We were lucky to catch up with Mack Knox recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mack, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

The way I started in photography was falling in love with the photos I’d reblog on Tumblr around 2010-2014. I was a huge fan of rock / alternative bands and went to many concerts. I loved the idea of taking photos of the bands performing but had no idea how to get into that as a career. Concert photography was and is still kinda gate kept and hard to get into unless you know someone already in it to explain the steps. I started photography seriously when I was 18 years old, only doing portraits of friends and mutuals online. Once my name started to get around my city and I made more connections + friendships in the creative community around me is when my business started to grow faster than before. I did a lot of free work, collaborative work and my own personal creative ideas to be able to post consistently. I didnt get into concert photography until 4 years into my career, I messaged a smaller venue in my city asking if they’d like to give me a photo pass for the photos to use. They said yes and trusted me without a live concert portfolio and I used that experience to get the rest of my shows after.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! I’m Mack, a 27 year old Tampa, Fl native. I’ve been a self-taught photographer since I was 18 years old. I got into this career because I grew up very dedicated to being an animation artist. I studied for years but was never happy with my art, one day I picked up a camera and actually liked the art I was creating. It’s been my thing ever since. At 18 and starting my own business was very rough, I didn’t go to college so learning everything from YouTube and other creatives in my city was all I had. I also was struggling with panic disorder and bad anxiety attacks. Having to push myself out of my comfort zone consistently for my business was stressful but worth it in the end. Photography helped me in so many different ways but it fully gave me a purpose and drive to continue on making art with my friends. My parents were very consistent with me growing up that all they wanted for me was to have a job I loved doing and I took that very seriously.

For my business I provide all types of photography. I made sure I dabbled in all of the realms while growing my business so that I could work with any client. I do mostly creative portraits and concert/music photography but on my website shows more of anything I can do. I also recently have added videography to my list, currently making reels for most of my clients but wanting to try music videos eventually! I’m proud of myself for staying so dedicated to my small business and never giving up, but also teaching myself how to help my mental health with my art. What I want anyone who is thinking about working with me to know is that I am someone who is very easy going but dedicated to creating whatever task im given. I am so adamant on working with anyone and EVERYONE – people of all sizes and race and beyond gender. I brand myself on being inclusive always in my art and who I choose to work with.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I have a regimen now that whenever a client sends me a booking request the first few things I ask is for them to create a Pinterest board full of inspo of their idea so I get a clear look into their vision. Sometimes clients will need extra help from makeup artists or stylists which I always have a list of creatives in my area to recommend for those instances as well. When the shoot is happening I always remind before that they can bring whoever to make them more comfortable, im pretty flexible with timing and such because the main priority is the model being comfortable enough to be able to pull off the shoot successfully. Afterwards I send most of the unedited photos, watermarked on my website for them to select their favorites. I think this is such a smart decision I started doing a few years back because sometimes id love photos the model did not like, its easier to just edit the exact ones they like and add in your favorites later. I also think posting consistently on social media and collabing with other artists in your area is a huge boost to grow new clientele!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspects of being an artist or creative is seeing peoples reactions to my work. It always makes me feel so good to see a repeat client or someone using my photo as their social media icon. I have some people coming to me for 5 years straight for their birthday pictures. The trust so many individuals have in me and my art really makes it all worth it. Also getting to express myself when I do my own creative projects is super rewarding especially when people can relate to it.

Contact Info:

• Website: mknoxmedia.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mknoxmedia
• Twitter: twitter.com/mknoxmedia

Image Credits
all photos were taken by me.