CREATIVE PORTFOLIO · 2026

Resonance,
in every frame.

Zoya’s creative portfolio: five years of sitar study and three years of self-taught photography.

EXPLORE
THE WORK ↓
Close detail of a handcrafted sitar
01 / MUSIC

Sitar

Rooted in tradition.
Played in the present.

Explore the practice ↓
People walking along a tree-lined path in late afternoon light
02 / VISUALS

Photography

Quiet stories, held
for a little longer.

View selected work ↓
01
FIVE YEARS OF STUDY

Sitar
studies.

I have studied sitar for five years with my Guruji, Girish Kamble. My portfolio includes the ragas I have developed most fully during the past two years, along with practice exercises that show the technique, repetition, and effort required before beginning a raga.

Years 1–3Remote study while attending boarding school
Years 4–5Continued instruction with Guruji Girish Kamble
PortfolioRagas, compositions, and foundational exercises
The first three years of my study produced very few recordings. The pieces from my last two years therefore make up most of this portfolio.
CONTEXT FOR ADMISSIONS REVIEW
SELECTED SITAR WORK

Ragas &
practice studies.

This section includes complete musical studies as well as technical exercises. Together, they document both what I play and the preparation behind it.

Zoya playing sitar with other students at boarding schoolWATCH ON GOOGLE DRIVE ↗
ARCHIVAL VIDEO · CIRCA 2023

Boarding School Study

Recorded by my parents during a visit to my boarding school. This is one of the few surviving recordings from my first three years of study. Raga or exercise title to be confirmed.

FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICE

Warm-up exercises.

These note-pattern studies document the repetition, control, and preparation that come before beginning a raga.

WARM-UP EXERCISE · 01

Sa Re Ga Ma

Ascending note-pattern practice focused on steadiness, clarity, and coordination.

WARM-UP EXERCISE · 02

Pa Dha Ni Sa

Upper-note pattern practice showing the technical preparation behind longer musical studies.

02 / A VISUAL JOURNAL

Where light
leaves a trace.

Three years of self-directed photography across landscapes, architecture, interiors, portraits, and everyday life. Explore 50 selected images, organized by place and portrait work.

01PortraitsPeople, presence, and remembered moments · 10 photographs
Bianca in Warm Light
01 — Bianca in Warm LightBianca · Senior portrait
Bianca against Red Brick
02 — Bianca against Red BrickBianca · Senior portrait
Bianca between Columns
03 — Bianca between ColumnsBianca · Senior portrait
Margot under Red Lines
05 — Margot under Red LinesPortrait · Published with permission
Before the Concert
17 — Before the ConcertNoorie · Black-and-white portrait
Kairah in Winter
23 — Kairah in WinterNew York City · Published with permission
Margot in Green
27 — Margot in GreenFall at the playground · Published with permission
My Mother in New York
30 — My Mother in New YorkNew York City · Portrait
Isaiah at Christmas
42 — Isaiah at ChristmasChristmas portrait
Among the Pines
47 — Among the PinesColorado · Portrait
02Los AngelesCity light, coastlines, and home · 11 photographs
Blue without End
07 — Blue without EndSanta Monica, Los Angeles
Afterlight
04 — AfterlightLos Angeles, California
Afterglow above the City
09 — Afterglow above the CityGriffith Observatory, Los Angeles
Sunset through the Glass
15 — Sunset through the GlassLos Angeles, California
Santa Monica in Motion
19 — Santa Monica in MotionSanta Monica, Los Angeles
The Tide Writes Back
24 — The Tide Writes BackSanta Monica, Los Angeles
The Horizon, Burning
29 — The Horizon, BurningLos Angeles, California
Light through Lace
32 — Light through LaceMy grandfather’s home · Los Angeles, California
The City, Held Far Away
37 — The City, Held Far AwayLos Angeles, California
City at Sundown
41 — City at SundownLos Angeles, California
Red Letters in Transit
46 — Red Letters in TransitLos Angeles, California
03New York CityMovement, distance, and public space · 5 photographs
Valley of the City
06 — Valley of the CityNew York City · Crosswalk
Everyone Walking toward Light
14 — Everyone Walking toward LightNew York City · Park study
The City across Water
22 — The City across WaterNew York City
Following the Current
36 — Following the CurrentNew York City
The Last Lamp Awake
44 — The Last Lamp AwakeNew York City
04SydneyCoast, architecture, and wildlife · 9 photographs
A Clockwork Cathedral
11 — A Clockwork CathedralQueen Victoria Building, Sydney
Rest beneath the Rescue Board
12 — Rest beneath the Rescue BoardManly Beach, Sydney · Aanya & Om
At the Edge of Blue
31 — At the Edge of BlueSydney coast
Oysters above the Harbour
25 — Oysters above the HarbourSydney · Balcony restaurant
Where the Coast Disappears
34 — Where the Coast DisappearsSydney · Coastal walk
Dinner in Color
35 — Dinner in ColorSydney · Restaurant study
Rest between Stripes
26 — Rest between StripesSydney · Tiger study
An Ancient Gaze
38 — An Ancient GazeSydney · Wildlife study I
Small Creature, Large World
50 — Small Creature, Large WorldSydney · Wildlife study II
05IndiaSahyadri and Mumbai · 4 photographs
A Doorway into Green
13 — A Doorway into GreenSahyadri, Western Ghats, India · Boarding school
What the Stone Remembers
20 — What the Stone RemembersChurchgate, Mumbai
The Blue Workshop
33 — The Blue WorkshopStreet vendor · Mumbai
An Open Field in the City
40 — An Open Field in the CityOval Maidan, South Mumbai
06ColoradoWinter, mountains, and city life · 4 photographs
Snow Constellation
10 — Snow ConstellationDenver, Colorado · Film
Raani in the Light
16 — Raani in the LightDenver, Colorado
Above the Rockies
18 — Above the RockiesRocky Mountains · From an airplane
Summer over Downtown
48 — Summer over DowntownDowntown Denver, Colorado
07VirginiaFamily landscapes and memory · 4 photographs
Summer Pasture
08 — Summer PastureVirginia
Beyond the Fence
21 — Beyond the FenceMy grandmother’s horse · Virginia
The Empty Swing
39 — The Empty SwingMy grandmother’s farm · Virginia
A Room I Remember
45 — A Room I RememberVirginia · Study in nostalgia
08Other StudiesNew Mexico, Boston, and an evening study · 3 photographs
Road toward Blue
28 — Road toward BlueNew Mexico
Light Arrives Sideways
43 — Light Arrives SidewaysBoston, Massachusetts
Halloween, after Dark
49 — Halloween, after DarkHalloween night

Studies in distance, memory, and the poetry of ordinary light.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Two ways of
paying attention.

I’m Zoya, a student at South High School, sitarist, and self-taught photographer.

I began photography three years ago as a hobby and taught myself through regular practice and experimentation. I now freelance on the side, taking portraits for others. I have studied sitar for five years with Guruji Girish Kamble, including three years of remote learning while I attended boarding school. Both practices have taught me patience, close observation, and the value of sustained effort.

PORTFOLIO PREPARED FOR ADMISSIONS REVIEW

Thank you for
taking the time.

ZOYASOUTH HIGH SCHOOLCLASS OF 2027