One From Today :: Julia
I’ve decided I’m going to start an entire personal series on fabric. I was influenced to do so from the photo above. I love moving fabric.
It’s 1:30am and I have another full day of shooting again tomorrow. The image of Julia above was shot with my D3. Once I finished the studio work today we hit the prison location from yesterday with my new camera. I call it the CaNikon 5z Marc Too. I am not switching but I’m not hating this camera at all either! I have a few things to say about it. Imagine that. 
If you have been following my tweets today I’m sorry if you were expecting photos from the CaNikon. Those will hit the blog this weekend.
Cheers, Zack
Matt N said on March 19, 2009
Haha, so you finally did get the mark two. I hope I can step up from my 50D to that one day.
I cant wait to see this series, the photo above is really cool. I like how the fabric flows.
James said on March 19, 2009
Love the sense of motion in the fabric and the quality of the light on/through it!
zack said on March 19, 2009
@James & Matt – I am really responding to the fabric as well. The light from the front is the Alien Bee beauty dish. It is quickly becoming my favorite light modifier.
Cheers,
Zack
Broderick said on March 19, 2009
The photo is gorgeous, I can definitely see how this would inspire you to do more with fabric. Looking forward to the 5DMKII shots!
Michele said on March 19, 2009
Amazing!!! Your work blows me away.
Matt S. said on March 19, 2009
Gorgeous shot! Not that I expect anything less. Was that shot gridded or a straight up beauty dish?
P.S.
My withdrawals for the critique vids is at a fever pitch.
Matt S. said on March 19, 2009
Also, was the square composition a result of adding or subtracting white space? Not that it really matters, but it’s good to get an idea of what was going on in camera and in your head.
Craig Ferguson said on March 19, 2009
You’re going to love the 5D mkII.
Now this is a great shot. Beautiful lighting on the fabric and great color.
zack said on March 19, 2009
@Matt S. – It is just a straight beauty dish. I really want a grid for it though. The square crop was done by adding white to a vertical composition.
Cheers,
Zack
luke said on March 20, 2009
very nice work, looks very butterfly-ish
Janine said on March 20, 2009
I am in love with this image!
I can also see why you are now inspired by fabric.
Very graceful imgage.
Nathan Rodger said on March 20, 2009
So is it a CaNikon cause you are using Nikon glass? Or……?
Norton Zanini said on March 20, 2009
The fabric seems like liquid-ish, reaally nice and very soft, gives a very nice feeling to it.. and the model pleyed very well the role as an angel
I really liked the smooth gradient from top to bottom, fades really smooth.
Trey said on March 20, 2009
Zack,
I love the beauty dish too (on a White Lightening). I use it on all the I Am Second stuff, except I sock it. The way the light falls off at the edges is just awesome.
Lewicka said on March 20, 2009
Awesome picture Zack! And I have some inspiration for your project: it is mixed media tho, but still
check out this piece:
http://kubicki.deviantart.com/art/textile-1-14966687
and also other works by my friend Kubicki, he is good with that fabric stuff
Ilan said on March 20, 2009
Like a butterfly…
Awesome result, Zack, waiting to see what’s this whole CaNikon thing (from the name it’s at least 80% Nikon)
QPT said on March 20, 2009
Love it!! The square crop really works great too.
Melody said on March 20, 2009
Seriously I have been in fits of laughter today with your tweets!
When you come out to Australia on July / August it will become my aim to get you to say CANON!
Hehehehe
Oops… and STUNNING image!
Keith said on March 20, 2009
I love the photo, I just wish she didn’t have the flower in her hair. For me it doesn’t fit.
Love the lighting.
David Burke said on March 20, 2009
beautiful. no one rocks the cyc wall like you bro!
Gary Chartier said on March 20, 2009
Zack.
Amazing image!! what is tweets? In your heading you said, if you have been following my tweets, what is that…
Thanks
Gary
Heidi Fazio said on March 20, 2009
i love moving fabric too, stunning shot. loud laughter over the CaNikon. can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.
catalina said on March 20, 2009
GORGEOUS.
STUNNING.
WOW.
YOU ROCK.
cat said on March 20, 2009
beautiful.
Tasra Dawson said on March 20, 2009
Yep, all the good words have been used to describe the photo so I’ll just say ditto. Impressed and inspired as always.
@Gary Chartier: “tweets” are his messages in Twitter. You gotta sign up and follow him for daily humor in bite size pieces. http://twitter.com/zarias
Kenneth Theysen said on March 20, 2009
Great picture! Can’t wait to see the rest. Once you start with the 5D Mrk II there is no turning back!!! hahahah
Rick Wenner said on March 20, 2009
SICK photo Zack…love it! I almost would like to see her giving the “Rock On!” two finger hand gesture with her hands up like that. Seriously…great work man.
Would you consider creating a tutorial or just a description on how to use certain lighting set ups, such as the beauty dish in this photo?
Matthew McMullen Smith said on March 20, 2009
Very nice, been working on a whole fabric series myself but with a twist, check out the latest on my blog http://mcmullensmith.blogspot.com and the entire series sans latest (some NSFW) at http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/mcmullensmith. Love to hear your thoughts.
Ghislain Leduc said on March 20, 2009
Hey Zack, nice work! Do you do this with an assistant or just by yourself?
Tks for the input!
zack said on March 20, 2009
@Matthew M. Smith – I was going to do a series with fabric until I looked at your work. I’m going to go find something else to do now.
That work is awesome.
Cheers,
Zack
Max said on March 20, 2009
@Matthew M. Smith – wow. Not to just be a copycat on what Zack said, but I do agree: that is some amazing work.
@Zack – I know you were probably goofin’, but I’m sure your fabric series would be totally different, and even if there are similarities, they’d have the Zarias touch on them, just was Matthew’s work is distinctly his own.
This goes back to the Photo Critique with the link to Chase Jarvis’ blog. While you don’t just want to be churning out nothing but derivative work, people are going to come up with similar concepts. A lot of people shy away from that, but I don’t see why… having fresh ideas is a plus, but IMO making images that really connect with people is more important. No matter what you think of to shoot, someone’s already shot it: so shoot it the way YOU shoot it and see how it goes.
Like Zack said in the “Passion” PC: there are only 88 keys on the piano. There is no combination of them that hasn’t been hit before. That’s no reason to stop making music!
(sorry for the long-windedness: this is a topic that I’ve thought a lot about, both in terms of photography and music…)
zack said on March 20, 2009
@Max – I agree that just because someone else is doing something amazing with an idea you have it does not mean you should ditch it altogether. You should use it as an opportunity to really try for something different. Notice I said “different” instead of “better.” At the end of the day what is “better” is subjective. “Different” can be achieved.
Cheers,
Zack
Rick Wenner said on March 20, 2009
@Zack – Word.
jjp said on March 20, 2009
the fabrics look really great in this, but the one-fingered hands and twisty elbow are kinda freaking me out…
danny linton said on March 20, 2009
Zack this is amazing! I was playing with the 5d myself the other day seriously thinking of getting one myself now.
P.S You are totaly write with “At the end of the day what is “better” is subjective. “Different” can be achieved.”
Its in the eye of the beholder!
Ole M said on March 21, 2009
Great image.. love it.
Can’t wait to see more of your series.
Monika said on March 22, 2009
Your photos are great. I added your site to my favs. Thanks
kyle said on March 23, 2009
Zack, I am madly in love with this shot. Now I REALLY want to see your fabric series. Please don’t not do it because someone else has already done it…you’ll make it your own. That could be a great creative challenge, right?
Scott said on March 28, 2009
Awesome Zak, you rock and inspire! Love your critique series, you have helped me so much, thank you.
Aron said on February 25, 2010
The fabric is caught perfectly with the light…AMAZING