Photolyfe: Zac Heath

Welcome to PhotoLyfe, in which Stab’s favourite photographers answer questions about themselves with their own images. It’s that old picture-tells-a-thousand-words chestnut but with more colour and pop. It’s a way to cut out all the bullshit. It’s like jacking into the main vein of those who supply us with exquisite surf imagery every day. Give thanks by studying each image with a more careful eye than ever!

For just one week’s wage, you can have 20 megapixels of photographic grunt at the end of your fingertips, in the form of a semi-pro DSLR. Calling yourself a ‘photographer’ has never been easier, but sooner or later you have to let your work do the talking. Zac Heath’s work speaks volumes. After just 12 months behind the lens, only three of those in the water, the 22-year-old from Merewether, NSW, has already built up an impressive body of work, much of which has featured on these very virtual pages. “I got into photography after partying too much at uni and thought it would be an easy subject to get myself back on track,” says Zac. “However this has led to deferring uni, exhibitions, travelling around the country shooting, and pushing my photography both on land and in the water.” Like most photographers, Zac is motivated by light, and the challenges associated with shaping it in ways that tell a story through a single image. “I love the thrill of nailing a water shot due to the alignment of factors and sheer effort that goes into creating a single photo,” says Zac. “But at the end of the day nothing gets me more excited than nailing a shot of one of my mates and seeing them stoked on the shot.”

1. Describe yourself.

2. Where are you from?

3. What got you into photography?

4. Where do you wish you were right now?

5. What inspires you?

6. Who’s your favourite person to photograph?

7. What makes the best photograph?

8. What’s your favourite weapon?

9. Describe your mood right now. 

10. What else should we know about you?