BLACKRAPID Spotlight: Zai

Zaitoldme – Fine art / Documentary / Campaign

Zai is a visual storyteller working at the intersection of cinematography and photography, where images are not simply captured—they are felt, remembered, and lived. Rooted in a black-and-white practice, his work strips away distraction to reveal something more enduring: truth in its most human form.

There is a stillness to his images, yet within that stillness exists a quiet tension—a dialogue between what is seen and what is carried. Guided by a documentary instinct and a cinematic language, Zai builds with his subjects rather than simply photographing them, creating space for honesty to surface and stories to unfold with depth and intention.

The result is imagery that feels lived-in and deeply human—resonating across editorial and commercial spaces while maintaining a distinct, timeless point of view.

Do You Have a Good Photography Tip for Us?

Photography is meant to disturb the peace…

VSCO Article – Ran from LA to New York with Only My Camera

Zai’s work shows how gear becomes secondary when storytelling, trust, and emotional presence take center stage. Zai documented endurance during an unexpected diagnosis.

In 2025, Zai—a commercial and documentary cinematographer who transitioned into stills photography—embarked on a cross-country project documenting nationally recognized running coach Percell Dugger (P). The journey followed P’s ambitious Run Day initiative: a run from Los Angeles to New York City aimed at raising awareness for heart disease, the world’s number-one killer.

Halfway through the trek, the story took a dramatic turn. P was diagnosed with A-FIB (atrial fibrillation), forcing a major pivot: daily mileage dropped sharply from 20–25 miles to just 10 miles per week. What began as a high-energy crew role—navigation, fueling, logistics, and image-making—transformed for Zai into something far more complex: documenting endurance under uncertainty while grappling with fear, responsibility, and deep care for his subject.

Zai continued shooting through the shifted reality, capturing slowed paces, shortened distances, quiet pauses, and raw emotional layers. He titled the resulting series Give Me II—a reference to the simple double-handshake “dap” gesture the two men shared daily. It became their unspoken mantra of mutual support and accountability: “I have your back.”

The work evolved into an emotional, introspective visual narrative. Zai leaned into black-and-white imagery for its timeless weight and ability to strip away distractions, drawing inspiration from photographers like Gordon Parks and Thomas Hoepker. His style—rooted in cinematography—treats still frames like scenes from an unmade film: out-of-focus moments for uncertainty, wide frames with heavy negative space for needed distance, and reflections for self-examination. He shot the majority of the project with a Leica Q2 Monochrome (his “extension of the eye”) and a Leica SL3 for portraits, embracing a minimalist “less is more” ethos.

The collaboration culminates in the exhibition I Know What You Did Last Summer, which opened January 31, 2026, at Harlem’s GPG Gallery.

Zai’s VSCO journal piece, “Running Through Uncertainty,” powerfully captures how a planned story of physical endurance became a deeper meditation on mortality, friendship, and the ultramarathon that is life itself. It’s a raw, honest testament to photography’s power not just to document, but to hold space for vulnerability and resilience.

What’s in Your Bag?

I’m really simple. No bag, everything is on my person because I don’t like holding onto extra items when I’m out shooting. Most of my work is on the the fly and in random environments. BLACKRAPID OG camera strap at all times, A leica Q2M, 2 micro fiber cloths (one on my key ring and the other in my breast pocket), a spare battery, and a pack of mentos.