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

Max, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?

The idea of Success is a nuanced one, but lets define it as doing something that brings you joy while also being both experiential and financially fruitful.

It takes grit. It takes not listening to doubters. You need to have faith in yourself through some pretty rough times. It gets even harder when you have other options. options are a distraction. you need to see the vision you have for your life and you need to chase it. You need to feel it.

I cant tell you how many times ive almost quit. Ive been stolen from, injured, taken advantage of, had offers form comfier jobs, been in debt, ive been told no, rejected, and ignored far more than given opportunity, but i stick to my guns, and keep moving forward.

I cant think of a particular story that pertains to how my world view has been shaped around the idea of success. I can say that i have had many sleepless nights of self doubt and anxiety and temptation to go back to the safe road. This lead me to making myself a promise to myself and my fiance that i would not give up. No matter what. I will continue to pursue my dreams despite the setbacks. I wont let anyone or any situation break my sprit.

Max, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in Lake Tahoe, CA, and spent my youth chasing Olympic dreams on skis, training with the U.S. national team and racing internationally. Skiing was life, and I traveled the world in search of snow, driven by my passion for the sport wanting to be the best at it. But eventually, the camera became my new obsession. I traded my skis for a Camera and that was my new way of exploration From then on, I couldn’t stop i was addicted to shooting, learning, and pushing myself to make more compelling Images.

With Little formal training and a whole lot of grit (and naivety) I moved to Newport Beach, ready to dive in. I gave film school a shot, picked up some production gigs, and learned the basics—building sets, sweeping studios, driving production trucks, whatever it took to get in the door and learn something. I even moved into my van for a couple years so I could Shoot photos and surf with no silly distraction like rent or utilities.

The hard work paid off. Soon, I found myself documenting the world’s top skiers on the FIS Alpine World Cup circuit, creating content for athletes and their sponsors. In a full-circle moment, I went from racing with the U.S. Ski Team to shooting for them, capturing the careers of athletes who share the same passion I once pursued on the Mountain.

My love for storytelling through images has taken me around the world and also led to working with brands like Tillys, and their brands as well as various footwear and outerwear companies, sustainability brands, and more bringing their visions to life with fresh, engaging visuals

For me, it’s never been just about snapping pretty pictures. It’s about capturing something real—the feeling in a moment, the quiet in the chaos. Life moves fast, but a photograph lets you hit pause. My goal is simple: to create images that make you feel. Photography isn’t just a job for me—it’s an obsession. It’s about, seeing beauty in the ordinary, finding harmony in chaos, and capturing it exactly as I feel it..

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being easy to work with. In photography, its often times not about your talents or skill level that makes or breaks a shoot, its about getting along with people and creating a good experience. Not just for a model or athlete, but for everyone involved. Kindness and respect have gotten me way more opportunity than any amount of talent, emails, or amount of followers ever have

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I used to think faking it til you make it was a good idea… But its not. have humility and ask endless questions. If you think for a second you cant learn from everyone you come across, you are missing out of great lessons.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://MaxHcreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountain.max/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-hall/

Image Credits

Max Hall , Spencer Kofoed (for the photo of me)