The King of Captivation: Zack Stone

Lately I am sure you all have noticed I haven’t been blogging often. This is because some changes in my life: I got my first very own apartment, I am creating my own Etsy.com company, and I am expanding my brand to be something powerful and hopefully meaningful. All these things take time, preparation, and focus, so I have been putting effort in time spent alone and with friends to make these dreams come true. I have always been a big dreamer, but haven’t always been able to find purpose for all my dreams.

This year I have learned that what I was meant to do wasn’t just one thing, but a series of goals that all collaborate into one big one. I am creating more things than I ever have both physically and metaphorically. I have some really exciting things to share with you all, both projects I have been creating and making, as well as business plans I am going to be implementing soon.

On another note I have not only been focusing on my goals, but also meeting more talented artists who have skills I do not. One in particular is an extremely talented photographer Zack Stone. His pictures are captivating, breath taking, romantic, mythical, exotic, and other worldly. He has a way of taking a moment and making it a masterpiece.

I have worked with a good amount of photographers and I find that working with Zack is really a rewarding collaboration for many reasons. A lot of the time when you go into a photoshoot you are only to go off of the moves and angles that you know. What I love about working with Zack is his ability to make you a piece of art by guiding you and directing you into this unbelievable moment. His small or even dramatic guidance puts you in a certain mood when he photographs you.

Now that we have done a couple shoots together I have started to learn the mood he likes to capture, so it has become such a fun process of knowing the direction he gives and now the guidance I have completely implemented into my modeling. I think he has made me a better model, simply by helping me feel a mood when taking a photo, but also by learning new ways to hold myself in order to capture something beautiful.

When I first received the photos I was astonished at how gorgeous they were and it was not because of me by any means, but by his ability to take such a powerful photo. I will let his words through some questions I asked him and the pictures he has taken of me speak for themselves, as his pictures speak way more than 1,000 words.

When in your life did you first realize photography was something that would forever be your ultimate passion? Was it a series of events, or was it something you always knew?

Well, I’ve always struggled to have hobbies because most of them that I tried required me to have others to do it with, so most other things prior to photography I gave up because people didn’t get into it as much as I did. Photography is different because I can go out and take photos of whatever by myself. I have a tendency to go all out when I’m into something. It’s something that’s in my personality; I’m very hot and cold about things, which can be a determent sometimes. I made it an almost daily routine to grab my camera after work and just take photos of everything, I really enjoyed it. It also provides a nice buffer between my personal issues and me. It wraps me up in a positive place that I always want to go back to.

What inspires your photos now to have both the mood and look that you aim for, and do you think the mood you have now is consistent with when you first started avidly pursuing photography?

I’ve always been obsessed with depth of field; I just love the look of it. I struggle to describe my artistic vision because it seems like a certainty that I’ll come across as pretentious. I think a lot of what I try to go for comes from a love of fantasy, a bit of idealism and also a sense of sadness at times. I grew up watching, reading and playing games that revolved around fantasy. I think photography allows me to put my own spin on the world.

How would you describe your art if you had to describe it instead of letting it speak for itself?

I’d like to think of it as emotive, moody, and dreamy. People often tell me my photos look “soft” I think that’s a desirable adjective. I’m a pretty emotional person myself, who thinks a lot; I’m also pretty existential so that may also reflect in my work. I’d also say it’s simple I don’t like photos where there is a lot of crazy posing, and cheesy gimmicks. I like the “less is more” approach.

When you pursue models and looks what usually inspires that? Is it organic or do you feel as if it is something you plan out before implementing?

I find a lot of different models photogenic for different reasons. I think a lot of it may be a subconscious processing that I’m not completely aware of. Some of them have an “agency” look and some have that girl next door look as well. There are women who are certainly more apt for certain genres more than others just based on appearance. Sometimes, models can do a lot of different things but that’s rarer. I’d also like to stress that it’s not enough to just be an attractive person, it helps but there has to be a connection between the model and subjects who will be looking at her photo. I find a really great model is someone who can basically just look at you with minimal body language and hook you in.

What is your favorite thing about being behind the camera lens? Is it almost like looking through your real eyes or do you feel like you see the world in photographs now?

The camera gives me the ability to transform the world into the way I envision it in my head. I preconceive my photos a lot, especially landscapes, but I do for portraiture as well. This is also where I’d like to dispel the mantra of gear doesn’t matter, it does. I couldn’t do portraits the way I’d want to without a fast aperture. As I said earlier, I’m pretty obsessed with a thin depth of field. Photography in general has really opened up my social life as well. I can incorporate my photography into everything I spend my time doing. And I’ve made some wonderful friends who I never would have met otherwise.

What does your logo SlamzeeNY stand for and why did it become your brand?

Oh god, haha. It’s actually a self-parody that just stuck with me since I was 14. The story is, I was listening to Eminem’s “My Name is” and during the chorus I thought Slim Shady was Slamzeeny, my friends took note of my mistake and I decided to make it a joke because I thought it was amusing. It’s also unique in its own way as well.

If you would like to see more of Zack’s work and I urge you to do so, please visit his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/slamzeeny/