Max Flatow’s career as a photographer began in the dark room during middle school. As he continued his education, his interest in photography grew. After high school, Flatow enrolled in Southern Vermont College, where he was given complete control over the school’s abandoned dark room. Much of his time was spent in here, and he said that he “essentially taught himself.” During his final year of college, he spent the entire year abroad in Spain. When he came back to America, Flatow had some of his travel photos displayed at a local café, and this is where his career began to take flight.
Fresh out of college, Max held a few jobs before becoming a full time photographer. He worked for Mary Howard, a renowned set designer, and for a post-production video editing company. After working these jobs, he realized that this was not his scene, and he made the decision to become a photographer officially. For the first 1-2 years, he did a lot of his work for free to get his name out there. He worked for another famous photographer in addition to taking his own snapshots. “He taught me not only how to run a business, but also how to network myself,” Flatow said about his employer. He values the importance of being both a professional and an entrepreneur.
With the transition from film to digital, his photography was revolutionized. Flatow effectively applies the principles of “Depth of Field” and “Rule of Thirds” to his work. When using depth of field, the subject is focused, whereas the remainder of the backdrop is blurred. In order to obtain this effect, one must open the shutter and allow light to enter. He said, “I try to be as versatile as possible with my lighting,” and it should be noted that he never uses a flash on his camera. As for applying the rule of thirds, Flatow tries to put his subjects off to the side because it “creates a more dynamic image.” To top off his techniques, Flatow has picked up a slight tilt to his photography. “A lot of these photos, I’m just capturing a moment,” he said, “And adding a tilt creates more excitement.”
This Brooklyn-based photographer has been quite successful for being in the business for just seven years. He has photographed a wide array of subjects from weddings to desserts. He has even shot portraits of celebrities such as Harrison Ford, Cee Lo Green, and Steve Nash. But what I enjoyed most about his presentation was his mindset as a photographer. “I am my own boss,” he exclaimed towards the end of his presentation. While Max Flatow realizes there are many difficulties to being an innovator and an entrepreneur, he focuses on the positive light and attempts to let it shine through his photography.
Photo Credit: Max Flatow. Here he uses lighting and depth of field, along with his “signature tilt” to capture the perfect wedding photo.
