Rising Stars: Meet Zach Shelton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Shelton.

Hi Zach, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
2010 I decided to attend a major LAN gaming event in Dallas, Texas. That was the first time I captured live-action reactions with a video camera. During this trip, I realized I had a great time working and meeting new people and was good at capturing the essence of a room through a lens. I started uploading the videos I created with the footage I recorded to my YouTube channel-and surprisingly, my channel blew up. After that, I was contacted by various organizations and teams within the Gaming community to travel to events to run cameras. By 2013, I traveled the country regularly as a freelance videographer. After a couple of years of video work, I decided to try photography. Instead of running cameras and capturing live footage, I snapped photos of some of the most raw, exhilarating reactions of teams and individuals I had been recording and watching for years, winning championship tournaments with prizes ranging from thousands to one million dollars. I was hooked. In 2015 Monster Energy offered me a contract to act as their official Midwest, East Coast Gaming Photographer, and I began working with the company regularly. I am still contracted with them today. My photos and videos have been purchased by companies and organizations such as MTV2, Ridiculousness, Fights Camera Action, and Talk to Google. Along the way, I had the privilege of meeting incredible people and have made lifelong friends. As a local KC photographer, I have done work for the Kansas City Mavericks and recently captured Worlds of Fun’s reveal of the Zambezi Zinger, as well as local weddings, Senior and family photos, and professional headshots for local business owners. ZShelton Media began as a hobby and was fueled by my passion for capturing raw emotion, but it has turned into something I never imagined it being. I am glad I took a risk and still have fun.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
At first, the financial risks of diving into something brand new caused me a bit of hesitation, but I was stuck in a job I didn’t feel passionate about. I was ready for a change. Any venture is not smooth when you’re trying something new, taking personal risks, and putting yourself out there. But I am glad I kept pushing through and continued to pursue the things that drove me. Walking into the unknown isn’t always easy, but it always feels better to go with your gut and listen to your intuition.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I enjoy all aspects of photography, but live-action sports are where my heart’s at. What sets me apart from other photographers is that I genuinely get excited and enjoy being front and center to capture the mood of a moment at just the right time, helping to memorialize important moments for different kinds of athletes. I like that my photos have been known to engage my audience, stir conversations, rattle some cages, and convey the raw emotions everyone is experiencing in the room at a specific moment. It’s emotional. It’s exciting. It’s high-energy, and you never know how the day will go. But I am there for it all. I enjoy shooting weddings and family photos- but I am most proud of my work with the Gaming Community. Overall, it has taken years for the sport to be taken seriously and respected as it should be. They are some of the most dedicated, hard-working people I know, and I am happy I can be a part of helping the community receive the recognition it deserves as a sport.

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Building a business will show you a lot about yourself- your strengths and where to improve. What needs work? What you’re naturally great at. It has been an incredible ride so far, but the most important thing I have learned is that if you want something- it’s up to you to go after it. Whatever it is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zshelton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zsheltonmedia/
• Twitter:https://twitter.com/xRingleadeR
• Youtube: Youtube.com/@ringleader