PAST
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In your early years of high school, were you involved in the yearbook ? What sparked your interest in photography? Do you recommend all the weekend photographers out there to initially stick with the subjects they know and build from there? Do you have any suggestions on how to build that progression? How did you progress to where you are today in photography?
ALLEN ZAKI: I wasn’t officially apart of the yearbook committee, but I was a major part of the photography that went into the yearbook. I was the school’s go-to-photographer for all events and performances. I was on the school’s Newspaper staff of photographers, which then lead to the use of my photography in the yearbook. As for my interested in photography and being sparked, I went on a family trip to Australia in 2003, where I had saved up enough money to buy a 35mm camera and shot about 20 or so rolls of film while on the vacation. I fell in love with the idea of creating images, not just “taking pictures.”
I would recommend that most weekend photographers start shooting what they know and love, and while getting a grip on what they know, start to branch out into other subjects. I always recommend that photographer’s look through magazines and get ideas of inspiration for them to create their own work. Trying to duplicate (but not steal) other photographer’s style or concept can help a photographer to understand what lighting a subject is all about.
After I returned from my Australia trip, I signed up for basic black and white photography classes where I learned the basics needed to photograph subjects without using your “go-to” Auto settings. I learned how to print black and white images in the darkroom, and print, mount and hang my own work. Mind you this was all during my junior year at high school. Once I graduated from high school, I signed up for college at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. I studied at Brooks for three years and obtained my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Photography in June 2008. It was at Brooks that I learned to light any subject, whether moving or still, and taught me the ins and outs of the business of photography. Because of my education at Brooks, I now know how to create images and not just take pictures…which has lead me to become the photographer I am today.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?
ALLEN ZAKI: I still have many of my original images I shot when I was starting out. They are the most random subjects ever. I shot anything and everything when I started out, but I always wanted to be a “fashion” photographer. So while my time progressed as a photographer my subjects became more and more focused on fashion. Unfortunately I don’t have any of those images online for anyone to view…its probably a better thing that they aren’t online anyways. Its amazing to see the progression of my work from five years ago until today.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What books did you read at the beginning of your photography career that helped you prepare for today? Title of book, author and price of book please…just messing around, the title of the books should be fine thanks to google search. Do you recall any other resources that you referred to heavily to help you prepare for the photography business? We want to know what the must have resources are to fully equip ourselves when and if we ever plan to take that leap of faith.
ALLEN ZAKI: I’m not much of a book person, but seeing that my passion for photography was based in fashion, my go to read was Vogue, W, Elle, Vanity Fair, Flaunt, etc. Magazine’s with “today’s” photographer’s work in it, shows you what you’re competing against and what’s “in” for fashion photography. Other than magazines I’d go to Brooks’ library and look through books about the classic photographers’ work; like Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn, Annie Leibovitz etc. As for my business resource, I’d use PDN magazine as a resource, and Resource magazine to find out what’s going on in the industry and who’s shooting what. The online photography blogs are an amazing helpful resource as well…www.aphotoeditor.com is an amazing resource for new and old photographers to have up-to-date knowledge of what’s going on.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What was your very first professional photography job? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Was there a hidden plan to penetrate the market from within? Would you recommend it to new photographers trying to break into the market and that are having difficulty breaking in? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more work besides providing awesome images? Have you ever considered being agency represented? If you are agency represented how did you attract a photography agent?
ALLEN ZAKI: My very first professional photography job was shooting for a Los Angeles based clothing company. It was a lookbook/advertising job that was given to me the night before the shoot. A colleague of mine wasn’t able to cover the shoot, and had asked me if I could shoot the job. I jumped at the opportunity, because I hadn’t worked with a major company before. Its not about “right place, right time” its more about “who you know”, and what they can do for you. Mind you I was still in school when I shot this, and I hadn’t really worked with a large client, so the estimate was low, and the project was a lot larger than I knew it was going to be. However, I pulled off the shoot, the client loved the images.
I’ve never been one to plan to penetrate the market with some secret plan of attack, but I knew that once I graduated from college I’d have to hit the ground running. So, I sent out promo cards to editors of magazines and photo reps. Although it’s a good way to get you name seen and heard, its not always the best way to get work. Its not an inexpensive way to get work (promos are not cheap) and like I said before, its all about “who you know” not “what you know.” Too many times I’ve gotten jobs based on whom I’ve known than what I’ve known. If your clients like you, and what you can do, they are more than likely to help you get another job with them, or with their friends. Once I got one client, the next client came through a referral through another friend and colleague, and so on and so on. This industry is all about word of mouth referrals; which I’ve been very lucky to have a good amount of connections in the industry to help me build a great client base.
I’ve considered being agency represented, but I’ve heard a lot of downsides to having a rep, and the lack of funds to pay for all they need to rep you have turned me away from getting one. I know that being represented can get your foot in the door with the big league of clients. But I’ve also heard that a lot of reps require you (the photographer) to have a large client base to begin with before they will rep you. It is also very expensive to keep up with your rep, they need new portfolios monthly, promos cards, and you’re expected to pay for it all. For myself, I do not have the money to spend on a rep and getting the promos and portfolios they expect. For now, I’ll do it myself and work as hard as I can to get larger clients into my contacts.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: After your first job, What was the next photography gig you obtained and how did you go about your execution? Did you apply all that you’ve learned in all the books you’ve read ? Did you buy more books or accessed any more resources to help you jump to your next big step in the game of photography? What tools do you recommend that are a must have that helped you get to where you are present day?
ALLEN ZAKI: My second gig that I booked was for another fashion company based in Los Angeles. We were shooting a lookbook and advertising for their line, a women’s contemporary clothing line. This shoot was very open for creative direction and design, which I love to have control over if at all possible when shooting. So, I looked over some magazines before the shoot, and came up with a concept of a “hotel room” environment with a fashion edge/twist. My knowledge of photography lighting and technical photography skills, learned while at Brooks made it easy for me to light and shoot this job. Having the tools to present yourself to your client in the utmost light is what it takes to pull off a major shoot. If you know what you’re doing, and have the knowledge of both business and photography (technically and creatively) you’re able to create anything that your client could want.
I recommend that any photographer starting out, or in their mid-photographic career learn as much as they can about lighting, technique, and photography in general. The more you know, the better you are off to compete with professionals who have been shooting for years.
PRESENT
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What keeps the money rolling? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am i right? Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.
ALLEN ZAKI: That is an amazing question, what keeps the money rolling? Well, its always about being creative and thinking outside the box when it comes to marketing and photography. With the economy the way it is, the old marketing concepts don’t work as well as they did in the past. So, I think of new ways to promote myself, and not sticking to one specific type of photography.
I also do some trade-for work in order to get my name/brand out there into the industry. Your band is the hugest part of your business’ longevity…you have a name to uphold and keep going. I recommend getting your name out into the industry, for other photographers and creatives to see, even if it doesn’t always pay. Shooting editorials and trade-for work can give you acknowledgement in the photo community, which usually leads to paid work with other clients. You have to “give some to get some.” Showing clients that you’re willing to work with them (without pay) means you care to help them, and they will help you out when they have the budget to pay you. I don’t recommend shooting all the time for free, my rule of thumb is, as long as you’re getting something out of it (whether for your portfolio, or book) and you’re able to afford the expenses then do the job. But I limit myself to about two or three unpaid jobs to every two paid gigs.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What is currently in your photography bag? Please be as detailed as possible for those starting out photographers that want to be just like you. From your photography equipment arsenal, what do you bring most of the time for your commercial shoots?
ALLEN ZAKI: Well, lets see…I shoot so many different things, but my basic bag would consist of the following. Two Canon 5D bodies (one main, one as backup), One Canon BP-511A batteries (2 extras), Canon 28-105mm L series lens, Canon 70-200mm lens, Canon 50mm 1.8 lens, Sekonic L-558R light meter, three Pocketwizard Plus II transceivers, two Sandisc 4GB cards. I primarily shoot tethered to a laptop computer (Apple Mac Book Pro 15”), and have a Cinema display attached to the computer for viewing images (Apple 20” Cinema display). I also shoot a lot of work with strobes, I bring my handy travel lighting kit, a two set of Calumet Travelite 750w/s heads, with a full set of accessories.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What is your favorite image in your current portfolio and why? How did you approach the execution? Give us a glimpse on how you construct an image from scratch.
ALLEN ZAKI: My favorite image….wow that’s a hard question to answer. But if I were to choose one image from the portfolio I would have to choose “Selects” the fourth image in my fashion portfolio (online). It was a test I had shot with model Monique Stateena from America’s Next Top Model Season 7, where we were shooting a fashion editorial. I wanted the final image to look like an “old school” film contact sheet of selects. With the “x” marks and “check” marks of a contact sheet. To produce the final image I scanned in grease-pencil marks on a sheet of paper, created a blank canvas in Photoshop and placed the retouched images on the canvas. I then overlaid the grease-pencil marks on the images, and placed the text. It sounds a lot easier than it actually is…it took me about an hour to get everything properly laid out.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Is having your own studio space essential for any commercial photographer. Do you have a photography studio of your own? If so, what do you look for in a photography studio?
ALLEN ZAKI: I don’t think having a studio space is essential for a commercial photographer. It think that many photographers starting out want to have one because they feel as though it will help them to create better images. But the truth of the matter is, any space will do just fine its all about how you can create your images. I used to have a full-fledged photography studio in Downtown Los Angeles, however after working/living in the space for about a year, I became extremely unhappy with working in the space. A photo studio is a LOT of work to keep up, clean and making sure you have everything necessary to run the studio. When looking for a studio, I’d look for a space that has a large “shooting space” of about 700 sq. ft. or more and an area for kitchen, bathroom, and desk/office space, as well as storage for equipment and backdrops.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What types of commercial gigs are you currently involved in now and how did they surface? What are your recommendations on how we photographers diversify their product offering from Commercial and stock in today’s marketplace?
ALLEN ZAKI: Currently I’ve been working on a few different projects, for clothing companies, and celebrity work for promotion, and editorial work. Many of my projects come about through my team of creatives that I work with. I also work with a producer who helps to market and manage a lot of my work. I recommend that photographers don’t get “stuck” in their ways about who they are as a photographer. I’ve had to open a lot of my shooting ability and shoot products, houses, etc. to go along with the economy. I cannot survive just on fashion and celebrity portraiture. So, you broaden your horizons and shoot many types of subjects. Market yourself to other markets than what you are comfortable in, and take your work to a stock agency and see if you can sell your work more than just to the original client you shot for. Broaden, broaden, broaden.
FUTURE
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist? Are you planning on releasing any how-to books? What are your recommendations to people thinking about starting a photography book?
ALLEN ZAKI: My goals for the future as of right now are to keep shooting (even with the economy the way it is) and to become more artistic with my work. Lessen my commercial look, and add more of my artistic background to my images. I would love to create a photography book, not necessarily a how-to, but rather a book about my own work, and what it took to get where I’m at for my age. My recommendation for people thinking of starting a photography book, good luck! Its hard to get published, and you have to be VERY “in the know” about photography in order to write a book about it.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: A lot of professional photographers are starting to run workshops. Will you start offering workshops in the future? I know TIME is not your friend, but there are ways to get around that maybe offering internship opportunities to intern with you for a small fee during one of your paid shoots. Or maybe provide an opportunity to be a spectator for one of your weekend shoots?
ALLEN ZAKI: I have definitely considered giving a workshop to up-and-coming photographers. However I haven’t had the time to get everything figured out. I always welcome students on my set, I usually don’t ask for a fee, I’d prefer for them to learn from the experience. So it’s more of an internship experience than a workshop. I always like to pay someone for what they are worth and their time, so for me free labor isn’t really what I look for (although many photographers do). A workshop could definitely be in the works, something about professional lighting, working with models, and building a strong portfolio. So keep your eyes peeled.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: I am sure you’ve read many articles discussing how in the future videography and photography will be one? What are your thoughts on that and how will you evolve to the new morphed medium?
ALLEN ZAKI: I have heard these rumors about vid and photo combining them. However I’m a strong believer in traditional photography, and traditional videography being separates. However that’s not to say I won’t evolve with the times of our industry. I will keep myself up-to-date on the equipment and techniques of video and still photo…but I think the merging of both will take some time, and you can’t really replace photography with video. The moment I press that shutter release, the image is captured because I wanted to capture that moment, with video it’s a constant stream of image from which you can choose a frame to print, but there is something about choosing a frame from 30-per second and choosing the image that you just shot one at a time. The creative process if lessened with you are taking video of something and turning it into photography. I know many people will disagree with me, but being a photographer its about capturing that ONE moment, not the whole scene.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Ok so thinking about the future and how it is very important in any endeavor especially the photography business. What do you suggest photographers do in the future to solidify their presence in the industry? What will you do to ensure that you remain on top, not taking into account your photography niche?
ALLEN ZAKI: I would recommend that every photographer for the future keep themselves in “the know” about technology, and really stay grounded to your creative genes. What’s going to set myself apart from the next photographer in the future is my creativity and style that sets me apart from them. Along with knowing what’s going on in the digital era. We’re all going to have to keep it fresh and exciting, otherwise, we’ll fall to the bottom.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Thank you again for your time and giving back. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.
ALLEN ZAKI: My words of wisdom for future photographers out there…don’t forget the creatives of the past, take inspiration from everything around you, and don’t let others doubt your creative genius, even if it seems wrong…stick with it, and you’ll come out on top in the end.
