[1] While living in Redding, Zagaris boarded at Bellarmine College Preparatory and later returned to attend Enterprise High School.
After dropping out of Law School after one year, Zagaris began to embrace his photography hobby, finding ways to get on the field at 49ers games and backstage at concerts.
[4] Throughout the 1970s, Zagaris would photograph some of the popular bands of all time, including The Grateful Dead, The Clash, Blondie, The Who, and Tom Petty.
[3] Zagaris' sports photography is famous for its intimacy, as he gives the viewer a rare look behind the scenes in the clubhouse and the locker room to see a different side of the team.
[3] While growing up in Redding, Zagaris played sandlot baseball at Buck Martinez's house and American Legion baseball for the 1963 Redding Tigers, managed by Joe Hatten, with future major leaguer Bill Plummer and Gene Parent, father of Mark Parent.