Today we’d like to introduce you to Ace Maxwell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Originally before I was a photographer, I was a Dancer and still am currently. Photography was something I got into (RIP Uncle L) from my uncle who did event parties when I was 11-12 when I got my first camera as a gift. I started off with a canon t5 just a basic camera with a 24-70m lens. Back then life was great I was just starting high school & finding my way through a passion of mine in the entertainment industry. I did videos before I was a photographer as well during the 07-09 era of Jerking. I was in a dance crew I would shoot and edit the videos. I was just living my life. Fast forward to about 2020 when Covid happened, I had been shooting for almost 8-9 years of pictures and videos. Covid took a huge turn in my work and business, so I deceived to try and make small 15-second films and I really got into Cinematography & was inspired to eventually make my own films or shoot any and all videos as cinematic as I could. As of April 2023, I have made a name for myself, Rebranded and shown out my best abilities. I have worked in; NYFW, LAFW, All black Film Festivals, Movie Sets & Small film acting/shooting. I also took in modeling on certain occasions and worked up my way to be a Creative Director for myself.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Everything had been far from a smooth road, with progress on all ends. Countless times I have tried to quit and walk away from all of my work. Whether it was my own self or bad business plays with people who aren’t with my best interests. I ran into instances of my gear being stolen multiple times, & worse times I’ll be pinched with work and people want a full edit the next day or a few days after. It’s many occurrences that held me back from posting or working at all with anyone. I personally had to find my wave of people that were consistent and open to understanding what my life was like outside of business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a High Street Fashion Photographer/Cinematographer located in Los Angeles, CA. I specialize in Fashion, Portraits, & Creative style shoots that require me to be the utmost creative with everything around me and make something not many people see.
People tend to know me for both photos and film-style videos that tell a story.
One thing I can say I’m most proud of is my progress from my earlier years and with people stating “You have GROWN since the years”. That alone makes me smile because I put hours, days, and weeks into my craft to be where I am.
I am currently on Unsplash with over 10 million views and 40k downloads all across the world. I was featured in magazines and also have had two interviews in the same year.
I believe what sets me apart from others is my personality & my creative abilities. My personality gives people that sense of calmness and relaxed energy. When taking pictures with me, you tend to forget we doing a photoshoot 9/10 because it feels more like a fun day out than a photoshoot. When it comes to my creative abilities, I know what I want and I’ll never stop till I get it. So I feel it shows when I work with clients and they get more than what they asked for.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I’m honestly still the same introverted guy that is quiet, creative & goofy. Being in a very mixed household of Caribbean, Black, & Hispanic cultures in one house has definitely given me a huge outlook on the outside life we have, I could be very quiet and observant or I could be a little more talkative and not shut up. I tend to be quiet because my mind races 1000 steps in a minute so my interests aren’t regular interests. I love to read, learn, talk about business ideas, help others with business plays, and give others an outlook on what they CAN be doing instead of seeing them waste potential. I’m very big on supporting and I after my first modeling gig I can say I have more supporters than I couldn’t even imagine.. so I’m blessed for every single one of them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://acedirectedit.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acedirectedit/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Braddebwai
Image Credits
Bellow usa shirt & New York @chrishnaphotography Film by @shooterdav Street by @o200edits White shoes green fit by @davidregoso
