Zachary Campione
Full-Stack Developer & Builder
Builder & Tinkerer
I'm a developer based in the Hudson Valley, NY with a background in Computer Information Systems. I build and ship real products — from FairFindr, a price comparison platform tracking 150+ dealers, to RopeDrop Planner, a Disney vacation tool with live wait times. My day job has me deep in SQL, data pipelines, and automation, which feeds directly into the tools I build at night.
I work primarily with Python, SQL, and React, and I'm always picking up whatever the project needs — Cloudflare Workers, Docker, Playwright, Kotlin. When I'm not writing code, I'm repairing vintage Polaroid SX-70 cameras, running a home lab on Raspberry Pis, or planning the next Disney trip with my wife and son.
Technical & Operational Skills
A breakdown of my core competencies across development, data, and infrastructure.
Hardware Repair
I repair, modify, and maintain vintage hardware, particularly specializing in Polaroid SX-70 cameras.
Self-Hosting Infrastructure
I manage a personal home lab environment utilizing Docker and Raspberry Pi for self-hosted services.
Personal
Based in the Hudson Valley. I enjoy traveling with my family, particularly to Walt Disney World.
Selected Works
A collection of tools, apps, and platforms built to solve real-world problems.
FairFindr
Multi-vertical price comparison platform aggregating 150+ dealers across precious metals, sports cards, cameras, and collectibles. Compare prices side-by-side and shop direct — no middleman fees.
RopeDrop Planner
A comprehensive Disney vacation planning application with real-time wait times, AI-powered itinerary parsing (Gemini), and optimized touring plans.
WeekendMaker
A mobile app for makers to plan and track DIY projects. Features AI-powered project generation, inventory tracking, and shopping lists.
SX-70R Controller
High-fidelity Android controller app for modified Polaroid SX-70 cameras. Features BLE shutter control, ISO configuration, and a premium "dark mode" aesthetic.
Enterprise Data Automation
Built end-to-end pipelines to convert 1,000+ legacy Excel files into a robust SQL database. Developed Python scripts to parse PDFs and automate critical reporting workflows.
Industrial Tag Scraper
AI-powered industrial equipment nameplate data extraction service. Automates manual data entry from equipment photos using OCR and structured data parsing.
Photo Assistant
"The Digital Sherpa" — A computational photography assistant combining real-time composition advice (YOLO) with creative analysis (Vision Language Models).
FlipBuildSmash
Physics-based monster truck browser game. Build your track, flip your truck, and smash everything in your path.
F1 Live Timing Streamer
Real-time Formula 1 telemetry streamer. Connects to the official F1 live timing SignalR feed and outputs parsed timing data and telemetry.
HiBid Scraper
Scrape auction listings and individual lot details from HiBid.com. Uses Playwright to handle the dynamic Angular-based interface for reliable extraction.
Latest Posts
Notes on Python, hardware, web scraping, and building things.
Building a Real-Time F1 Telemetry Streamer
How I connected to the official Formula 1 SignalR live timing feed, parsed real-time telemetry, and deployed it as an Apify Actor.
Scraping HiBid.com Auctions with Playwright
Building a reliable scraper for HiBid's Angular-based interface — navigating dynamic rendering, pagination, and lot detail extraction via Playwright.
Modernizing the Polaroid SX-70
Adding Bluetooth LE to a 50-year-old camera — the electronics, firmware, and Android app behind the SX-70R remote shutter controller.
Automating Supply Chain Workflows
How I converted 1,000+ legacy Excel files into a SQL database and built Python pipelines to automate reporting that previously took days each month.
Let's Work Together
Have a project in mind or want to collaborate? Drop me a line.