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Surprised to be in focus

The award nominated photo taken during the Occupy Nelson zombie walk will be presented at the first of two award ceremonies Saturday.
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The Megan Cole award nominated photo

The award nominated picture taken during the Occupy Nelson zombie walk last year will be presented at the first of two award ceremonies on Saturday.

The zombie walk for me was just another story assignment. Yet that one picture has not only impacted my life, but the life of the zombie in the picture.

I caught up with Robyn Jensen — the zombie in the photo — yesterday before I departed for Richmond and the awards ceremony.

“It’s a little bit of excitement in what is normally just everyday life,” Jensen told me on Thursday during a break between classes at Kootenay School of the Arts.

She came out to the zombie walk that day after being invited by her friends to attend.

“I wanted to show support, I guess and I really believe in change and that we can do small things to make an impact,” she said.

Jensen hadn’t noticed that her picture was on the November 2, 2011 front page of the Nelson Star following the zombie walk until her friends at school told her.

“I guess I noticed that you were there taking pictures,” she told me. “But I didn’t really think much of it and certainly didn’t think any of this would happen.”

The picture of Jensen is nominated for best spot news photo at both the Ma Murray 2012 Community Newspaper Awards and the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards.

“I was really surprised by what people were saying about the picture and how much impact it actually had,” said Jensen.

I asked her how she felt that her picture has now been seen nationwide.

“Oh wow,” she said with surprise. “I didn’t know that. I don’t really know how I feel about that. That’s pretty exciting.”

The Ma Murray awards are held in Richmond at the River Rock Casino and take place on Saturday night.