We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zach Adams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zach below.

Alright, Zach thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

Oh man, so when I started out I thought nobody would have the same name as me and it was so unique lol. I thought because it was my birthday that call my photography business 1221 Photography was going to stand out. That’s until I got the most craziest instagram DM ever!

This woman screenshot a post of a photoshoot she had done. She said she had paid me and it had been 6 months and she still hasn’t received the images she paid for. Me not thinking I just wanted to make this right for her so I started searching through my photos and I didn’t have any of this woman. So now I’m really panicking lol. That’s when I went back to the original post and seen it was different 1221 Photography.

She was not trying to hear that though. She thought I was trying to get over on her. I had to show her that it was spelled differently on instagram. I had to show her I live in a different state I showed her a picture of me as well and she calmed down and everything was cool. She was talking about getting lawyers and everything involved. She then said if she is ever in IL she will definitely do a shoot with me because it showed her she picked the wrong 1221 to work with lol.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Ok, well I have always taken pictures. From disposable Kodak cameras to the 3 megapixel cameras to cellphones and now a professional camera. Photography has always been a way to express myself. Whether it’s something I find interesting in an alley or covering George Floyd protests or more recently Sonya Massey here in Springfield.

Pictures tell a story that most people don’t get until they see it and have their own connection with it. I like connecting people to feelings or memories or a new found confidence from seeing a photo. It wasn’t until I realized this that I made it a business.

I like that I don’t do just one thing. I do family shoots, high school seniors, headshots, corporate events, boudior stuff like that. I also do creative shoots. Ballet has slowly became one of my favorite things to shoot! I like working with people while have a vision that they want to get out and come to me to try and do that.

I had a woman come to me who had developed an eating disorder and her dr told her to document what her body looks like to other people so she can see it from a different perspective. It was raw. It was real. It helped many other people who relate to her or have had past experiences feel not alone and seen. I have been recently doing a series of lake shoots and those have been fun! I’m also a part of an art gallery here in Springfield so I get to work on creating things then put them on display so that has been a great outlet too.

I would probably say the main thing that I would want people to know is that I truly love what I do. I love connecting with people and showing them what I see through pictures of them. Wether it’s a boudoir shoot or a headshot session, I want to provide the best environment possible for them feel comfortable, safe, confident, and happy!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I think it was a mix of wearing my logo pretty much everywhere and also being out in the community talking to people any chance I got. My logo is on my merch. It’s on my car. It’s on my cup at the gym lol. People have stickers. I wanted it everywhere! It got to the point that people knew my logo even if they didn’t recognize me lol.

Going to farmers markets, and highlighting different things around town allowed me to meet and connect with so many people. Then when they start to follow me on social media they can see what I do and kept growing from there.

I just reached 10k followers on facebook. And 3k on instagram. Some may think that’s not a lot but I would rather have a slow consistent growth and take old and new followers with me on a journey vs quick instant gratification that dies off.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Consistency! No matter if you post multiple times a day or 3 times a week. Stay consistent. There are people that might not ever book a shoot with me but they share everything I do. They comment on everything I do. They tell their friends about my pictures so they can book a shoot with me.

Posting reviews. I know a lot of us don’t feel comfortable talking about ourselves. That’s where reviews come in handy. That lets other people you have worked with talk about so you don’t have too lol.

Getting out and showing my face and actually talking to people and not making everything about the next sale.

Honestly, being kind goes a long way. Yes, people book me because of my work but I also think people book me because they like me as a person. I just happen to be good at capturing people and showing them a different version of themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://1221photography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1221_photography/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/z1221Photography/

Image Credits

Photo of me: Kari Bedford Photography