Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Whitehead Jr.
Hi Marcus, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I started doing photography on/off just for fun, mainly when I was hanging out with my friends or going to car shows in Atlanta. This would be around 2006 thru 2011. At that time I was just using digital cameras or even one time used cameras. But then it all changed when some of my good friends, who were independent artists, started having their videos shot at different studios around the city. So in support of them, I was always on set.
Then one day someone gave me a Canon camera and asked me to shoot the stills for the video shoot. So I was like “Sure no problem”. Then on another video set, I was asked to shoot the stills again. So this continued for a few more videos, until one day another artist was in the studio, and they asked me to shoot their video. The difference this time was that he asked, how much do I charge? I told him “Oh no charge I’ll just shoot it for free”, to which he replied, “No man, I’ve seen your shots and they are nice, I want to pay you
That’s when it hit me that, I can really do this! Before he made that statement, I was not in the mind frame of making photography a business. Truth be told, photography did come across to me twice before and both times I was a manager at Walgreens, so my thoughts at that time were getting a regular check and benefits. So by the time photography came around for the 3rd time, I decided to take heed of it.
From 2011 to 2015 I was doing photography here and there, small jobs like headshots or outside shots at the parks. Then in 2016, I met my photographer Demetrius Williams. I licensed my company and learned so much from my mentor, still to this day. My first big “gig” was with him for a wedding. Then I also realized I really love and enjoy street photography and nature. So in time, I have shot several images from nature, streets, and photographs even from Cuba with my mentor.
Last year Demetrius and I photographed 3 weddings, 3 musical festivals as well as a 3 day conference, and more. I’ve also been in 3 exhibits with some of my photography, one at Atlanta Photography Group, another at Marietta Cobb Museum of Arts, and one at Atlantucky a brewery owned by Nappy Roots. Also, I recently became a vendor for Dekalb County as a photographer, I am very excited to see where that will take me!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are struggles for sure! My struggle is I have a main job taking up 40 hours a week while wanting to do photography full-time. So that limits me to after work and weekends to really take on gigs, be creative, and take photos and edit.
I see and now other photographers who are full-time time and soon, I too will be a full-time photographer, it motivates me when I see others doing so well. But as far as meeting fellow photographers, networking, and remaining inspired I have plenty of reasons why that has not been a struggle for me. It’s been great.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Marksmans Photos LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Marksmans Photos is a professional photography company. Aside from taking photos, I also specialize in Wall-Art photos, meaning I will print out images and frame them or place them on canvas for exhibits or your office or home. Weddings, events, and black-and-white photography are also services I provide.
So whether it is outside and being creative or in the studio with a theme, I take every shot with the intent to wow the customer. There are also times when I just grab the camera and go, taking candid photos in a crowd, around the city, nature, and city-scapes. It helps the creativity flow and sometimes I surprise myself, lol.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themarksmansphotosllc.shootproof.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarksmansphotos_llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themarksmansphotos
