We had the good fortune of connecting with Zachary De la Garza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zachary, why did you pursue a creative career?
My dad was very interested in movies growing up, and amassed a large library of films that I was able to watch. Around my sophomore year of high school, it kind of clicked that I loved filmmaking, photography, and the arts. On top of this, I love old tech, which allowed all of my interests to intersect- I shot Polaroids, learned how to shoot on film, and made fun videos with my friends. All of this finally culminated with my decision to go to school for filmmaking in 2018.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I initially began to shoot film photography as a way to practice cinematography. It taught me composition and the exposure triangle, but I soon realized that I enjoyed the process alone as opposed to just merely as an educational tool. I started shooting in 2017, and have been shooting ever since, diving into all kinds of different formats and even starting to scan and develop my own film. A lot of my work tends to be environmental, focusing on spaces and less on people. This has changed overtime, resulting in a good blend between the environmental work and more conventional portraiture. I also have shifted from color photography to working primarily in black and white, which adds an almost surreal and abstract quality to the images. In 2022, I made a TikTok dedicated to my photography adventures and eventually started a YouTube channel to document my work. While in my actual job I shoot, edit, and color grade commercial work, I still have a strong passion for film photography and the process. This journey took a long time to get to where I am today, but I love being able to photograph through this medium, and hope to one day create a photo book and be able to display my images.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would probably take them by the studio where I work (DeadCat Media) in downtown Paris before going to eat at Rosewood, a local restaurant right around the corner. We would also probably catch a movie in town. If they hadn’t been to Paris, we would also check out the Eiffel Tower in town and a few of the other notable architecture in the city (namely a lot of downtown, which was rebuilt after the fire of 1916). And a walk on the Trail de Paris would also be fun in the morning!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As I mentioned, I think growing in a house filled with media was very important to my upbringing. When I was younger, I always felt like I was missing out on random references, be it in other media or real life, so movies were a way for me to kind of become in on the joke. My dad would take me to Hastings and we would pick out an older film series for me to binge. My mom was also very supportive academically. She would always help me if I needed to pick her brain about my latest film idea for a class.

Website: https://www.zddlg.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zddlg/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn8Y5nk1mfne8bD6wie0kPw

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