toronto instagram

Toronto photographer captures moody streetscapes

Zach Bird grew up in Whitby, but he first started coming to Toronto for skateboarding competitions. When he later got into photography, it completely changed how he saw the city.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

Bird, who has more than 10,000 Instagram followers, got his start filming and photographing skateboarders.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

While on a family camping trip, he played around with his father's camera and became hooked.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

Now, he's dedicated to building up his photography portfolio so he makes his part-time passion project his full-time career.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

As a mostly self-taught photographer, Bird credits the Instagram community with helping him improve both his skills and business acumen. "You’ve got to know how much you’re worth when people come to you for work," he says.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

He cites Ryan Millier, Jayscale and Camerson Bartlett (@snappedbycam) as his biggest sources of inspiration and often goes out to shoot with Bartlett.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

When he's shooting downtown, he likes to stick around Chinatown and like many other local photographers, the Financial District.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

"I tend to shoot in the Financial District when there’s really moody weather," he says.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

What you can't see on his feed are his wedding and engagement shoots. He says that by doing weddings, he continues to get better at portrait work, something he'd like to do more of. He'd also like to do more travel photography.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

But for now, as you can see on Instagram, he's happy to call the Toronto area home.

A post shared by Zach Bird (@zachbirdd) on

Lead photo by

Zach Bird


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Arts

Huge art fair now open in Toronto showcases incredible and unusual art

Toronto magazine store that's been around for almost 20 years is shutting down

Someone in Toronto is transforming bike parking spots into yarn 'lollipops'

Broadway hit musical Back to the Future is coming to Toronto

This is what Nuit Blanche looked like in Toronto for 2024

A guide to Nuit Blanche 2024 in Toronto

21 things to see at Nuit Blanche Toronto 2024

The Toronto Biennial is a window into what art looks like right now