Meet the model and cancer survivor who makes clients feel comfortable in front of the lens.
Alexandra Zak’s love of photography began as a child in Roswell when she says she became scared of the passing of time due to a series of traumatic losses. “I’d take photographs of everything— my animals, my friends, my wallpaper—when I was little,” she says. “I became obsessed with time, and photography was a way for me to keep it standing still.”
She was so prolific that her parents had to limit the number of rolls of film she could develop in a week. Later, she began modeling as a teen, gaining exposure on the other side of the camera.
Buckhead-based Zak continued to model into her 20s, including while at Georgia State University, from which she graduated in 2010 with a psychology degree. She worked in bars and clubs from 2010 until 2018, running to photo jobs around town in between gigs. Zak is still signed with CLICK Models in Atlanta and New York, although her photography business takes up most of her time these days.
In 2016, she was diagnosed with melanoma and required major surgery. She got sober in 2018 and became cancer-free in 2019. “I knew I needed to live differently. I changed my life and perspective. I decided to start facing things instead of running from them,” she says. “Being sober and my career are tied together. ”
Working with certified financial planner and entrepreneur Deanna LaRue in 2022 was another pivotal career moment. “She’s self-made, and she deeply encouraged me,” Zak says. LaRue introduced her to other women at the top of their crafts; Zak’s career took off. “Her support helped me grow my confidence. She also gifted me the camera I still use today,” she says.
Zak co-owns Alpharetta-based, women-centered Studio A with design agency owner and friend Heather Beyer. There, she shoots portraiture, editorial and fashion photography. Her portfolio spans different niches, including boudoir photos, corporate headshots and family portraits.
No matter what she’s shooting, she brings together her experience as a photographer, model and self-described fashion addict in one session with a goal of making people feel good about themselves. Her subjects are in a vulnerable spot, and she doesn’t take that responsibility lightly. “It’s an intimate experience. I’m able to capture them in a way they haven’t seen before, or they see themselves a little more elevated,” she says. Her two goals are to make a photo “timeless” and to tell a story. “I’m trying to show who someone is through one image,” she says.
Currently, Zak, whose photography has been published in more than 60 fashion magazines, including Harper’s Bazaar, New Wave and Something Different Magazine, works with mostly highpower women who are growing businesses or starting new career paths, from legal professionals to aesthetics practitioners.
Clients include Miami Circle salon owner Kate Barone and Felicia Burchett, owner of Sandy Springs based Vrai Aesthetics and Concierge. Zak also curates portfolios for models and agents, and photographs other models and actors. Her favorite kind of work is taking legacy photographs that she describes as photos of older people towards the end of their lives. “It’s a profound experience to connect with someone in that stage, to hear their story and create an image that will be used in their remembrance,” she says. “The number of connections I get to make with humans daily through work is something I live for.”
alexandrazak.com
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