About 

Carlos Zarate is a skateboard and fine art photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. He holds a BFA in Photography and Video from Cal Poly, SLO. During his college career, he was awarded the Kodak Professional Photography Scholarship, his work was published with Thrasher Magazine & .RAW Journal of Art and Design, and exhibited at local art centers and campus galleries. As an Art and Design Intern at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, he created visual content for marketing campaigns of current installations. He also has worked for the Carmel Pine Cone Newspaper as a Sports Photographer, documenting an array of local sporting events. More recently, he has worked as a Photography Intern at Los Angeles Apparel shooting a variety of garments and products, and as a Photography Lab Assistant at California State University Los Angeles, helping students out with their creative projects and maintaining the darkroom and digital lab. Currently, as the In-House Photographer at Innercity Skateshop, he collaborates with sponsored team riders to execute advertising campaigns, highlighting footwear and merchandise, in addition to shooting commercial product imagery, to promote upcoming drops across social platforms. 

Artist Statement

I photograph the dynamic moments within the sphere of skateboarding culture. Collaborating with my subjects, I create energetic compositions that capture movement, the location’s atmosphere, and the creative facets that are associated with this community. I also photograph contemporary urban and natural settings using 35mm film, carefully considering formal aspects such as color and composition, with a subtle hint of irony.