Meet Michael Baxter

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

Michael, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
In contrast to other photographic disciplines, the creativity of Architectural Photography is somewhat limited by the nature of the subject itself. For example, when shooting portraits, products, or food, the Photographer controls the subject, location, background, lighting, color scheme, props etc. When shooting a residential or commercial property, so much is established before the Photographer even sees the project. This requires a specific approach to capturing a space. My subject is stationary and permanent, my working space is limited, there are walls and furniture all around me, there is mixed lighting with vast exposure differences, and the required lenses visually distort the space.

So, what can I do to keep my creativity alive? I work with the things I can affect. I arrange and move things, add and hide things, all in an effort to translate a three-dimensional space to a two-dimensional format. There are lots of subtle choices to be made in this phase, some of which are made by my client. Aside from finding my angle and staging the space, the other big creative choice is lighting. I enjoy crafting light, which sounds a little odd. My goal is to capture the feel of the actual space, while highlighting the textures and materials that are lost by the limitations of photography. This method of photography and post-processing feed my creativity, while the uniqueness of each assignment helps keep my work interesting.

After twenty years in the field, I am just as passionate about the work as when I started. That doesn’t mean I experience it the same way as I once did. When prepping for an assignment, I used to be both excited and worried about the job. After thousands of shoots, that feeling lessens and the work becomes more clinical. I’m honored that people like my work, and grateful to God that I get to do this work for a living.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
For the last twenty years, I’ve worked for Architects, Builders, Designers, Developers, Resorts, and Advertising Agencies. My clients select me for my polished style of photography, which incorporates precise staging and lighting. During the last decade I’ve had the privilege to photograph every Topgolf in North America. Other clients include King Koil Mattress Company, P.B. Bell, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale, and Robson Resort Communities.

I truly enjoy impressing my clients. That’s not to say I succeed every time, but I do my best to showcase their work. It’s encouraging when they win some recognition using the images I produced. The biggest compliment I get, is being asked to come back and work on another project. Being referred to a new client is a close second.

Over the last year, I’ve found a new creative outlet that combines my A/V Production skills and my passion for music. I launched a live music series on YouTube called Barn Jam. It’s an informal music jam among friends, where we play Old Time Music. This includes Irish jigs, Scottish reels, and Appalachian Mountain Music, with a little blues sprinkled in. It’s led to a couple of concerts next year.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Skills can be learned, and knowledge can be gained, but qualities are not as easily developed. I would say that certain qualities are more important than skills or knowledge. Specifically, a “can-do attitude” combined with an enduring spirit, will help lead to success. It should spur a person on to obtaining the skills and knowledge about the work they are interested in. If I could do it over again, I would pursue the old “Master/Apprentice” relationship in my craft, because it would have cut me through many years of trial and error.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Specialization is important, especially in a creative field. I recommend avoiding the “Jack-of-all-trades” approach, because it can result in becoming a “Master-of-none”. It takes so much time to develop a unique skillset, and one that people are willing to pay you for. On the flip side, learn as much as you can, and be versatile, as specialization takes years to achieve. When I started out, I could not generate enough income in Architectural Photography, to exclusively work in the field. For years, I had to offer several types of creative services, until I built enough of a clientele in my specialty craft.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
BAXTER IMAGING LLC

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