Top Pic of the Week: Zedd Pratt

Congratulations to our Top Pic of the Week, Zedd Pratt.  Read on to learn more about the production of these photos!

How long have you been a photographer & how did you begin your journey?

I’ve had a camera in my hands my entire life. I remember flashes of images of vogue black and white all over my mothers walls growing up.

The melancholy of those fashion, portraiture, and lifestyle images linger in my consciousness often. I was primarily into video growing up, filming these awful hopefully fantastical home movies with my action figures. I got into photography more heavily through age; acquiring my first camera at sixteen.

How would you describe your photographic style?

I’m so early into my work I really don’t know yet, that being said, as of now I seem to be mixing portraiture work along side life observations, a kind of semi-street photography style. As I move into my fashion, lifestyle, and portraiture tastes, my life’s photography goal is to capture melancholy in its most purest form.

What tips do you have for shooting?

Don’t miss focus like I do haha. Nah but ah, I find that when shooting a portrait with someone, it’s best to get them talking, ask them to tell you a story. When shooting a model, getting the model to move around is best but that has it’s ups and downs such as bad hand placement.

How did you get started in film photography?

I love the film look, those orangey-reds, the lifted blacks, the balance of saturation and contrast with a great sense of grain structure. I’m more connected to the physical aspects of film photography, it’s an experience… Loading the film, taking it to the store, the wonder and excitement of it all. What makes film photography different than other arts like painting, is there is a serendipity to it all. That literally chance itself plays a part.

How do you gain inspiration for the photos you take?

I’m not that much into photography that doesn’t involve people, which makes shooting not as common for me, but like stand up comedy, the art requires a participant in order for it to exist and apply feedback in the moment. How I get inspired is by looking at other peoples work and getting up to do something about it.

What advice or tips would you give to other photographers regarding finding their style?

Say it’s a Monday morning, the sky shining that deep tinted blue, the lights are about to turn off outside, you lay awake for some reason, nothing on your mind other than the want to go back to sleep… How do you feel? What is that mild emotion lingering? What ever it is… capture it.

What camera (s) do you use?

My first was a Canon 600d. I just moved to a Fujifilm X-T2 and I love it very much. To shoot film I use a Canon N F-1. (All  lenses bought on KEH) Canon FDn Lenses: 24mm F2.8, 35mm F2.8, 50mm F1.4, 35-105mm F3.5, 70-210mm F4.

I See Who You Really Are | Film Scan. Slight Adjustments| Mystery location, Captured while in moving vehicle. 

Young Man | In my neighborhood | RAW File. Photoshop curves

Blinding | A beach in Oregon | Fujifilm Classic Chrome (Personalized Settings)

Possible Distance | A beach in North Carolina | RAW File, Photoshop Curves

Thank you, Zedd, for allowing us to share these photos! Check out more of his work on YouTube and on Instagram.

Are you interested in being our Top Pic of the Week? Tag #KEHSpotlight in your photos for a chance to be featured.