Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Itin.
Max, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I come from a family tree rich with creativity: my grandfather, a Swiss graphic designer and painter, was a part of the movement in Switzerland and Germany, which is today referred to as Swiss Design (think Bauhaus).” He was active as a designer during the period where this style of design was pioneered. My uncle followed in his footsteps, becoming a sculptor and painter in New York City. My father always enjoyed using his skill in woodwork to be creative in his free-time, and my mother, and her sister, are both self-taught graphic designers. I grew up in a world steeped in creativity, and my earliest memory of using Photoshop was before the age of five. I developed a passion for art, withdrawing and design becoming my focus as I grew older, but a course scheduling conflict in high school ended up taking me down an unexpected path. I ended up in a film photography and darkroom class, leading me to buy and restore an Olympus OM-1 35mm SLR camera, which I still have to this day. Approaching photography with film rather than digital gave me a unique new perspective on taking photos.
When shooting with film, you only have between 24 and 36 exposures on a single roll, and no way of knowing how your photos will turn out until they are developed. This forced me to really think about every moment I was capturing, how to frame the shot, how to expose properly, and most of all, how to be patient. I decided at the age of 16 to begin applying this new-found skill to one of my other passions: cars. Before I knew it, I was shooting for a local restoration company, then came supercar dealerships, press access to races and events, and even more private clients. While I was exploring this new interest, I continued to focus my attention on learning design and illustration, hoping to set myself up for a career as a creative. As I neared the end of my high school career, I began to juggle the idea of whether or not attending college was an important step for my path- I had no college savings, little interest in academics, and a fire inside to create.
After working in Ecommerce for a year after highschool, I began to realize the viability of carving your path, so in 2017 I quit my job and moved to California (a life-long dream of mine from traveling to see my family in San Diego and falling in love with the city). My aunt (also a graphic designer) was very gracious to help me get on my feet while I looked for a job and a place to live. I applied to hundreds of jobs, spent countless hours apartment-hunting, and finally found an opening as a graphic designer at a local golf company. Once I began to feel comfortable with my new life, living the California dream, I began to work hard to re-establish myself as an automotive photographer in the local scene. I attended any car show I could, met as many people as possible, and began to grow my network. Over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of shooting luxury and exotic cars for several local businesses, and have grown my network of private collectors and enthusiasts to help immortalize their pride and joy with creative photography. Looking toward the future, I am hopeful to continue to refine the skills I’ve worked to develop over the past nine years. My next move shifts my focus from the individual to the corporate level. I continue to develop personal relationships and develop my network and skills in hopes that my efforts will one day allow me to take that next step: shooting commercial marketing material for automotive manufacturers.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I would be remiss to ignore the struggles of my journey. Making the decision not to attend college definitely meant I’d have to work harder and smarter to create my own success. Those first months in San Diego were extremely stressful and scary, not knowing whether or not I’d land on my feet, as anyone who’s struggled job-hunting knows. Moving across the country also meant I wouldn’t have an existing network to rely on to find new clients, and it really did take a long while before my business started to grow here. There was a lot of shooting for my own portfolio, free photo and video shoots, and many awkward conversations with people that didn’t care to give the time of day to another “kid with a camera.” I’m still building that local network, but I’m happy to say that I’ve had many fulfilling opportunities over the past couple years and have a very positive outlook on the future.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a jack of all trades, but my focus is automotive photography. I help private clients capture the love they have for their vehicles and help automotive businesses showcase their product/service to potential customers. I have had the opportunity to shoot for many local businesses (in Connecticut and California) including a renowned New England automotive restoration shop, local McLaren and Ferrari dealerships, a San Diego-based vehicle wrap company (Morgan Wraps), San Diego Prestige luxury and exotic rentals, and even had the opportunity to shoot for one of Honeywell’s subsidiaries: Garrett Motion. I believe what sets me apart is my ability to understand what my clients love about their cars or their business.
As I converse with my clients, even before their shoot, I am constantly thinking about how to best capture the subject- the location, the time of day, the little details they love about their vehicles, and how to best accentuate them. With my rich background in traditional art and digital editing/processing, I spend as much time thinking about how to compose and expose my shots as I do editing them. My editing process seeks to emphasize the decisions I made while capturing the moment while simultaneously cleaning up any distractions. As a car enthusiast myself, I know first-hand the love we have for our vehicles, and I put in every effort I can to ensure that my client’s passion, as well as my own, shows through in the end result.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I can’t be more grateful for the support my family gave me in the decision to carve my own path. As car enthusiasts themselves, they’ve helped connect me with some amazing people and opportunities. Every client I’ve worked with that has trusted my ability to create memorable work has helped me to develop as a professional, as a photographer, and as a person. There have been a few clients in particular that have given me the keys, both literally and figuratively, allowing me to experiment with my work without constraints, something that has been crucial in developing my personal style. I also thank everyone who has ever complimented my work- whoever they are; these are the people that have inspired me to keep pushing the boundary and to keep developing my talents.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maxitin.com
- Email: info@maxitin.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/maxitin
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