Zakoian was born in France to Armenian parents and moved to Chicago when still a child. After finishing high school, he joined the US Navy and participated in the Korean War. It was during this period that he was trained as a photographer and served on the carrier U.S.S. Philippines. He furthered his studies in sculpture and photography at the Chicago Institute of Design, where one of his tutors was Harry Callahan. An active exhibitor in both mediums, Zakoian devoted most of his later life to teaching. His work has been included at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington D.C.