What's What: A Visual Glossary of Everyday Objects, 1982

Zuckerman was given this book when he was five years old. It speaks to his continued interest in systematizing his surroundings and breaking things down to their most essential components, he says. "It's hard to say if the book informed the way I look at the world, or if that was the way I approached things instinctively, and the reason I became so enamored of the book."

Neumann U87 Microphone, 2003

The iconic microphone, in production since the 1960s, is the first microphone Zuckerman bought. He became interested in sound recording when he began making films. "I'm fascinated by the parallels between capturing light and capturing sound," he says.

The Golden Section Finder, 2006

This is a tool used to evaluate composition in order to locate "the golden ratio," a proportion that occurs frequently in geometric relationships. Zuckerman learned about the golden ratio in high school, but it wasn't until he started working on "Creature" that he began to rely on the tool. "It's important to have anchors and rules to train the eye," he says. "I always function better with boundaries and rules, even if I plan on breaking them."

Collection of iPhones, 2006 through 2013

These are all the iPhones Zuckerman has used since the inception of the iPhone seven years ago. In that time, he has developed a strikingly personal relationship to his phone. "Some of the most treasured and irreplaceable images I have have been taken with my iPhones," he says.

Holbein Camera Lucida, 2013

The Camera Lucida is a sketching aid. In Latin it means "light room." It superimposes a subject onto paper, allowing one to trace it. Zuckerman recently acquired one. "It has been amazingly helpful when thinking in terms of reduction," he says. "This tool has a way of telling me what is and isn't necessary."