Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Lee.
Zachary, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
One day, I decided to do it, and so I did.
I was working a job that I had spent five years in school to get. Only to find out how miserable I was, hoping that getting a higher-paying job would allow me to have a better life. I spent many years of my life lost and depressed hoping that one day everything would simply change for the better and that by magic, life would gift me what I wanted.
Change wasn’t easy and only happened when I made it happen and started to read self-help books. “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and “Think and Grow Rich” to be exact. They helped me to change how I perceived myself and the world and therefore changed what I thought possible along with my actions. I was living a life where I hated my work life, my home life, my social life, and my personal life. And my view into the future was grim. But as I kept reading, I saw what was happening to me and found clarity into what I wanted in life.
It was then on that fateful day that using a technique that I learned from the book to generate ideas for getting what you want, that photography flashed into my head as a way to bring about the life that I desired so much. It hit me so hard as to realize that everything about photography utilized all of my greatest assets and also allowed me to express myself in the way that I wanted to along with live the life that I wanted to.
That was simply phase one. Learning what it is that I wanted to do. After having that flash of lighting in my brain, I had the upmost conviction towards making it happen for I was not going to live my entire life in misery, nor would I settle for a mediocre life where when I die, I won’t be able to smile.
Next was phase two. Learning how to do everything…
Having no prior knowledge of a camera, rather I don’t think I ever used a digital camera. I had a lot to learn. That same night I had the thought, I bought a camera and the next day it arrived. I went to Downtown Long Beach to practice all the settings and figure out how a camera was used, I YouTubed everything, I stayed up till 4 am with a flash, light stand and umbrella trying to figure out lighting, I went to multiple meetups to gain a portfolio and practice, I was trying to photograph anything and everything I can…
I spent many days with little sleep while working two jobs and staying up all night simply trying to produce work that would have people flock to me for business. Unfortunately, what they don’t tell you when you become a photographer is, it’s not about the skill but being skilled in business.
No matter how much I posted, how many hashtags I used, no matter how much I asked, I couldn’t get any business and life was pretty grim. But man was it exciting to do this for myself! It was then, while I had no money whatsoever, couldn’t get almost any clients, struggling constantly to be better at what I was doing, covid hit. And man was that a blessing in disguise.
Luckily, two weeks before, I had run into a women named Sue Bryce on the Internet. She was a business and life coach. And with all the time in the world, I was able to absorb all her content and learn how to run a successful business.
Day after day, watching all her content that dives deep into self-value, and customer service, and building the structure of your business. I was feeling stronger and stronger and stronger. I was building confidence!
It was then and only then did I have the idea to start campaigns for women over the age of 30, celebrating their beauty and powerful lives did my business take off. Ever since then I’ve been booked solid with new ideas flowing every day.
My newly found campaign is called “RAW”. An opportunity to be captured in an authentic and real way with no makeup or filters. Simply capturing you as your real authentic self whilst allowing you to share your story that has made you who you’re. Allowing you to find self-acceptance in all the stories that have created you along the way while allowing yourself to be expressed authentically. Finding power in who you’re and transforming in the process. My most recent subject was going through radiation every single day for a year with a massive scar that replaced one of her boobs. She let me photograph it and found beauty in that!
This campaign I will be photographing 100 Men & Women compared to photographing only 30 Women for the previous campaign. And each one of these I host a gallery event so this will be my biggest gallery event to date!
However, whilst on the surface, everything sounds amazing, this journey has been no picnic. Some days it’s depressing, some days I’m angry and upset, sometimes it feels hopeless, some days I’m thriving! There’s always something I’m struggling with internally but that is the beauty about owning your own business. You’re forced to face those things or you are going to sink. And the more you face these things, the stronger you get as a human being and have the power to deal with adversity and problems.
But that is about where I’m at now, daily struggles, but also truly grateful for the life that I’m blessed with. I have such a wonderful life that I get to create and if I’m going to sink, that’s my choice, and if I’m going to thrive, that’s my choice. There is no greater luxury than being able to live the life you want to live and provide every lasting memories for others and create their legacy! I’ll end this story with a women who set everything in motion for me, Sorelle Amore.
In regards to having your own business: “Even if it takes you six months, one year, five years, ten years. Isn’t it worth it to do something you love for the rest of your life? Isn’t that worth the sacrifice? Isn’t the freedom to live how you want worth it?” – Sorelle Amore
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The greatest enemy is yourself. You’re the reason you hold yourself back, you’re the reason you don’t do what you want, and you’re the reason you succeed or don’t.
Every single day is me dealing with myself and my negative counterproductive thoughts.
It has been the bumpiest of roads whilst being in massive amounts of debt, to feeling hopeless, to pushing through even though you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, to having to learn literally “Everything” about a business”.
People don’t realize this about photographers but taking pictures is %5 of what we do. We are accountants, managers, videographers, social media content producers, marketers, therapists, coaches, tax preparers, creatives, communicators, speakers, voices, storytellers, and human beings who also have to take care of ourselves.
Literally, every day is a struggle but the best part is that it’s my struggle. And they’re all mine and nobody else’s. From the book “The Art of Not Giving a Fuck”. You’re taught that your life is struggles and problems, so don’t choose the life you want out of what you want and desire, but choose the problems you want to have. And I love my problems.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is less art and more a conversation. I’m in the photography industry because the camera gives me a medium in which to connect with others and help them through whatever is they’re going through. I was isolated from this world that was self-inflicted and I found photography as a way to connect with others and give them something powerful and worthwhile.
When I take a picture, it’s your legacy. It’s a real version of you that most don’t get to see. I specifically get together with my clients before we do a photoshoot so I can get to know them more. So that way I can unlock a part of them that not most people get to see. So when you have a session with me, you’re getting much more than you thought you were getting. You’re getting a whole new perspective into how you see yourself, ultimately transforming yourself into a stronger more confident version that you get to create from the vision I lend you.
To put it in simple terms, I’m much more personal which is why my shots feel different. I’m also not a massive fan of retouching which 99% of the industry goes way too overboard with. I like to keep my clients recognizable so that is also a pretty clear distinction of what separates me.
What I specialize in is transformation. What people will understand better is I’m a portrait photographer and branding photographer. I create legacies that can be kept with you in the form of Fine Art Albums and Wall Art (Framed Canvases) along with creating powerful branding images that will give you the confidence to thrive in whatever profession you’re in.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
An insecure, excitable, passionate kid. I pushed myself very hard and loved very hard. I was definitely a hopeless romantic that fell in love way too easily.
However, most of my life was filled with video games or sports. I was a complete nerd whilst playing every video game I could find and spending almost a decade of my life playing World of Warcraft and excelling within the world of hockey.
I find it difficult to really put into words my entire childhood as so much happened to be honest. Things that consumed me were thoughts and opinions of others, video games, sports, women, friends, and trying to survive in this crazy world being an overly emotional adolescent.
Pricing:
- Session is $390 (including a consultation, day photoshoot, hair and make up, and a reveal to look at your photos)
- Fine Art Album Collections are 10 pages for $2000, 20 pages for $3400, and 30 pages for $4400, with the option to get an additional 10 for $990
- Wall Art Ranges from $800 – $10,000+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zacharyleeportrait.com/
- Instagram: instagram.com/Zacharyleeportrait
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhotographerZacharyLee
Image Credits
All Images belong to “Zacharyleeportrait”
