We had the good fortune of connecting with Max Duckworth and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Max, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
To be honest, I put very little thought into starting my own business. I had been studying photography as a hobby for several years and it seemed to make sense to make it into a business. I am actually shocked at the cavalier way I thought I could waltz into the business world on my artistic merit alone. In the end I am grateful, though, because if I had realized how difficult it is to run a business, I might have been too intimidated. Now that I have been working on it for several years, it has slowly started to grow and I am so excited and proud to call myself a business owner. I have a lot to learn, especially about putting myself out there, it can be so hard! I am finally at the point, though, where it is harder to keep my art to myself.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been an artist my whole life. I love to play with mediums of all kinds. I studied English Literature in college and for a while words were my primary medium. When I found photography I knew right away it was another medium that would hold an important part of my life as an artist. After I got my first manual camera, I was still in graduate school. I was not enjoying the classes in the same way I had as an undergraduate and I took refuge behind the camera. It only took one and a half semesters to realize graduate school was not the path I wanted to pursue. When I finally made the difficult decision to withdraw, the uncomfortable feeling quickly dissipated because I could throw myself into my photography. I learned a lot on my own, which allowed me to play and experiment with no boundaries. This is reflected in my work today because I am not afraid to try something new or unusual.
I also love taking portraits of other people. When it comes to producing a portrait of someone, I think of myself similar to the painter who would have come to paint your likeness during the renaissance. Luckily today I have more tools at my disposal to help develop my vision.
The marketing with camera phones today is very good, and a lot of people think they are just as good as a professional camera. Don’t get me wrong, I do not think camera phones are bad. I think they are great for documenting many things.
This usefulness perhaps overshadows the necessity for professionally crafted portraits.
I have so many amazing portraits of myself and I want other people to experience this. My grandfather said once that pictures are better with people in them and more often than not I agree. People are so beautiful, unique and constantly changing. Young teenagers are often the most reluctant to pose and I always want to tell them they will thank me when they are older!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Of course you have to spend a night on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, there are so many different things to do and places to eat. There is even a place where you can let the fish nibble on YOU at a place called WTFish Lounge. My favorite restaurant is definitely Prime Catch in Boynton Beach. The food is so good and they have a bar that goes out over the Intracoastal and it is so nice to sit out there, whether for just a beverage or a whole meal. I have taken some of my favorite photos of all time from the docks by the bar.
Riding the Brightline is my newest favorite activity. It might be a little odd, but I love the train so much that even just riding it to Miami and back would be fun for me. Especially on the Brightline because it is so clean and nice, the staff is so friendly and if you sit in the premium car you get free snacks!
If you need fresh air other than the beach, go to Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach. It is a beautiful park with a pond where you can feed the fish, see the different Zen gardens and just enjoy the sunshine. If you want something that is free, go to Delray Oaks just a few miles away. It is a much smaller park but it is the perfect place to get away from the chaos of South Florida.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this to one of my favorite photography teachers at the Boca Raton Museum Art School: Larry Miller. I have learned so much from him over the years. His sense of humor always made classes fun, whether we were clowning around in the studio or trapsing trough wet alleyways during a street photography class. Not only that, he can operate and troubleshoot pretty much any camera brand. He is always willing to lend a lens, battery or SD card to someone who would have the audacity to show up unprepared (I think I only forgot my card once…). Thank you Larry!
Website: www.maxduckworth.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/maxduckworth