Interview: Kevin Zacher

For this week’s interview feature, photographer Christian Brecheis offered to interview one of his biggest influences, Kevin Zacher. Kevin was an iconic photographer in the snowboard industry in the 90s and early 2000s, and has since brought his style of visceral storytelling to a wide world of editorial and commercial spheres.

Christian Brecheis: In an other interview you said you lay the groundwork for your transition into commercial photography already at an early stage while you were working as a snowboard photographer. How did that go, could you use any of your work from shooting snowboarding for you book or did you work on self-assigned projects to create a portfolio of that direction?

Kevin Zacher: Before I became a busy snowboard photographer I was building portfolios.  Snowboarding was a passion and so was photography.  I simply melded the two and then treated snowboarding as a commercial business. Always prospecting for new work  and showing my portfolio to potential clients and magazines inside this niche.  I was told early on by someone I respected to find a niche. I was also concurrently talking with reps and showing them my book, as I knew that was the direction I wanted to go in when snowboarding had run its course.  I did work on some self assignments, but largely due to a heavy travel schedule I would just try and document as much as I could.  I became known for getting moments no one else was in this snowboarding culture.  Both in action and in the lifestyle. My style at that time was heavy fly on the wall documentary of the sport.  A lot of quirky compositions and joyous moments.  I used those pictures to build my first books which in the end landed me a rep.  So yes, largely I was able to use the work I did in snowboarding both on and off the hill to gain an agent.

CB: How did you develop your visual style on editorial assignments as a snowboard photographer?

KZ: It came naturally.  And since then I have built on it.  I am doing more mature work now, yet still retain a Joie De Vivre in my pictures that I had developed and made a conscious effort to make years ago.  I have evolved and continue to evolve the look.   I am quite comfortable telling a story visually, aesthetically and compositionally.

CB: What was your motivation to shoot snowboarding back then?

KZ: I loved it!  Thought I could go pro.  Eventually realized I couldn’t and still wanted to be around it.  At the same time I was using my camera to stay involved.  Stay part of the tribe.   I really felt like I was doing something special.  That I was creating imagery that would live forever.  The travel, the locales, the talent and the hunt all motivated me.  It’s the same now with my advertising and editorial career.  The hunt for more work, great subjects, great locations keeps me motivated.

CB: What turned out to be successful marketing for yourself approaching new clients?

KZ: Marketing is marketing.  It’s such an intangible thing.    You just never really know which marketing you are doing - whether it be postcards, emails, special mailings, resource books, et.etc. are working.  Unless you ask or someone tells you.  I think to date the most successful marketing for me has been to just become a part of the community.  Of course I tread all the traditional avenues of marketing, but to go out and meet with people and get to know them, get to know who they know is probably the best marketing I have done.  The VERY best marketing is the insatiable urge I have to want to make the work better than my client expected.  When I do that  they will come back.  I’ve accomplished three things.  More work,  a solid working relationship and in a lot of cases a friendship.

Verdict is still out on my blog.  I really do it to keep an (electronic) journal of my career.  I think to look back on in in 1,2,5,10,20,40 years will be something else.  But I would hope people look at it and see what I am doing and how I feel about it.  I really do use it to promote my work.  I see some photographers get weird about talking about what jobs they have done and apologize for what they call is a shameless plug.  I guess.  My job to myself as the boss of my index finger is to get the word out.

CB: What is your motivation to shoot commercial and advertising today?

KZ: The production.  I love being on set with the production value.  It’s exciting.  I remember as a kid seeing movie productions around town and thinking how exciting that was.  All the trucks and gear.  I also have always loved advertising and while never taken or fooled by tv commercials, I was always wondering how things were done and who came up with the ideas.

CB: How far do you go into a job with previsualized images?

KZ: Really depends on the job.  A lot of times I will get hired to fulfill a shot list and other times I will get hired to execute a layout(s).  I always try and come in with my own ideas regarding the layout or the shot list.  Something extra for the art director.  I spend a lot of time on airplanes and before conference calls making lists and notes.  ”Ok the layout  says it wants this, but how can I make it better or put my own little twist on it” is how I like to approach most jobs.  When I get hired to show up and do an editorial portrait or reportage I try to do as much research on the brand, the  location and subject as possible, but a lot of time you never know what your going to get or what the office or stadium will offer so you jot down some ideas, show up and let it rip.  I like to have fun with my subjects and try to keep the rapport and energy up.

CB: How do they come together, how close are they to the briefing you get?

KZ: They come together before the shoot in  a series of calls, conference calls with the creatives and they come together as you tech scout the location and then finally all this coagulates and solidifies on the day of the shoot.  It all comes together.  Assuming you have done the research, had the discussions and have a great production.

CB: Do you often pitch for jobs?

KZ: I do some editorial pitches, but most publications aren’t uber receptive.  They usually have a clear idea of what stories they want and then they assign for them.  I have been doing more and more Pro Bono that I am going after.  Things that matter to me like Autism.

CB: Where do you get your visual input and inspiration from (regarding commercial work)?

KZ: My life, my surroundings, music, people.  No real deep answer here.  It’s a common question I see.  What is your inspiration?  I don’t know what better inspiration there is than life itself.

CB: What is your advise for a young emerging photographer eager to shoot commercial/advertising? How much should one focus on that and how much should you still rely on other topics one can work on the side? (in your case snowboarding)

KZ: Focus Focus Focus.  I focused on snowboarding.  But had I not focused on it I would have focused on something else.  Whether it would have been fashion, editorial or advertising.  I have in the last 6 years just simply changed my focus to Advertising and Editorial.  It is all about focusing your niche and aesthetic.

CB: How did you handle the change from being the freelance outdoors shooter to working on assignments?

KZ: With the same if not more fervor and energy. It’s really no difference.  I love what I do.  It’s about moving along on a life curve and always progressing and keeping inertia.