I met Atlanta-based / editorial / music / headshot photographer Zack Arias yesterday… not face-to-face, but through the digital matchmaker, David Hobby over at Strobist. David posted a handful of blurbs – one linked to my other blog, PixSylated, and one linked to Zack’s incredible 5-part white seamless tutorial.

I’ve now spent the better part of, well let’s say, way more time than I really have cruising Zack’s websites. I was totally sucked in and tangled up (is that why it’s called the “internet”?). My conclusion, Zack is a guy that up-and-coming photographers (and open-minded, old-dogs, like me) need to study.

Zack’s story is typical of many (“will probably be recognized as great someday”) photographers. He shoots not because there’s tons of money in it (which is a becoming a universal truth). Rather, he shoots because it’s who he is. You can tell by looking at his photographs. You can tell by reading his websites.

Zack is the founder of the OneLight movement whose mantra is “don’t go into debt to be a photographer.” If what you can afford is to have one camera, one lens and one light, then make the best of it. Zack will show you how. He teaches his OneLight Workshops at various venues around the country. Register early, because they typically sell out well in advance. For those of us who don’t live near a OneLight venue, look for the release of the OneLight DVD sometime this summer. Here’s the teaser on YouTube.

Zack’s also a master (or at least very well advised) on deploying a multi-pronged web strategy. Zack’s “Atlanta-based editorial music photographer” blog lets us walk with him on his journey – both as a teacher and a still-working-to-make it photographer. Zack’s “Altanta Music Photographer” portfolio site promotes his work as, you guessed it, an Atlanta music photographer. His “Atlanta Headshots” Used Film Studios produces… {If you’re wondering where I’m coming up with the “slogans”, check out the title bar in your browser when you visit his sites. Enough said, we’re not talking about tweaking your website for Google, yet.}