Photographer Spotlight: Celebrity Photographer, Zach Cordner

October 21, 4:52 PMIrvine Photography ExaminerCarlos Anderson

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Nowadays, it seems like good photographers come a dime a dozen. With all of the modern technological advances in digital cameras and photo editing software, a decent amateur can easily come close to capturing a great photo; but as they say, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades”. Magazine editors and publishers spend countless hours rummaging through piles of photos that come close to making the grade – knowing all the while that only a select few will actually make it to print. So what is the difference between coming close and actually cutting the mustard? There’s no simple answer to that question. A multitude of factors are involved in solving the equation of greatness and it is far beyond my pay-grade offer a solution, but I do recognize a winner when I see one.

My occupation as an Art Director has awarded me the pleasure of working with several talented photography professionals. Even amongst such an elite group, some stand head and shoulders above the rest. From behind the lens, these unsung heroes quietly carry out their duty: Portraying the people, places, and things that we all know and love so much, in the best light possible. As a journalist, and general purveyor of news that is good and decent, I find it to be my duty to shed light on the talented individuals that operate from behind the lens. One such individual is celebrity photographer, Zach Cordner.

I first met Zach during a photo shoot at Travis Barker’s “The Fast Life” clothing store in Hollywood. Since then, I have had the good fortune of working with Zach several times. Cordner’s humble demeanor and fiery work ethic combine to form a unique dichotomy that separates him from the pack. His body of work speaks for itself, but I believe the photography world can benefit from hearing him speak. In the middle of a recent phone conversation about an upcoming project that he and I are working on, I convinced Zach to share a few words of wisdom with us. Here’s what Sir Cordner had to say:

(Irvine Photography Examiner) What's your home town?...Where do you live now?
(Zach Cordner) I grew up in Riverside, CA and now live in Oceanside, CA.

(IPE) How long have you been a professional photographer?...How long did
you study your craft before you started earning a living with it?
(ZC) I started shooting gigs pretty young. By the time I was fifteen years
old I was shooting ads for skateboard companies and doing shoots for
local bands. I have to owe where I got to by taking college photo
classes in high school, then studying to be a photojournalism major in
college. My most valuable knowledge came from hands-on shooting for
local newspapers in college. Photojournalism really makes you a well
rounded photographer because every shooting situation is different. As
for making a living at it, that wasn't until I became a photo editor
at Transworld Media when I was twenty years old.

(IPE) Discuss a few of your most notable projects:
(ZC) I've been lucky enough to do a lot of fun shoots with some big
personalities. Some of my more recognizable work has been the cover of
comedian Chelsea Handler's NY Times Bestseller "Are You There, Vodka?
It's Me, Chelsea". I've shot album artwork for rock legends like Elvis
Costello and Brian Wilson. Also, I'm the US photographer for Mixmag,
the world's #1 dance music magazine. I've shot over five covers for
them now including, P Diddy, Outkast and Daft Punk. I've also gone on
tour with the Vans skateboard teams across Europe, Canada and Mexico.

 All Photos by: Zach Cordner (www.zachcordner.com)

(IPE) Any advice on building a strong network for freelancers?
(ZC) It's extremely tough times for all photographers right now. It
doesn't matter how far up the ladder you are in this field, everyone
is feeling the pinch. For me, I just keep in contact regularly with
the people that have given me work before. Also emailing new
perspective clients with a link to your website can always be helpful
in generating new work. Just be careful not to email people too much,
otherwise they might get turned off by your work and think you're too
pushy. So it's always a fine line between promoting yourself
effectively and just pestering people.

(IPE) Any shout outs?
(ZC) Sure, I'll give a holla to Richy and Alondra, otherwise known as "Team
Tripod". They keep my productions running smoothly, thanks guys!

For more information, check out Zach Cordner’s website: www.zachcordner.com