Meet Zach Wharton | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zach Wharton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zach, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It was all about learning as much as possible from others around me who have started businesses and asking lots of questions. I was always a jack of all trades but running a business never seemed possible from where I was at. So, I just asked a lot of questions, researched a lot and still to this day stay humble in my approach to all I do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Photography was something that I picked up after some very difficult times in my life. I wanted to express myself and what helped me and saved me. Going on hikes, meeting people when I really had no reason to trust people anymore and having a way to channel my thoughts and feelings is how it all came about. Slowly, I opened up to the person I was before those difficult personal times and saw the beauty of life again. The first time that I can remember playing it safe was when I bought my first professional camera. I outgrew that camera really fast, went to a lot of photography meetups and met some amazing people. The photography community is pretty amazing. It took a while to get things going as this artform is not cheap. However, looking back, I’m glad I went through it all, because it made me stronger. If there’s anything I would want others to know about me. It’s that your most important piece of equipment is YOU. I worked with used equipment for 9 years and because of that, I had extra challenges in using my equipment when it was past its prime. Still, I would get up every day with joy and go figure out how to be better despite often times, faulty equipment. A real artist finds a way. I even shut my business down at one point for a period of two years to focus on family and to keep my brand right. I say that I Chappelle’d my business, because I got caught up in the web of creating stuff that the industry wanted, rather than original art. I chose to protect my brand over the money. During those two years I still practiced and stepped back to learn more intricacies to the business side of things. This last year has been all about applying the wisdom and experiences into something I can be proud of and that maintains my positive outlook on life, family, nature, spirit and God.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Great question with multiple levels to my answer. I don’t really plan things out like that. My friends are aware of this and expect nothing less than to live in the moments. I grew up travelling and taking road trips. So, one of my favorite things to do, is travel to different places, towns, cities, walk around and really experience the culture of a place. Meet the people and eat local food that is recommended by the people of that area. Usually, a little mom and pop place with that special taste that you can tell is filled with love and heart.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
David Firestine of Firestine Photography has been a great mentor and giving person who never asks for anything in return. Huge heart and a solid individual.

Website: www.zachwhartonphotography.com

Instagram: @zachwhartonphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zach.wharton.39/

Image Credits
Zach Wharton