zackseckler

[zackseckler]

Alpacas are cute, they're cuddly, and they also have no problem spitting in your face. That's right. If you, say, setup a photoshoot in their backyard and try to create portraits of them they might love it. They might smile at your camera. They might seem truly interested in helping you create art. Or, they might spit in your face.

Here are a few of the non-spitting alpacas I photographed last month. Like many of my previous animal portraits, my aim is to create images with an imaginative storybook feel.

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Agency: "It's a 14 day shoot to create 6 final images. Locations include 2 Hawaiian islands and 4 destinations across northern California. It's the debut Ad campaign to launch Brighthouse Financial, a company established by MetLife. You'll be collaborating with an awesome team of producers and creatives from BBH New York. Your images are going to be running everywhere and seen by millions. Zack, are you interested?"

Me: "Did you say Hawaii?"

Well, that's how I remember it at least :)

This campaign was an amazing opportunity to help shape the look and feel of this new mega brand and I am honored to have been a part of the team. I had a fantastic time with the talented folks at BBH including Art Producer Rebecca O'Neill, Creative Director Alex Booker and Copywriter Michael Ashton. Many thanks!

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Have you ever found yourself at dinner or a party and suddenly realized everyone around you is looking down at their phones? The irony of those moments of “togetherness” never ceases to amaze me. Of course, we’re all used to seeing that now; and I'm definitely a guilty participant at times. But the humor in these situations is never lost on me.

With my latest project I wanted to bring back the novelty of seeing that ironic moment. The idea of classic family portraits overtaken by the presence of modern technology seemed like a perfect opportunity.

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"Can the squirrels eat dinner with us tonight?" "On my 5th birthday will I turn into a grown-up?"

These are the type of questions I field from my toddlers on a daily basis (yes, being a Dad is endlessly entertaining!). They are also what gave inspiration to the concept for a PSA I wrote, directed and photographed for the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation.

The campaign puts us in the mindset of a child imagining what their parents do at work all day. As you'll see in the spot the message is that if you don't take your child to work with you, and show them what you actually do, it will all be left up to their vivid imaginations.

Hope you enjoy the spot and the still below. If you have a child, the official holiday is April 27th, so take 'em to work with you :)

[zackseckler]

...and here’s the still to match the video I directed. “Imaginations run wild. Show them what you really do.”

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Hay there, I'm excited to share a new series of images with you today -- Equine Sublime.

The project was born from the ongoing inspiration I get from animals and the way they're depicted in cultural touchstones like storybooks and animated motion pictures. Anyways, I get what you're really wondering though: how did I get these horses to smile?

Guess!

A) Personalized hot yoga sessions B) Gluten free, non-GMO hay C) Starlight Peppermint candies D) Binge watching Seinfeld reruns

Wait for it...

ANSWER: C

Believe it or not, these horses would do just about anything for Starlight Peppermints. Well anything except smile. Horses can't smile. But we all knew that. Thanks for playing :)

[zackseckler]

Oh, and stills from the RentHop campaign above! The line is “Not quite ready for the suburbs?”

[zackseckler]

I'm excited to share that a campaign I directed AND photographed for the NYC-based company RentHop is now live. Creating these stories about some of life's awkward housing transitions was an idea that I had been playing around with for quite awhile; so it was perfect timing when RentHop thought so too.

It was all captured in a day and ultimately we delivered a 30-second spot, three 15-second spots and stills. Please checkout the video above and more spots here.

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I'm happy to share that a couple of my aerial images were exhibited in a group show at the Robin Rice gallery in Manhattan this summer. This is a follow-up from the solo show I had earlier this spring.

Below are a couple of my favorite outtakes from the series. The first image is of a flock of geese flying over volcanic sand, the second of glacial silt flowing through a volcanic river delta. More from my aerial series here.

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I'm thrilled to share that I'm part of the winning team of a Cannes Silver Lion this year! So psyched for the whole team at JWT New York. Especially the folks I worked closely with: Executive Creative Director Emmanuel Lalleve, Art Director Ben Morejon, Copywriter Andrew Curtis and Art Buyer Frannie Schultz.

Below are some of my shots from the print campaign for The Shelter Pets Project starring "celebrity" pets. The campaign as a whole generated over 108 million impressions (!), was shortlisted at Cannes Lions Health, and won a Silver Lion in the Cyber category.

[zackseckler]

I feel the need to mention that one of our planet's most important holidays was this week. That's right, Tuesday was International Yoga Day.

I was inspired to create something to mark the momentous occasion. I put my directorial skills to work and present to you a celebration -- not of the yoga experts -- but of the awkward and unskilled. Because no matter how bad one is at Yoga, they deserve an opportunity to celebrate one of earth's greatest holidays.

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Pharmaceutical advertising is always hilarious! Said no person ever.

So, it was with great excitement that I took on a very clever pharma campaign for Arnold Worldwide this January. The agency was tasked with creating ads for a new drug called Viberzi which treats IBS-D...a common condition that most people wouldn't want to talk about on a first date, or while eating breakfast, or while giving a TED talk, or pretty much ever. So, how do you advertise around a topic that nobody wants to talk about?

Well, the brilliant creatives over at Arnold came up with this character who personifies the condition in a comical and relatable way. Her name is Irritabelle, and she is as Adweek says "Your Irritable Bowel Sidekick."

I had great fun working with the creatives on this campaign and bringing my sense of humor and visual storytelling to the images. A big thanks to Art Producer Heather Church for bringing me onto the project and to the creative team: Gary Scheiner, Kyle Jutkiewicz, Brittany King and Patrick Gamble.

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Checkout the new reality TV show “Boring Bob”

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A bunch of new landscape shots are now up on the Landscape section of my site. Original title -- I know.

[zackseckler]

A new image from my print campaign for Columbia Sportswear. Copy reads: "Tested Tough. Because who can resist a beautiful day on the Oregon coast."

[zackseckler]

BTS from my print campaign for Columbia Sportswear. Due to safety issues and many production challenges this went from a largely in-camera concept to a 20 image composite! Checkout the quick video to see how everything came together.