Talking Film and Creativity with Australian Photographer Zac Clothier

Can you introduce yourself & tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Zac Clothier, I’m a 21-year-old film creative from Adelaide.

How did you first get into photography?

My mates and I would always go out, getting up to typical teenage shenanigans. I thought it would be funny to start taking pics and vids and all of sudden I completely fell in love with photography.

How would you describe your style of photography?

Simple and Clean, I don’t edit my photos that much. I shoot as best as I can out of the camera, trying to capture natural colours and beauty. I really dislike overly saturated and contrasted images, so I try to keep my colour grading to a minimum.

How has the way you take photos evolved over the years?

Well, like most people, I started with just a low-range DSLR, and I found myself just firing shot after shot, trying to find what settings “worked”. Once I got into film, I needed to learn to light meter, which has been the absolute best thing for me. It slowed my whole photography process down and brought me right back to the basics.

Do you have any favourite photographers?

I have a couple, @vuhlandes is a crazy cool film photographer over in the states. His environmental portraiture is unreal and I often use it to inspire myself.

What camera gear do you use? 

I use a couple, and their uses vary. I mainly use my Mamiya RB67 for all my professional work, alongside a Sony a7iii as a backup.

Do you shoot film or digital? - if film do you have a favourite type eg. Portra, Ultramax, Fuji etc. 

Entirely film, the film stock I use greatly varies but at the moment I find myself shooting a ton of Cinestill film stock. In particularly the 50d and 800t.

Do you do any filmmaking or videography? 

I do! On film as well! I shoot a format called Super 8, which is a crazy cool analog video format. I am fortunate enough to own an incredibly reliable Chinon 1206 SM that has got me through countless rolls of Super 8

Are you currently studying or working at the moment? If so, what? 

I am doing both, currently at the Adelaide College of Arts studying a Bachelor of Media in Photographic Imaging and working out of my business Studio 1.13 with my partner Zoe.

Do you have a favourite photoshoot? - or a favourite type of subject?

My favourite type of photoshoot is environmental portraiture. I love just shooting people for who they are and the environment that surrounds them. I find it fascinating. I attempt to tell a story through my photos.

Who inspires you?

My girlfriend is 100%, she is my biggest inspiration. The drive, passion and effort that she puts into every single thing she does is incredible.

She is also an insanely talented photographer (@zoe.cass.photography).

What is your creative process when planning out a shoot?

I am horrible at communicating my ideas, but whenever I get one, I just spill my mind out to my girlfriend, who helps rein it in.

I then start thinking about locations, lighting, gear required and start formulating a mood board.

Then it comes time to buying my film, when i’m buying my film stock I have to think about the tones that the film brings, the grain and most importantly that its the right speed and colour balanced film for my shoot.

What’s your music taste like?

Diverse, actually, like I rock with pretty much everything.

Any favourite film/TV series?

Absolutely love Lords of Dogtown, hands down one of my fave films.

Do you have any advice you’d give to your younger self or someone who wants to pursue a career like yours? 

Try Film, whether you stick with it or not. I highly recommend starting by shooting film, as it teaches you the fundamentals of photography

Do you have any upcoming projects that you’d like people to know about? 

I do! It's a crazy feeling when a hobby becomes a career, and photography is doing just that for me. My girlfriend and I have just started a business (@studio1.13) where we offer professional analog and digital services.

We would love for other creatives to reach out and collaborate with us, as we are looking to create some real cool content for a secret little project of ours.

& Finally, where can people find you? - website/socials or studio, if you have

My Insta is @zacharys.zine, which I use as a personal portfolio, and @studio1.13 is my business that I run with my beautiful partner Zoe.