Meet Zach Bertrand | Youth Pastor & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zach Bertrand and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zach, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always loved photography and gravitated to it since I was a kid. The longer I kept shooting, the more I wanted to share those photos with others. With each image, I hope to convey a story or to help create memories that last a lifetime. Photography has allowed me to look back on my life and remember some of the most incredible moments. I want to help others do the same and capture their memories. In the years to come, they can also look back and remember those unforgettable moments in their lives.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Some of the things I’m most proud of were being able to shoot prestigious events in the mountain bike industry. For example, I shot the Proving Grounds Tour and Red Bull Rampage in 2021. Shooting those mountain bike events were a dream come true. I also get really excited about other opportunities in photography like diving into wildlife and astrophotography.

As with anything in life, you will face adversity and plenty of challenges along the way. The events and projects I mentioned previously, did not appear overnight or at the snap of a finger. Through perseverance and determination, I was able to reach the capability of shooting at a professional level. I needed to practice and shoot as often as I could. I needed to put myself out there so people would start to recognize my work. I needed to develop relationships within the industry. I went to local riding spots with my friends. I emailed different event coordinators. I drove many miles to different events. Now it was time to put my head down and get to work.

In time, I started to gain some recognition and slowly started to make my way deeper into the industry. One of the most important things I learned very quickly, was it’s not always about shooting photos but about the relationships with people. If I am going to be capturing memories for people, I want to develop relationships with those people. Over time, those relationships grew, and I was introduced to new people. Those people would then introduce me to others and so on. I started to get connected with like-minded people and get to work with them on various projects. Along the way, I was invited to shoot bigger events for them as well.

Once I started shooting bigger events, I was asked by a lot of other photographers how I reached a professional level. My answer was simple: develop true, genuine relationships with people, and surround yourself with those that push you to better yourself every day.

We start to take on the qualities of those we surround ourselves with. If you surround yourself with negative minded people, you will never see the positive side in a situation. If you surround yourselves with people who push you in a positive way, then you will continually build each other up and encourage one another to be better and better every day.

This is how I still view things to this day. I am more interested in the relationships with people, because at the end of the day, that’s what matters. If I am not showing the love of Christ in every situation and pointing others to the one relationship that truly matters, then what am I doing? Everything I do, whether it’s shooting photos or not, I want to point back to Christ.

I really want people to look at my photos and see the beauty of the world around us. Not only that, I want people to see that the God who created it all is even more beautiful! Life is precious and worth living. Photography has allowed me to capture some of life’s most incredible moments that I get to look back on and share those stories with my kids. I feel truly blessed to be able to live this life, and why I personally believe that life is beautiful and worth capturing!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My itinerary would be extremely simple… get outside and shoot photos every day!

But more specifically, I would take a day to go ride bikes at the Frisco Dirt Jumps. That is my home spot and more often than not is where you will find me on any given day.

There are a number of spots that have incredible views of the Gore Range. I would certainly take a ride that direction!

Every day, we would go grab coffee at Abbey’s Coffee in Frisco. Hands down the best coffee and also more often than not is where you will find me if I’m not riding bikes.

Like I said, I would keep it simple and get outside every day!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my incredible wife, Virginia. Every day she pushes me to be the best version of myself and most importantly always points me back to God. She is truly a blessing that I thank God for everyday. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her encouragement along the way.

Website: www.alpine-images.com

Instagram: @alpineimages_