Meet Cabbagetown Photographer and Designer: Zachary Toth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Toth.

Located in Atlanta GA by way of Pittsburgh PA. Zachary is Art Institute Alumni with a Bachelor of Science in Photography & Design. Zachary got his start originally as a musician/writer/composer/artist and as a graffiti artist including ventures in illustration, street + mural art. After years of recording and producing commercial + fine art, he found his love with the camera and unique perspective. This is when he fell in love with Photography. Since then Zachary has devoted his recent professional commercial career in Weddings, Events + Portraits. All while still maintaining a presence in the Fine Art world with Surrealism and Abstract + Creative Portraits.

Zachary’s work offers a fresh & unique perspective on everyday & ordinary things. His work displays a myriad of Architecture, Lifestyle, Portraits; with a candid eye on his subjects. Zachary uses a rich blend of traditional + contemporary elements to comprise a one-of-a-kind artistic interpretation. Zachary Toth Photography, also known as #ZTothPhoto, specializes in combining traditional elements with newer contemporary themes and a bit of experimentation in each piece making them all uniquely original. His colorful landscapes will keep your eyes busy for hours, his portraits will give you insight into the subject’s soul, and his unique eye on the everyday environment +
surroundings make you feel like you are in the capture.

Has it been a smooth road?
The road of entrepreneurship is a very windy, hilly, bumpy. confusing road. Nothing great comes easy…the voyage has been extremely tough and extremely fulfilling. In fact, the road I believe is meant to test the traveler to his/her ends to see what they’re made of. Most won’t make it down the road..either quitting, dying, lying, or crashing.

Some of the struggles I have encountered along the way include self-doubt, external influences, confusion, lack of finances, loneliness, the break off relationships, the shift of powers, good and bad luck, etc etc.

It’s a constant flux of challenges that will test your survival. Those that are creative and strong enough will survive this process and ride it out until the very end…the road never ends for a truly driven individual such as myself.

What’s your outlook for the industry over the next 5-10 years?
I see the industry holding strong in the areas it’s already become known for and become a staple of. (ex. weddings, events, portraits, commercial, editorial, etc) I also do see lots of big shifts on the rise that spawn from recent advances in technology and social media. I see creative professionals having to take on a lot more than ever before. For example, nowadays you must know how to be a salesperson, a receptionist, a photographer, a director, an editor and a back-end person. All if you want to survive to the point of being able to hire people to fill certain roles in the process that don’t interest me as much as the creative sides of my projects and productions. Also, there is an urgent need for creative professionals to stay up on the latest trends, technological advancements, and also a bit of experimentation to stay a current figure in the industry.

Has there been a particular challenge that you’ve faced over the years?
EASY! This is the death-defying balancing act of maintaining a healthy relationship with the art + artistry; while simultaneously making the correct business + professional decisions in order to keep myself afloat. You dot always get to do what you want. You don’t always get to represent yourself as you wish. You have to get through these moments to be able to achieve those things. Hands down the biggest challenge I have faced.

I wasn’t the type that received a $50,000 business loan or had things in place before me. I started from scratch! So the balancing act and financial struggles to start off were easily the biggest challenge I faced.

What would you tell someone who is just starting out?
My advice is to become involved in something… anything. This will begin to embed you in the city and then after time you will become a figure that you work towards. Being out there and being current is extremely important. With such a strong force of creatives in Atlanta, it’s easy to see who boils to the top and who gets washed out. Time always tells. Be active, always push, and try to talk to 100 people a day. I know it sounds like a lot but if you let 100 people know who you are and what you do every day… you are bound to become noticed…just have the skill set and professionalism to back it up.

I moved to Atlanta 7 years ago and I didn’t know anything about it other than it was a booming city for young professionals with a strong arts/music culture. I didn’t realize that I would literally have to start from scratch in one of the biggest cities in the US. Don’t expect people to treat you any type of way, don’t expect people to know who you were before you moved into their territory. I took this opportunity to reinvent myself and make necessary changes from past experiences. I am still learning every day.

Pricing:

• “THE WORKS” WEDDING + ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGE $2199
• PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS START @ $299 :: EVENTS START @ $499
• FINE ART SALES AVAILABLE + BY CUSTOM/COMMISSION

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ZTothPhoto.com
• Phone: 404•759•7510
• Email: ZTothPhoto@gmail.com
• Instagram: @ZTothPhoto
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ZTothPhoto
• Other: Twitter@ZTothPhoto

Image Credit:
Photo Credit:

Zachary Toth Photography™ #ZTothPhoto