Introducing The Creative Director & Photographer Antwon Maxwell

Antwon, when it comes to photography what is it you love the most?

What I love most about photography is lighting. Lighting is everything when it comes to taking photos; lighting can make or break how someone feels about the image they are looking at.

How do you capture the perfect image when it comes to beauty and fashion?

Capturing the perfect image when it comes to beauty and fashion is having the right model, the right location, the right team and a great moodboard. For me, having a great mood board really sets the tone for the start of a perfect shoot. This allows myself and my team to select the right model for the shoot; it also allows me to select the right team also, every makeup artist may not be the best fit for every job and the same goes for the hairstylist and the stylist.

How would you describe yourself as a photographer?

I would describe myself as a (Get it right in Camera) type of photographer. I am really big on minimal retouching, I like when the photo looks natural with skin texture and great lighting. I love to balance strobes with natural light so that my images look the same way I see it through my natural eye.

Describe what it’s like on set with you, paint the picture for us.

On set I am extremely fun to be around; I love getting to the shoot when everyone arrives because I love to talk and get to know everyone. This allows me to have a great interaction with the model as well as the team that I’m working with on that day. I play music to get everyone in whatever mood we need to be in for the type of shoot that we are doing; if we are doing a beauty shoot then I tend to play music that is a little softer but we are about to do some high end editorial shoot where there’s a bunch of movement, then I am playing something that has more uptempo to it. Finally I am a very accommodating person, so while on set I am always asking everyone if they need my help with anything. Even though everyone has their own skill set on the shoot, we are still a team and the easier we can make each other’s job better the faster we can get through the shoot and everyone will have a great time and not feel that it’s a job.

When it comes to capturing Black Beauty in particular in photography what are some of the important aspects a photographer must know and do?

For me, the 2 most important aspects a photographer must know and do when capturing Black beauty is:

1. knowing your camera settings. This is so important because having the wrong coloration in camera can have an effect on your final image before getting it into a Photoshoot. I mentor a bunch of photographers and will notice the models skin tone is very Red or Orange and this comes from not adjusting the custom Kelvin to match your models skin tone.
2. Again lighting is another important aspect. As a photographer, you need to know when is the right time to use hard light and when is the right time to use soft light. Light is not a “one size fit all” thing.

Stay connect with Antwon Maxwell
www.antwonmaxwellphotography.com
Instagram @antwonmaxwellphotography