Email Gary

Kezia McLean

Studio manager

I’m Kezia. I’m the Studio Manager here at Zest Photography and I love seeing every story come to life through the artworks that we create.

I was born and raised here in Perth, but I have lived and travelled all over Australia, soaking up everything our beautiful country has to offer. I could spend all my time out in nature, from our gorgeous beaches to the red dirt up north, I’ve experienced so many places which have inspired my creative side. So, I started taking photos!

I’ve worked as a family and maternity photographer, often heading to the beach at sunset and since have developed a deep connection to how photos can make us feel. It’s so special being able to capture people and empower them to see themselves though a lens which they didn’t know was possible. For me it’s all about loving yourself exactly as you are.

There’s nothing more important to me than my family. As a working mum and wife, I spend most of my free time with my boys making memories. We love to bake yummy cakes and put on Disney music so we can dance around the house. They bring me so much joy and happiness and I cherish every minute we get to spend together.

Since beginning my career at Zest, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the amazing transformation our beautiful clients experience when they come through our doors. To me there is nothing more special than showing people how beautiful they are inside and out. It gives me an amazing sense of purpose.

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Jessica Truscott

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & MASTER Photographer

I’m Jessica, Zest Photographer and lover of stories.

One of my favourite things about photographing people is how it enables me to capture and create beautiful stories about their lives. I am inspired by the Victorian Romantic painters, Disney and Ancient Mythology, and I love to create images that have a feminine, magical and glamorous feel to them. In my spare time I am a compulsive reader and am extremely passionate about creating artistic self-portraits that now grace the cover of many novels worldwide.

I understand how it feels to be on both sides of the lens, and my goal is to make sure everyone is having a lot of fun and feeling very beautiful. I’ve found the secret to taking a great portrait stems from not being afraid to ask the deeper questions and lending a compassionate listening ear. When a person is feeling great their soul shines and I love that moment when a person sees a photograph I have taken, and it helps them to feel amazing about themselves.

As a child and teenager, my family moved around due to being in the Army. Adapting to my surroundings, making new friends and changing school and homes was a challenge for me; but one that taught me so many lessons about people and how we function as individuals and in challenging surrounds. My constant was creating beautiful art and remains so today.

I’m a creative and school for me was filled with time at the art room, painting and desires of becoming an illustrator for children’s books. Outside my passion for photography and fantasy fiction, I love puzzles, cosplay, coffee, pyjamas and dogs!

Master of Photography | The Australian Institute of Photography (AIPP)
2013 | Western Australian Family Photographer of the Year
2018 | Western Australian Family Photographer of the Year

Call Jessica | Email Jessica

Hannah Laurent

ZEST Photographer

I’m Hannah, a lover of all things photography and have a passion for connecting deeply.

I use photography to understand the world around me, while also using it to understand more about myself. One of the things I love most about taking photos is how you can use the camera to capture raw emotion in moments. To create time stamps of memories throughout your life, that you can always look back on and be reminded of. I like the way I can capture the beauty in the world through the lens, but also more importantly how I can alter the world around me to create new perspectives, to create art.

I have always used Art as a means to express myself. As a child, I explored every medium in order to understand my emotions. As a teenager, school was all about Art and I was always hiding in the Art room working on my own creative projects. I spent time studying the Art Nouveau movement and fell in love with a painter/designer/illustrator called Alphonse Mucha. His work always spoke to me, so much so that I got some of his pieces tattooed on my body.

Dance has always been a big part of my life, whilst attending WAAPA here in Perth, I quickly fell into the dance scene. I found myself drawn to this community of creatives and dove into taking photos of contemporary dancers and choreographers. This lead to an amazing opportunity to collaborate with a WAAPA dancer to create an award-winning show for the 2020 FRINGE Festival.

Whilst I am not taking professional portraits of people, I am travelling and travelling has always put life into perspective for me. I feel I have used the perspectives I have learnt to relate to all kinds of people.

I do also love to binge-watch the american series ‘Friends’ when I have some alone time and when I really feel taking some me-time, I really enjoy to sit and listen to music as my therapy. The beach is the one other place you will find me on my days off!

But all in all, I love having the camera in my hand and bringing out the best in people and sharing my gift to show people a side of themselves they have always wanted to see.

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Lei Brockie

CLIENT CONSULTANt & lover of all LIVING THINGS

Hi, I’m Lei and I love creating incredible opportunities for the people I speak to over the phone. I have always lived my life by giving and I truly believe that by giving you receive in return.

My passion is Family! I live and breathe for them and am so very lucky and humbled to have a husband who is my soulmate, five beautiful and strong children plus have been blessed with ten gorgeous grandchildren.

Pets and animals are another passion of mine having worked as a vet nurse at Vet clinics in New Zealand, so the emotional connection to so many of my beloved pets is close to my heart. After leaving veterinary care I moved into the mature-aged health industry helping people to have a pain free and happy life and after many years doing this found myself ready for a change and then I found Photography.

Having not come from the industry, I joined Gary’s team 4 years ago, knowing that I just wanted to help people in some way and I could see that photography would be able to capture memories and moments in time for my clients, little did I know the empowering impact it was going to have on people.

Within a few weeks of being in the studio, I organised a photoshoot with my family. Having a massive New Zealand family I knew we were in for a crazy and loud experience. When we saw the photos, the feelings for me was so powerful and empowering to say the least and made me feel so proud of each and everyone of my family. Today, I look up at my family being together on my living room wall and this makes me feel strong and now, I want this for all the people I speak to.

What I have now learnt over the years is that a portrait session isn’t just about getting photos, its about showing people their confidence and strength, to love themselves and the way they look.

CALL LEI | EMAIL LEI

Natalie Ayris

zest photographer

Hi, I'm Natalie, a Zest photographer and consultant. A lover of photography, romance, dogs, fashion and music.

I made the move from the UK to Australia in November 2023, along with my dog Bilbo, in a pursuit of love and happiness and it's been greater than I could have ever imagined! I dreamed of a career in photography in my teenage years but sadly my experiences in the industry in my early 20s lead to me changing career paths and enjoying photography as a hobby rather than a career. This is when I became a dog groomer, where I ran a successful business for 6 years; including a little dog portraiture studio in my salon where I often took photos of the dogs straight after their grooms. Although I enjoyed this, it wasn't what I wanted to do and I always had this itch to try and get back in front of the camera.

Moving to Australia I had a fresh start, and it wasn't long before I started marketing my own photography in my spare time. This was when I came across the job opportunity at Zest Photography and discovered that this place was exactly how I had always wanted the industry to be...it's been like finding a unicorn! I love meeting our clients, hearing their stories and having the ability to impact their lives for the better; simply by using my photography and the passion I feel for this mission to show them a perspective they've not been able to see!

Inside the studio you'll recognize me as the chatty and bubbly Brit with a very colorful and patterned wardrobe - I consider my fashion sense as a huge part of my identity as what I wear personally has a huge impact on how I feel. A lot of my style has developed from my love of festivals and raves, these events have no judgment and allow me to dress however crazy I like and over time this has influenced my confidence outside of these events to just wear what I want and not worry about what anyone thinks! Outside of work, other that my drum n bass events, you will find me at the beach, out walking or socializing with friends - all of these usually with my partner Neel and my dog Bilbo. I'm also very much a sunny girl (to match my sunny personality) so I'll find whatever excuse I can to go out and enjoy the sun!

CALL natalie | email natalie

Mariah Gonzalez

client consultant

Hey Everyone! My name is Mariah—a creative at heart with a deep passion for helping people and hearing their stories.

I truly believe that everyone has something special to share, and I love being part of that journey from the very beginning.

I feel incredibly lucky to have found my place at Zest, where I get to collaborate with a talented team and make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

What I’ve learned during my time here is that everyone has a story to tell, and the experience of sharing it can be a truly healing one. So just DO it—you’ll be so glad you did.

Outside of my Zest, I’m no stranger to the stage—whether it's singing, dancing, or even recently stepping into the world of bodybuilding competitions! In 2021 I also obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Performance Making from WAAPA in 2021, which allowed me to hone my skills and gain a deeper understanding of storytelling through performance.

Alongside my love for performing, I’m an emerging videographer in Perth, capturing everything from live events to helping businesses grow.

For me, creativity is never "work"—it’s something that fuels me, and I’m constantly inspired by the amazing people I meet. Bubbly by nature, I strive to bring positivity and the best energy to everything I do. If you’re looking to find your way to my heart, it’s simple—crookies (yes, croissant cookies) from The Love Avenue Café around the corner will do the trick!

CALL mariah | email mariah

Alyssa Wallwork

PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR

Hi, I’m Aly, Zest production co-ordinator, Pokémon trainer, Slytherin alumni and lover of popculture.

My passion for photography started with following Russell James, who photographed Victoria’s Secret models. I loved the boudoir and glamour style and wanted to dip my toes into it. So my mentor, Jeremy, showed me ways around studio equipment and how to pose and capture women.

When it came to finding my own models to shoot with, my friends who volunteered were male. But I never refused, I welcomed the completely new challenge so began new research and Pinterest boards of male glamour, male boudoir and male nudes. Photographing males opened up a completely new book of possibilities and ideas for me and Male Portraiture became a niche I fell in love with. The “dudeoir” became something easy to slip into and challenge my creativity in fun and different ways because it was such a small portion of Perth Photography. Photographing women was always so much fun and empowering and now watching men be vulnerable and courageous took my curiosity to a whole new level.

Around the studio, I’m usually chilling with headphones, accompanied by Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as I make my way through the 1100+ episodes of One Piece, helping my scatterbrain focus on getting my work done. But always a friendly smile and telling you how great you’re doing during your shoot when I drift around.

My free time is chilling at home with my ragdoll, Archimedes “Archie”, playing videos games (mostly Apex Legends or a VERY random kind of simulator game) or editing previous gaming videos for my socials.

CALL aly | email aly

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