Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Blaxz Alexander. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Blaxz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

First things first — I appreciate the ability to share my perspective. Thank you for taking the time out to read it.

Legacy to me, is a funny word because that means I have had to make something of myself before my untimely demise, right? So that people who have never felt my impact can learn about whatever it is I decided to do with the life I was given. I prefer to leave a lasting impact with the people that I meet daily, rather than striving for a status that is set by a society that can perpetuate some qualities that I don’t agree with.

Dramatics aside, I live my life with a few core missions – Leave our society better than I arrived, be better than yesterday in whatever I set out to accomplish, and make those endeavors look as visually appealing as possible. There was a point in my life where it really became apparent to me that I was a messenger of sorts, bringing visual masterpieces to people who have never paid attention to such a thing.

When I first took photography and the art form seriously, I was met with so much skepticism & apathy from friends and relatives that it forced me to prove them wrong. At a younger age, this is what had driven me to create; I wanted to prove to them that I can do so at a high level. As I got older and I slowly converted each doubter, (or they saw that I was never going to give it up) I realized that the experiences that the camera brought me were far more valuable. I looked back and I’ve traveled across the globe, met so many beautiful souls, brought happiness & understanding to my daily life, & I did it all my way. It truly doesn’t come without its hardships, but my legacy will be that I did everything I wanted as an artist and citizen of life, and I did it how I wanted despite the adversity that comes with this environment & climate.

Blaxz, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Darren, a photographer creatively known as Blaxz Alexander, (@BlaxzAlexander) and owner of Eye of Blaxz Photography and EyeofBlaxz.com. I’m based out of Los Angeles, but my humble beginnings start in gritty Reading, Pennsylvania. I’m a first generation American to Grenadian parents who left the best footprints they could to allow me to be the man I am today.

I’ve always loved the arts, I played bass violin from age 9, all the way through high school and pursued various projects thereafter. It wasn’t until I was about 22 years old where I picked up a camera and started shooting for fun during a trip to Chicago. Instagram was just taking over as one of the top apps to share photo work, so it instantly gave me a place to share my art as well as explore what other artists were creating simultaneously. The more I traveled, the more I captured moments, and thus developed an eye that I can’t even explain most times. I spent two years perfecting my craft, shooting concepts, meeting people that reinforce my purpose, and experiencing places that have barely been touched by man, let alone one from Pennsylvania. I then channeled that energy into developing clientele that resonated and supported with my path in life.

For clients, I provide visual experiences for moments that they hold dear. Weddings are the most common experience that I present, but I’ve presented sporting events, fashion shows, real estate, engagements, & celebrations of life to name a few. As well as clients in Express Men, Jansport, Polar Piece, Mother Erth, The Lonnie Walker IV Foundation, and various local venues across the country. I am extremely grateful for the people that trust me with their moments. What sets me apart from other photographers is the provided experience from start to finish. I genuinely love this medium and life in general, and it shows whenever I press the shutter.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I was first acquainted with the works of the talented Ajani Charles about a year after I started shooting. He was a local photographer that would travel to NYC & do some crazy concepts that I didn’t even know were possible. I started to post more of my work on Instagram (three times a day sometimes, go figure) and I would scroll and see his work. We met through a mutual friend that I was working with creatively at the time & we found out that not only did we shoot the same camera brand, but we had the exact same camera!! To me, it was amazing that we had the same setup and produced completely different visual masterpieces. That only reinforced my belief that my journey was a special one, no matter how many others seemed to have taken that path.

Anyway, within three months, Ajani and I were traveling the world and creating. Visiting Paris, LA, Toronto, Milan, and so many more cities that helped bolster our creative careers. We didn’t know it then, but we surely found out that we were destined to create. Today, Ajani is my second shooter with his own creative process on most of my projects. It’s an amazing feeling providing clients with two vastly different perspectives.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect would definitely be the unpredictability of it all. I would never have thought I, as an American would be taking flights from Milan to Toronto just to be a part of special moments. To know I’ve sat down on laminate floors of project buildings, leather chairs in boardrooms, and sectional couches in penthouses all because I decided to pick up a camera is mind-blowing. I don’t think anything can take away from what I’ve accomplished. Can I do more? Always. But what I’ve done so far is pretty amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: EyeofBlaxz.com
• Instagram: @BlaxzAlexander
• Twitter: @BlaxzAlexander
• Youtube: Blaxz Alexander
• Other: @BlaxzAlexander everywhere ;)