Zach Heffner

Photographer Zach Heffner has been on both sides of the camera lens for many years and brings a diversity of experience to Vince Tarry Studios. For all his accolades, however, Zach has always had trouble figuring out which side of the camera he is supposed to be on.

After graduating from the Youth Actors Guild, a New York training studio, Zach moved on to more formal education at the University of Virginia where he spent four years studying with a concentration in directing within the school’s Theater department. Aside from his artistic endeavors, Zach moonlighted as starter on UVA’s National Championship Lacrosse Team.

Upon graduating from college, Zach found himself in front of the cameras, giving viewers their nightly fill of local sports as an on-air anchor for CBS affiliate WCAV 19 in Charlottesville, VA. Enjoying the producing side of this job, Zach made moves once again…This time ending up in Chicago working as a commercial actor and as Associate Producer for Emmy Award winning Tempo Communications.

In his short time with Tempo, Zach received credit for producing two shows for the 2006 World Cup, both of which aired on ESPN. Shortly after gaining recognition for his production efforts, Zach’s life changed gears once again. In the fall of 2005, Zach was drafted by Chicago’s Major League Lacrosse, and thus began a four-year career as a professional lacrosse player. Zach lists winning a bronze medal, in the 2007 World Games as a member of the US National Team, as his greatest lacrosse achievement.

Zach spent much of his professional lacrosse career snapping photos and documenting the sport he loves, from the player’s perspective. Zach was so notorious for always having a camera present, that upon his retirement in 2008, he was immediately given the position as team photographer. Zach continues to shape the perception of the sport through his photos and blogs. He also plans to expand into the world of commercial and editorial photography with hopes of having his work featured in magazines.

For the New York native, being a photographer truly represents a path of diversity; a culmination of both past experiences and future endeavors. Since beginning working for Vince Tarry Studios in 2008, Zach has been loving all the personal connections found within portrait photography and enjoys the challenges of bringing the out the best in each of his subjects.

Through his varied work, Zach simply wishes grow as an artist, but more importantly, to view as much of this amazing world as he can ‘looking through the lens’.

Today, living and working in the Bay Area, Zach looks to a future as bright and diverse as his past.