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Zach Nichols
Landscape photographer based in the US
Zach Nichols is a pro photographer based in Spokane, Washington. His love for the outdoors eventually led him to Palouse Falls where he found his passion for landscape photography.
Since then, Zach began to capture some of the most picturesque regions of his home country. Interestingly, this journey led him to shoot wedding photography as well and today he combines both styles beautifully. As he says, “I shoot because I love to capture the sights I see and experiences I have along the way. I have since branched into wedding photography which I also love but is very different and is driven by a slightly different set of reasons.
I honestly love both but if I had to choose one I would say that landscapes are what I would do if I could live on that alone. It is where my passion began and continues to lie. My love for the outdoors does translate into my wedding photography style as I love incorporating couples in beautiful landscapes. When I get to combine the outdoors with weddings, it is always magic.
Even if Zach cannot explore as much as he would like to nowadays (he and Tiffany recently had a baby), traveling has been really important for him. As he says, “traveling has given me perspective. It is too easy to get caught up in one’s own life and feel like the world around you is all there is. Getting out and exploring and seeing new things gives perspective on all things in life. It brings me peace and joy. I love the opportunity it gives to meet new people, see new cultures, and experience new things.”
Zach will be on the road really soon, for the time being his captures from Washington will keep inspiring us to go outdoors and explore.
Welcome Zach! Your first picture on Instagram was posted the 13th of August 2016. Not that long ago actually, yet, your work is certainly distinctive. Where does your passion for photography comes from and when was the first time you captured a photo with a DSLR camera?
My passion for photography stems from my love of the outdoors. Before I had a camera or an Instagram for that matter, I loved the outdoors. I went hiking with friends and fished, rock climbed, and always dreamed of travelling.
My passion for photography began when my girlfriend, @tiffanylaurenthomas, let me use her camera when we went down to Palouse falls in Washington. It was one of our first dates actually. Previously, I had used cameras from time to time but never a DSLR. After using my girlfriend’s camera for a bit, I decided to buy my own in the form of a Nikon d5300.
My drive nowadays is the same as it was before. I shoot because I love to capture the sights I see and experiences I have along the way. As I will get into later, I have since branched into wedding photography which I also love but is very different and is driven by a slightly different set of reasons.
In your bio you write that you specialize in weddings and landscape/outdoor photography. Which of the two do you prefer more and why? Or you rather combine both?
I honestly love both but if I had to choose one I would say that landscapes are what I would do if I could live on that alone. It is where my passion began and continues to lie. My love for the outdoors does translate into my wedding photography style as I love incorporating couples in beautiful landscapes. When I get to combine the outdoors with weddings, it is always magic.
I can imagine that wedding photography is actually quite different from landscape photography. However, you have been able to combine both perfectly! What is your approach is this regard? What are the basic tricks that allow you to succeed?
That is a good question. The two are very different in many aspects and in many cases the two do not go hand in hand. I would say the key to my success really comes down to the basics: for instance the utilization of light. Whereas you may be able to take a photo of a landscape at any angle given the “ideal” times of day, you cannot always do the same with a couple. I am always a fan of natural light photography but in combining landscapes and couples, sometimes you have to utilize other forms of light (i.e. flashes, soft-boxes, diffusers) to make the image the way you want. A good example would be a radiant sunset.
If you expose for the couple, the sky will often times be blown out, but if you expose for the sunset, the couple will be too dark. In that case, I will often make use of flashes and soft-boxes. That all being said, much of my success comes from experience over the years.
"I’ve tried a lot of things and some have worked and others have not. It’s all about learning and adapting."
As I mentioned, I think you have a pretty unique style. How did you develop such style?
Style is something that has changed may times over the years. I would say there are two main factors in one’s style: their eye and editing.
As far as developing an eye goes, there are two great teachers: other photographers and experience. I think starting off I learned the most from people who were better than me. As time went on, I began to develop my personal style and eye by simply shooting more and more photos. I learned what worked well and what didn’t and how to get the shot I envisioned.
I have always used Lightroom and Photoshop, of which 95% of my editing is in Lightroom and 5% is in Photoshop. I think at first my editing development was very similar to my experience with developing my eye.
I started by looking at other’s work and learning what I could via the internet. I remember first starting off being overwhelmed by all the information I had to learn on the editing front. Instagram proved not to be useful as people rarely (if ever) answered questions on their style or editing so I turned to Youtube which was amazing. For the record, if you ever ask me an editing question I will answer. I love teaching others and sharing what I have learned.
Over time my style bounced around a lot. At first I loved punchy colors and vibrant sunsets but then made my way slowly over to the more moody #pnw-esque look. Now I’d say it really depends on the season. In general I just edit photos to reflect what I remember the landscape looking like, but I do tend to post photos that are more similar in tone. For instance, the fall and winter months tends to be moodier so I like going with colder darker tones with emphasis on blues and teals.
"During spring and summer I love emphasizing warm tones and my moody look tends to get brighter and more vibrant with emphasis on oranges and yellows"
Can you explain to us your editing process with an example?
My workflow has changed many times over the past years but my most recent workflow has me the most satisfied with my results. I have developed presets and “post-sets” that work well with the style I am going for.
When my photos are imported, a preset is applied to them that is very general. It consists of light adjustments (shadows, highlights, blacks), clarity, and lens corrections. From there I will make adjustments to my exposure, white balance, and micro adjust the light sliders. When I am done with that and happy with the look of the photo, I will apply my “post-set” that consists of tone curve adjustments that fade the blacks, color adjustments in the HSL and Split toning tab that make my colors between photos the same, and other final adjustments like vignette. I will often times make a couple more minor adjustments and add filters to bring attention to areas I want but in general that is my workflow.
One trick I would recommend to those looking to have a feed that is very cohesive is the “reference view” in Lightroom. This allows you to have a reference photo on one side of the screen and the photo you are editing on the other. This is beneficial because you can compare tones between photos, thus making the photos look very similar in style.
"My favorite thing about the photos I take are the emotion and memories they bring back months, even years later."
You are based in the PNW. How do you determine where to travel and how frequently? What other considerations do you have when traveling for photography?
To start off this answer I do need to state that have a baby son who is now 5 months old and a wedding business that keeps me very busy. That being said, I will not get out as much now as I once did but I hope to do a couple bigger trips every year and maybe a couple that are just overnighters. It really just depends on how busy I am with my family and work.
Before my son and wedding business, I used to take trips as I could. Sometimes it would be a weekend getaway and other times it would be a week or two long.
When planning trips, I would often carve off time ahead of time and would have a few locations in mind to travel to. I would decide what location I would go to based off of the weather a week or two before departing. For instance, I would have potential plans to go to Glacier or the Portland area. If it was sunny I would opt to go to Glacier as Glacier is beautiful when it is sunny, but if it was rainy I would go toward Portland as that area is beautiful in the rain. Often times I didn’t get the weather I wanted so having a plan B was always ideal.
I am in no way sponsored or endorsed by this company but the website roadtrippers.com is a very useful tool that I use to plan my road trips. You can plan your trip and it will show how much it will cost in mileage as well as every single outdoor attraction along your route. There are many places I would have had no idea existed along my route without using this site. If you have not used it, give it a try!
What is your favorite location you’ve traveled to and why? Do you have a destination you’d dream of traveling to and why?
Hands down, my favorite was when I took a trip to Canada. I visited Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks. I felt like every turn I made along the way took my breath away. I have never been to a place so full of beauty. I also did get to see the Northern Lights which were incredible. The only downside to that location was the tourists but if you do it right you can escape a lot of the crowds.
As far as destinations go, I have a lot I have dreamt of seeing. If I had to choose one I would say that I would love to go to New Zealand. The photos I have seen from the area are unbelievable.
As a photographer, I am sure that you feel attached to all your photos. All your pictures represent unique moments of your life. However, among your works, do you have any picture that you really like? Which is your favorite photo?
My favorite thing about the photos I take are the emotion and memories they bring back months, even years later. For instance, two of my favorite photos I have ever taken were taken in Canada. One is at Lake Moraine after the sun set. The photo is of me standing on a rock looking out at the mountains with my head light lighting up the water around that rock. The image is one of my favorites because of the memory it brings back to me.
It was a brisk evening in September. The sun had set and the crowds of people left the lake, leaving me alone sitting on the rocks that overlook the lake. I sat there for a good hour just taking it all in in silence. There are very few times in my life where I can say I have been 100% alone and this was one of them. I love the outdoors because they always bring perspective and peace to me. The stresses and worry of life just melt away. That is what I remember from that photo: the feelings of awe and complete peace and contentedness.
My other favorite photo is my favorite for the exact same reason. It was taken in Jasper at Pyramid Lake. The photo is of me kneeling on a rock overlooking the lake with the Northern Lights in the sky above me. I had never seen the Northern Lights in my life and it had always been a dream of mine. There were hundreds of people crowding the shores when I first arrived at about 9pm. I left the location for a bit seeking solitude from the crowds but came back at 3am to a completely empty shoreline. I took the photo I wanted and then just sat and watched the sky dance in awe until sunrise.
What is the most beautiful thing that travel has allowed you to do?
It has given me perspective. It is too easy to get caught up in one’s own life and feel like the world around you is all there is. Getting out and exploring and seeing new things gives perspective on all things in life. It brings me peace and joy. I love the opportunity it gives to meet new people, see new cultures, and experience new things.
Imagine yourself at the beginning of your professional career as a photographer. What four pieces of advice would you give to yourself?
First, I would tell myself to not take Instagram too seriously. When I first started off, especially on Instagram, it became an obsession. My life revolved around getting likes and followers. When I was originally on Instagram, my following took off. I went from 500-15k followers over the span of 6 months; however, it got to my head and I became very haughty. There is a very large difference between being confident and prideful. I began shooting photos for “others” which took the enjoyment out of it since I wasn’t doing it for myself.
The best decision I made was to get off of Instagram. I was off for over a year and just recently returned. It did take a large toll on my following and influence on the platform, but I would not change a thing. I have since taken up wedding photography which I love and got back into doing outdoor photography out of enjoyment versus the feeling of necessity to gain a following.
Second, I would tell myself that it IS possible to make a living doing photography. When I first started I didn’t think it was possible. It is all about finding an area you are passionate in and asking how you can use that passion to make money. Now, there is a point to being smart about it that is also key. I have a family so I am not going to jump into doing landscapes and travelling full time to make money because it would most likely be a downhill battle, which is why it is something I do in my free time with weddings being my main form of income.
Third, I would tell myself to travel more. I have indeed travelled quite a bit but I have not done any trips outside of this continent which I still would like to do. When you have a family it makes things more complicated (but not impossible) to do so; however when you are unmarried or single, there is nothing holding you back. The biggest mistake I think people make is saying “eventually” or not setting their plans in motion.
The last piece of advice I would give myself is to always give back to the community. This entails answering questions, no matter what they are about photography-wise. I love helping people with editing or just general camera questions. I remember being overwhelmed when I was starting and not knowing where to find information. I also remember the hundreds of people who turned me down or would not answer or even reply to my questions. It sucked! So that is why I do my best to always give back and be an open book. I am never afraid to do so because even if I share my largest secrets, no two people share the same eye or vision.
Is there any artist/photographer who has inspired your art? Can you name three?
Of course! Some of my favorite photographers are @chrisburkard, @daniel_ernst, and @emmett_sparling. I think why I love their stuff is because it tells a story and you can tell they absolutely love what they do. Their content is immersive and their photos are beautiful. They also reach out to others and give back to the community which I love.
I can say that @emmett_sparling was one of the few who did actually give me some advice on editing when I asked him when I was starting off. It wasn’t anything crazy at all but the fact that he actually replied to me and answered my questions meant a lot to my growth at that time.
@daniel_ernst is someone who I think I have followed for the longest and I remember the day he followed me and commented on my work. It was so cool! When the people you look up to comment and give awesome feedback on your stuff it is a huge compliment.
@chrisburkard and I have not had a conversation, but he just seems like the perfect example of what it looks like for a person to chase their dreams and make it a reality. He always creates content that is amazing and always seems to give back to the community.
Any new projects coming up or countries you will be visiting soon?
Right now a lot of my time will be going to my family and my business; however, I do plan to do some smaller trips this coming year. One of the trips I have wanted to make for some time is to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper. I plan to get a few friends and to go on a kayaking trip to stay overnight there. Other than that I hope to make trips to a few national parks in the area and most certainly go to the Pacific coast. I also have been getting into videography which I plan to continue to work on over the upcoming year.
