Zach Allia is an achiever.
In his early 20s, while still in college, Allia built and sold a successful Facebook app. Then he bought it back, rebranded and rejigged it, and… then?
“I quit the Silicon Valley life to be a photographer,” he says.
Now 33 and living in Eden, Utah, Allia shares his emotive, cinematic portraits of people (and puppies!) with nearly a half million followers between his two accounts, @zachallia and @zachbts. He has executed partnerships with brands from Honda and Peerspace to Airbnb and Visit Jordan, but now shuns sponsored content while on the lookout for what’s next.
Adorama caught up with Allia to find out how transparency with his followers is important, and why you’ll never find a drone in gear pack.
Adorama: First things first. What is your gear setup and your usual editing workflow?
Allia: I use a Sony a9 and have three lenses. A Sigma 24mm f/1.4 is my go-to lens for most things, but to achieve a certain look in portraits I’ll pop on the Mitakon 50mm f/0.95. I also have a Sony 70-200 f/2.8 to keep my bag heavy. And I despise drones.
As for editing, I use Adobe Lightroom and, on occasion, Adobe Photoshop. Cropping is very important, especially when symmetry is involved. I have one preset that I use and have refined over the years to keep my portfolio feeling consistent. For Instagram, I use the Snug app to see how it looks on my feed before I post.
Adorama: What would you consider to be elements of your signature style?
Allia: I’m drawn to capture the combination of people and animals in a way that makes a viewer think, “how in the world did he do that?” I’ve always loved those paintings that feel like the eyes are following you as you walk by. I also often shoot when it’s cloudy, and my colors are muted as an ode to film and so as not to distract from the subject.
Adorama: Was there a moment you remember first falling in love with photography?
Allia: In high school, the darkroom was my escape. It was like entering a magical realm, a door into a different world, and I’d come back out into the real world with a piece of art I felt so proud of. I took an excessive amount of photography courses in high school. By my senior year a new course had to be created for me, and I was asked to help teach introductory classes.
Adorama: How do you make a living right now, and how big a role does your photography play?
Allia: Photography doesn’t make any money for me right now. My main outlet has been Instagram and I stopped doing sponsored posts. I’m now exploring ways to continue photography as a career while still getting enjoyment out of it.
Adorama: What photographers (or artists, musicians, or writers) do you note as influences or inspiration for your work?
Allia: I’ve always loved Richard Avedon’s portraits and William Wegman’s work with his dogs. And more recently, Lizzy Gadd’s mind-blowing work (@elizabethgadd). My good friend and poet IN-Q is always an inspiration, as his words create some of the most magical imagery in my brain.
Adorama: What principles or lessons did you perhaps learn during your time in tech, in Silicon Valley, that you now implement in your photography work?
Allia: My biggest lesson from Silicon Valley—which you can apply to pretty much everything—is that it is very dangerous to be trapped in a bubble.
Adorama: Do you ever hang with @myspacetom? (kidding/not kidding!)
Allia: I’ve actually never met Tom, but he’s definitely an inspiration. We’re both part of the Sony Alpha Collective, so hopefully we cross paths someday.
Adorama: Why do you choose to keep your Instagram captions short and simple — often only a few words — but engage in the comments?
Allia: I use the space to title my photograph, rather than create a caption. I love responding to people on Instagram in the comments, because I want to reciprocate the appreciation. I’m genuinely grateful that people take the time to look at my work.
Adorama: You have a secondary Instagram account, @zachbts, where you’re very transparent on your methods and exact edits. Why do you believe sharing this information is important, and what do *you* get from it?
Allia: My parents and sister all have strong backgrounds in education, so I guess it’s in my blood! I try to share the reason for why I did something instead of just how I did something. This transparency encourages viewers to approach their own photography critically, instead of just trying to copy the process of one particular image. I truly enjoy sharing, and answering questions of technique helps me to better understand my own work.
Adorama: What do you think will bring about the end of Instagram?
Allia: Aliens.
Adorama: You’ve mentioned here, and in a post on your @zachbts account, that you’re not a fan of drones for photography. Why so?
Allia: I really don’t know why, but they bother me so much. I think a lot of it has to do with how disrespectful so many people are with them. I also want photographs to make me feel like I’m there, and drones don’t do that for me.
Adorama: Can you share any tips for working with energetic, unpredictable puppies and other animals? And how do you source such adorable, furry friends to pose for your camera?
Allia: I am a very calm person and subjects, including animals, reflect the mood. I make sure to play with the puppies for a bit, and let them inspect my camera to make them comfortable before starting to shoot. While shooting it is important to use the screen on the back instead of the viewfinder. It’s really hard to get an animal to look you in the eyes if your eyes are blocked by the camera.
Adorama: What’s your single favorite photo you’ve captured and shared, and can you tell the story behind it?
Allia:
This photo was taken a long time ago, but I continue to revisit it every year. It was taken on Powder Mountain in Utah during the brief, but epic, wildflower season. It was peak bloom just after the Fourth of July and we (@tini_howl and @travisbrewer.ninja) decided to go play in the wildflowers. We had a few concepts that didn’t make the cut, but then came up with this idea and nailed it right away, just before some storms returned. Everything about this photo makes me happy. There is nothing better than creating real life magic on the mountain with my friends.
Check out Allia’s full episode of Through the Lens below:
