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[November 26th, 2007 ]
Max Dolberg lives at the beach in Encinitas California. He has been documenting the world around him since childhood. As a young adult, Max turned his lens to the skateboarders and punk rockers that surrounded him, resulting in his first published work. While still keeping an eye to the scenes he grew up in, the scope of Max's work has broadened. He now regularly works in the fashion, video game, music, and scientific industries, as well as pursuing numerous personal projects. Max's photography continues to be driven by curiosity, exploration, and a desire to tell stories. Clients ranging from Prana Clothing, to EA Games, to The Wall Street Journal have utilized Max's images to express their vision.
How did you get into photography?
When I was small, my family did lots of car trips. my parents gave me a 110-cartridge camera to keep me occupied. I remember my father telling me that I saw the world differently from other people. I've never forgotten that.
In school I studied information technology and went on to work in an office as the I.T. guy. It didn't take too long for me to realize my destiny laid elsewhere. I ditched the office and started stringing for local papers and working as a photo assistant for commercial shooters. That served as an apprenticeship of sorts. After a couple of years assisting I was ready to push out on my own and I've never looked back. Although, my computer background has been invaluable as the digital wave has broken across the industry.
What do you look for when making a photograph?
First and foremost light. Photography is about the light, whether I'm using what's available or creating my own. After that it's the shapes in the frame and how they relate to one another. Things just look right to me in a composition or they don't. Once those elements are established, I look for the meat of the story I'm trying to tell. My goal is to make images that convey an experience. If I am making a portrait, I want the viewer to feel like they are mid-conversation with the individual. If it's a place or situation, I want to viewer to feel what it's like to be there. Of course, all of these elements often come together and fall apart in a matter of minutes, or even seconds, especially when shooting real people.
Describe what is means when "things just look right to me in a composition"
I don't know if I can put it into words, you just have to feel it. I think on some level it must break down to math, everything does. But that's hardly what I'm thinking of when I'm working. I guess it comes down to the ratios of different shapes and the importance given them by their placement in the image. But that's a gross over simplification. I remember reading something Rick Rubin said about how when art sounds right or looks right or feels right, that it relates back to some basic truth in nature. That made a lot of sense to me.
Tell me about the Full Coverage project.
Full Coverage was a collaborative project I did with the now defunct NSK Tattoo Collective. I documented their clients getting large, body suit style tattoos for a little over 2 years. When it was all said and done, we had 33 completed tattoos by 8 tattooers. I made finished photographs of the tattoos and my body of work from the project was made into a limited-edition hardcover book and an art show that exhibited on both coasts as well as in Japan.
Sounds like an amazing experience.
Oh, yea! I really enjoy large scope projects that I can sink my teeth into. Peeling back the layers of a subject as it were. Ever since childhood I've enjoyed taking things apart to see how they worked. I feel like with a camera, I can do that with people and situations. Through image making I get a better understanding of the world around me that hopefully I am able to pass along to others.
What are you working on now?
Lately, magazine portraits and photo stories make up the majority of my assignments. My client base keeps expanding and I'm looking forward to more national exposure. I'm also working on a new commercial portfolio that I want to start showing next year. I have kept in touch with some of the folks from the Full Coverage project too and there is talk of another book. We'll see.
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