Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Brown.
Hi Martin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I got my start in the fashion industry back in 2011. I recently, then, moved to NYC for Atlanta, knowing that I wanted to be a fashion photographer, and luckily, I have family that lives in NYC. I literally took those $99 one-way air fares from AirTran (now Southwest) and knocked on my grandmother’s door saying “I’m here!” They were all puzzled honestly, that I just popped up with a travel sized carry on suitcase, not knowing that I have officially moved to NYC. Flash forward years of me being an intern to me working for corporate fashion brands, such as Bloomingdale’s, that I landed a job at Rag & Bone, which, to me, was my first true fashion experience. I stayed with them for about 3 years until February 2020, when I decided I wanted to move to LA. I always had some inklings that I wanted to be an actor, but being the only one in my family that is in a creative role, it was hard, almost impossible to gauge how to even go about that. We all know that COVID happened in March of 2020, so I was essentially stuck in NY, until I got the chance to work for GQ, which was my holy grail! I stayed in NYC, but I still wanted to be an actor, so I took classes, and landed a featured background role on HBO’s Rap Shit. After that, I made my move to LA, and now here I am, going through the journey of being an actor, while still being a fashion photographer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
OF COURSE NOT! HAHA! I had a bit of naivete into getting into acting, specifically. I got the conversation of “you are so marketable! I can see you on this show and that show today” but trying to get representation has been difficult, but I feel that this journey needs to happen, because if it was a smooth road, I don’t think I would appreciate it that much. In terms of fashion photography, a little more of a smoother road, because I also made people know that I knew all facets of fashion, not just photography, so that became a breath of fresh air for people. I know a lot of people have dreams of being a fashion photographer, so I always tell someone who is aspiring to be one is that make sure you know the industry you want to be in.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My neophyte moment being a multi-hyphenate has been amazing. Being a photographer and an actor is a true joy. In photography, I specialize in fashion, beauty, and celebrity (thanks GQ for getting me into celebrity portraits), but I am most known for fashion. I think every time I shoot something, that becomes something I am most proud of, so I can’t really pinpoint to only one. As an actor, since I am new, I would love to say that I specialize in it all! I think I am a one-man-band-man!
In terms of photography, what sets me apart, is that I still like to shoot in that high-gloss type of shooting, like the old school photographers that have inspired me, like Meisel, Scavullo, Herb Ritts, and try to lean away of the lo-fi look that is so popular now. Don’t get me wrong, the photographers who specialize in that are good, but it’s just not my niche.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Peace of mind matters the most to me right now. The fashion and the entertainment industry is super hard, and they will literally eat you alive if you let them, but if you can find peace in yourself, and know that you can do your best, and stay in the lane that is beautifully carved out for you, then you will see what is truly important.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.martinbrownstudio.com
- Instagram: @martinbrownstudio
Image Credits
GQ August 2022: D’Pharoah WWD October 2020 Models The Magazine.Global GQ March 2021 L’Officiel Ukraine May 2020
