“You don’t need thousand dollar equipment, last year’s photo award was made with an iPhone.” Max Flatow embedded in our minds that anyone could be a photographer, and we don’t need a pricey camera to be one. He shares that even as a professional photographer, he uses his iPhone to capture the moments he wants to keep.
Flatow tells us that his love for photography started in seventh grade. “I’m self taught. I spend a lot of my free time honing my skills.” He had motivation, which made the art of photography more the interesting for him to discover techniques on his own. He took over an unused darkroom in college and started studying photojournalism. After his study abroad trip to Spain of his senior year, he decided to hold a gallery at a local café, where he gained some attention and were able to sell some of his artwork. He worked for a set designer, Meredith, by painting sets, which gave him great exposure to photography.
What exists everywhere, no matter where in the world? Food. Flatow works mostly on wedding photography, though he also photographs food on the side. On his job, he actually does a lot of travelling, and at every new location, he tries to contact local restaurants to have their dishes be photographed professionally. One couple had him travel to India. He describes that trip to be the most interesting wedding he’s ever been able to photograph. The couple walked onto the scene on elephants! The vibrant colors he captured allowed us to peer at what amazing time and experience he had on the job.
Going through his slideshow, he would also stop to tell us the techniques he used for each picture. He gave us pointers on how to create a depth in field effect, perfect a silhouette, and more. He inspired me to take photos of my own to capture everything around me. He was self-taught, and it only takes practice. Maybe I can get there some day.
All taken by Max Flatow
