Taking a first glance at Celebrity Photographer,
Max Thompson, you see his boyish good looks and his love of art displayed all over his body. (We are such suckers for tattoos! Ha!) We recently were able to talk with him and really get to know the amazing, creative genius that he is!
Tell us some background info.. Age, home town, what you were like as a kid.
I'm 28 years old and I'm from the north SF Bay Area. I was a little trouble maker when I was a kid.
Was photography always a love for you and how did you get into it?
I've
always appreciated photography as a craft but getting into it hadn't
crossed my mind originally. It was my friends who suggested I buy a
camera after they saw some Instagram photos I was goofing around with. I
bought my first camera and couldn't put it down.
Did you think you could make a career out of it?
It
hadn't occurred to me in the first month or so of owning a camera. I
was shooting long exposures of San Francisco and Los Angeles for fun and
posting them on Facebook. More and more friends quickly took notice and
started asking me to shoot photos of them modeling. It was around that
time when I realized where I could go with this.
Who are some of your inspirations?
Michel Gondry, Andy Warhol, Terry Richardson, to name a few. I get inspired by artists that change the way I look at something.
What was your first big break? What did you learn from it?
It
was more like a lot of opportunities growing and leading to bigger ones
through networking. I've learned to keep shooting things when I have
ideas, keeping a consistent workflow.
We
see you've worked with some pretty big people.. What was it like to
work with Jeffree Star? Who was your favorite person to work with?
Jeffree
was great to work with. I just recently shot for his clothing line and
plan to work with him again soon. As far as favorites go, it's hard to
choose. I've met so many rad people.
What is it about photography that captivates your attention so much?
Initially
it was how different of an outlet it was from music. I used to play
acoustic guitar, singing at dive bars and coffee shops. In comparison
to music, I loved the idea that a camera allowed me to move the
spotlight from myself and place it on someone else, but still express my
ideas and visions.
Walk us through your creative process.. How do you create such a strong message with such a simple image?
Usually
I'll have a vision pop in my head, and I'll call someone up to see if
they'd be interested in modeling for it. Ill buy whatever props or
clothes needed to bring it to life. If it's a shoot that's more on the
fashion end, Ill bounce ideas back and forth with the model on what
would look edgy and simple.
Any advice for aspiring artists and photographers out there?
Shoot what you think looks good. I've learned technique along the way, but it's always instinct that has given me results.
We absolutely appreciate Max taking the time out for this interview.. Kydd's prediction is that you'll be hearing a lot of Max Thompson soon!
We wish you continued success, Max! We're HUGE fans!
