Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Luger.
Hi Max, 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?
The story of Dwayne M Thomas, known professionally as Max Luger, is something that sounds like a Hollywood movie. His story is one of success, personal loss, triumph, and victory. Looking at him and watching him talk, play music, or take photos; you would never know how rough his childhood was. You would never know that there was a point when drugs and crime were more fulfilling than anything else going on. But, that is how life works. You’re always greater than what you think you can do if you’re able to overcome every obstacle in your way.
Dwayne Thomas grew up living in Jamaica in bliss surrounded by kids and the beautiful sunny Jamaican energy. Eventually, his mother brought him back to America when he was 7 and his life took a turn for the worse. The beautiful energy of Jamaica was exchanged for living in a house where he witnessed abuse, and found out the man he thought was his father, actually wasn’t. The man was simply his step-father and Dwayne struggled to grasp with that reality.
As Dwayne got older, his home life got more tumultuous. He continued to witness abuse in his home and his mom started to abuse him. Dwayne was also doing poorly in school, which made his mom routinely make him fetch a twig and then beat him with it as a sick and twisted punishment. The young boy continued to misbehave and look for love and as a result, his mom temporarily gave up custody and allowed the court to be his temporary guardian. Every night he was sent to a new temporary home until the state was able to find a perfect home.
What should have been a fresh start wasn’t and the group homes Dwayne found himself in were just as bit chaotic as his home life. After stealing, getting in fights, being given improper medicine and forced into solitary confinement, Dwayne was sent to a psychiatric center when he was just 12 years old. For the next few years, he would be going in and out of different psychiatric centers. Even staying at some for as long as 2 years and continuing to face abuse at the hands of staff that were supposed to protect and help the young patients.
After getting out of the psychiatric center, Dwayne’s life continued to spiral. He got out and started to steal again and eventually started selling drugs. Dwayne built up a massive client list and was very successful selling drugs. But, things came to a screeching halt when the cops in Albany were tipped off and he received a non-violent drug charge with added time in prison. While he was preparing to do his time, he was served with more time. By 1994, Dwayne Thomas was 17, in prison, and not facing a release date until 2000.
Once Dwayne was able to get out in 2000, he started finding small jobs to make money. He began a small career as a barber and started selling cocaine to wealthy and affluent people. Through his new venture selling cocaine, he was exposed to a life he had never thought he would be able to see or feel. One day, he was introduced to this young kid who wanted some weed. Dwayne hooked him up every so often for a few months. It was this young kid who introduced Dwayne to the tangible and real world of photography. He saw this young kid and said, “If he can do it, so can I.” It wasn’t long before he had taken the money he had and had invested it into serious photography equipment. That was when his career truly began.
Dwayne’s first official photography gig was shooting a Taylor Swift x Target campaign, at recommendation from a friend. That job was the most money he had ever made from a non-crime related job. The client loved his work and started to book him for more gigs and his work extended to companies like American Express and Toyota. He even branched out and did voiceover work for Calvin Klein and BET.
When things started to crumble in his personal life, instead of retreating back to a life of drugs and crime, Dwayne turned to music. Dwayne and his cousin started a band, Food for Cougars, and toured all around the country playing blues and folk music. They were able to captivate audiences and play at the Viper Room in L.A, Slingshot Festival in Atlanta and SXSW in Texas. Right now, he is looking at opportunities to go and play overseas and has signed with Sesac Publishing.
Dwayne Thomas’ life has been full of up and downs but he has never given up or accepted the disarray or chaos for how his life was always going to be. Dwayne has been through more trauma and personal loss than many people ever will but he is still standing and wants to use everything he has been through to teach, motivate, and inspire everyone to be their best selves. Art saved him and now he is here to save anyone who may be going in the direction he was as a young black boy just looking for love and leadership.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have done photography for agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi, shot promotional work with Target and Taylor Swift, and worked with Vogue and Paper Magazine. As a musician, I taught myself how to play the harmonica and created a blues folk band that played at festivals like South by Southwest and performed at numerous venues in between. My years of experience with psychoactive medication, prison, and group homes have shaped me into who I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecontentcampus.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecontentcampus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/max-foto-l/vo-reel-max-edit-2-andromiden
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/foodforcougars/welcome?in=max-foto-l/sets/max-crack
