Zachary is a professional freelance photographer and social media consultant living in Kansas City, MO.
// February 3rd, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Photo News
I don’t have time to put together some sweet flash sideshow action so I am just going to post a few of the better shots of Brian and Carly’s portrait session. These two were lots of fun, it was hard for everyone to keep a straight face during the course of the day.
I really appreciate their trust and flexibility. A lot of shots that seem fantastic can be a little strange to make happen in person.
// November 1st, 2008 // 5 Comments » // Photo News, Thoughts
Quite a night of shooting in Kansas City this evening…all kinds of “interesting” costumes out there. Fun had by all. The first few pictures are there to paint the picture of just how jampacked P+L was. Pretty amazing.
Enjoy the photos…
// September 9th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Photo News, Thoughts
I took some time out to catch some of the buildings where the Kansas City machine for better or worse does its work every day.
// August 21st, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Photo News, Thoughts
Got my hands (or would it be mouse?) on a PDF of my powered parachute article and accompanying photographs. Really happy for Phil and Brynn-Marie Kloster who have worked very hard to turn the paper into a great resource for the community. You can check out a larger version in PDF form here that is easier to read.
Also, you can check out the full collection of photos here.
// August 12th, 2008 // 5 Comments » // Photo News, Thoughts
Tonight reminded me why I love to take photos. Went out to do shots with the band and it turned out quite well. I don’t wanna post everything because of their upcoming release they want to keep a lot under wraps. But I had to throw a teaser out there. Thanks to the guys of “Destination Go” for their patience and great attitudes toward shooting. I look forward to posting news about the incredible work they have been cooking up this past month.
// July 14th, 2008 // No Comments » // Thoughts
Beginning the overhaul of ZCPhotography dot com, this websites poor little brother that should be a much stronger website. It is going to be a source of information about me and the services I offer presented in an impressive way instead of a dumping ground for photos that isn’t updated very often. The design has been selected and is being tinkered with. I expect it up by the end of the week but I may make a crazy run and get a lot of it ironed out on Monday.
After ZCP gets taken care of Ideas and Angles is on the list to be done. Somewhere in between there I am going to start up Vince’s site with the possibility of two other projects popping up in the next few weeks.
As soon as I got serious with photography I have wanted to join a trade organization for its numerous benefits. The person who broke into my car has hastened that process reminding me what a valuable piece of my life this camera is and how I need insurance on it. A special interest organization is one of most reasonable ways for me to do that at this point. Nothing was taken from my vehicle, I think the car looked like it had a lot more interesting stuff in it then it actually did but the happening is a pain in the ass and a wake up call to keep taking care off my stuff. I will be joining the PPA soon. Looking forward to the resources that await me from a group like that.
In news that has nothing to do with the fact that I don’t have a passenger side window…
I listened to the new ‘Elbow’ album as I was working on my computer this weekend. ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ takes some quiet time to really enjoy. You won’t get into it while driving or listening to it on your iPod as you do a million other things. It very well crafted work that reminds me of Peter Gabriel’s classic ‘US’ album.
Give it a listen.
// July 13th, 2008 // 9 Comments » // Photo News, Thoughts
Last week I was asked to try and get some shots of the Lee’s Summit\Greenwood area for the Green Summit Dispatch. The whole thing was put together at the last minute and I was told I would be going up in a plane for the shots. As we went out that morning I prepared myself for the challenge of getting shots from inside a plane, it turns out I should of been preparing for something totally different. It was an open powered parachute I would be going up in.
It was an amazing experience I will never forget. We were anywhere from 500-1400 ft in altitude and ended up on TV that morning. Enough talk though. You can see 60 of the photos below with more about the day after the jump. You need flash to be able to view the slide show.
// July 5th, 2008 // 5 Comments » // Photo News, Thoughts
Update: I guess I was not clear enough in my original article that it isn’t my photo that the Pitch used in their article rather that of the user I am quoting from the Flickr discussion group source provided below. Sorry if my post was confusing. -Z
(Via Flickr’s Kansas City Group)
I picked up a copy of this week’s Pitch yesterday at lunch. (It has the Sonic Drive-In guys on the cover.) Late in the afternoon I was flipping through it waiting for the day to be over. I turned to David Martin’s column on page 10 and saw a photo of mine from flickr. It’s certainly not any great photo, but I was shocked to see it in print.
This is the only site I’ve posted this photo on, and I have my photos marked ‘All Rights Reserved.’ I know there is always some risk of your photos being snagged once they are online, but I thought the Pitch would at least ask before publication. The photo is attached to the online story as well (here), also without citation.
So this afternoon I called the editor, C.J. Janovy. She was in a meeting and I left a voicemail. To her credit, she called me back within 15 minutes. I explained my concern regarding the publication of my photo and C.J. agreed. She was actually glad I called because according to her, when they chose the photo nobody could remember where it came from. She thinks it might’ve appeared on a Pitch blog originally, but she’s not sure. C.J. told me they sometimes use photos from flickr, but protocol is to notify the photographer first.
Despite my inclination to barter for concert tickets or a meal with Charles Ferruzza, I told C.J. I’d be fine with a correction run in next week’s Pitch. I just thought this was interesting as I was somewhat amused to see one of my crappier photos used, but somewhat peeved I wasn’t asked. Perhaps some of you in the KC group will see your photos in the Pitch in future issues…hopefully with your permission beforehand!
Oh, just for the record, here’s the photo for what it’s worth:
After reading this I got a bit worked up and my fingers went to town on a post that included a little more saber rattling about the rights of photographers but some time passed and I find myself editing that first draft to a more understanding version. Call it the calmer and gentler Zach. It must have been the beautiful 4th of July weather we enjoyed that softened me. I thought about how I generally enjoy the Pitch and imagined myself trying to keep up with what I am sure is a hectic deadline schedule.
Trying to give the benefit of the doubt here.
Photography is an easy avenue to cut corners in when it comes to print publications. Got a story that needs some a little visual love? Hop on to Flickr and you are a few clicks away from getting a quality photo that is a good match for literally any story.
Publications need to respect the rights of creatives and content producers from all mediums. Maybe this just fell through the cracks. Maybe they were trying to save some money and didn’t think they would get caught. There could be a lot of reasons for this oversight.
In any case there are a lot of great photos out there with creative commons usage rights that allow for publication, or photographers that are very reasonable when asked for permission and\or compensation to use their work.
If all fails and that perfect photo can’t be found?
Hire me.
My contact information is in the upper right hand corner. Not many people have a better beat on KC’s happenings through the shutter.
Related Links:
‘10 Photos of Kansas City you have not seen that belong on your wall’
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