Max Taylor is a freelance photographer specializing in New York City, wildlife, street style and fashion photography. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in finance, Max moved to New York City to pursue a career in finance. Working on Wall Street, however, made him realize he was happier “behind a lens than a desk”. This is the story of his impressive transition.
It Was The Rush
“I was always very intrigued with the markets,” says Max. Despite growing up in a family of professional creatives, his mother and father were a videographer and a commercial photographer respectively, Max displayed no interest in pursuing a creative path himself. What was so appealing in financial markets to him? “It was the rush and the unpredictability,” he explains.
Max got to experience his first “rush” from trading in the 5th grade when he turned an astonishing $2,000 profit selling Pokemon cards on eBay. “It blew my mind what people would pay for things,” he recalls. He became obsessed with trend analysis and figuring out what people wanted. “Trading really appealed to my analytical side of mind,” he explains.
After college, Max purchased a one-way ticket to New York City and got his first job on Wall Street. He really enjoyed working in finance at first, but with time he started to struggle to stay happy and healthy working 16-hour shifts.
The New York City skyline by @loosecannonnyc
Hurricane Sandy
In 2012, when Hurricane Sandy hit the city, Max, like many other New Yorkers, was left without water and electricity for twenty five days. Despite the fact how destructive and horrifying the hurricane has been for many others, it had a tremendous effect on Max.
“Sandy was so overwhelmingly awesome and I really wanted to document it,” he recalls. “But I couldn’t do that with a cell phone camera. So I bought an entry level DSLR camera and took it to Stone Street for the first time.”
After taking some great photos of the city and seeing people’s reactions to them, Max decided to make some changes in his life. On July 4th in 2013, he “declared his independence” from Wall Street and entered a photography competition on the Weather Channel. He won an impressive $15,000 prize, beating over 30,000 other contestants.
The Brooklyn Bridge
Winning the Weather Channel contest certainly helped making the transition into photography. It enabled Max to get his work printed and set up his stand on the Brooklyn Bridge, where he sells his work in the summers.
“It is really encouraging to talk to people and see their reaction to my work,” says Max. “I love watching the photos travel the world and talking to people. It’s a good way to spend a day.”
But there was one reaction to his work that Max could not have foreseen: the reaction of the other vendors on the bridge. “I had a knife pulled at me the first day on the bridge,” he recalls. Luckily, he managed to come to an agreement with the vendors and was able to continue to work from the bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge by @loosecannonnyc
Making Photos vs. Taking Photos
Surprisingly, what Max loves about photography is what got him to enjoy finance in the first place. As he explains:
“There is a rush I got from trading, which at the time I thought was as good as it gets,” he says. “But I found that rush is nothing to me compared to that feeling when you snap a great shot, and the minute you hit playback, and the imagery that comes up, and you know it is going to blow people’s minds.”
So what is the secret to creating great photos? As Max reveals:
“The biggest thing before having a great photo is having a vision of what it is that you want to create. You have to envision an image beforehand.” He adds: “It’s making photos versus taking photos.”
Travel and Discover Something New About Yourself
Max has had quite of a journey discovering his own passion. He admits that, at times, he regrets going into finance in the first place. He regrets working countless hours towards something he no longer wishes to pursue. However, he recognizes it was a great learning experience for him which helped him become more self-aware. What’s his advice on finding yourself?
“Travel to a strange place whether it is local or far,” he recommends. “Getting out and finding a different perspective, finding people who think differently than you, surrounding yourself with different crowd, is definitely a good way to discover something new about yourself.”
And who knows, could it be that without working in finance and experiancing Hurricane Sandy he would not have discovered photography?
Max’s work is so incredibly original. He brings a new perspective to the images we are already familiar with, making us challenge our existing perceptions. At the same time, he remains so humble and grounded despite of his success. He is the happiest seeing his work on people’s walls, hence why any photo from his gallery is available for purchase.
Be sure to see more of Max’s impressive portfolio on his website and his Etsy store. To stay up to date, follow Max on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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