Meet Max van Otterdyk | Photographer and Videographer (creative)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Max van Otterdyk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Max, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued this career as a creative because I saw a market for it in my community. But not only did I do it to help my community, but because I was passionate about the work I was creating. An artistic career with a camera means your work is always changing. You are never stuck in the same office every single day. A filmmaker is always out capturing festivals, weddings, and so much more. You get to see different job fields and never get bored.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel that being a young photographer/videographer helps puts people at ease and loosen up a bit when they know I am behind the camera and that helps me capture better candid shots. I started my business by doing high school senior photoshoots, but then my business quickly snowballed with clients taking a chance on me across various platforms… from weddings, to real estate, to food shoots, to community events, to promo shoots, athletics, and various other platforms. My success has also come from my sense of adventure and willingness to explore different niches to expand my craft, such as incorporating drone footage to add an additional dimension. My biggest thrill is when I am presented with a new challenge and I am able to get creative, think outside the box, and try something new.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in the burbs (The Woodlands) so I don’t often drive into Houston unless there is something special going on. The Woodlands is a great place for outdoor activities with all the parks and hiking and biking trails. Kayaking on Lake Woodlands is a fun thing to do on a nice day too. For a fun night out, I would definitely encourage anyone to catch a concert at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and sit on the lawn for a cool experience. Hughes Landing and The Woodlands Waterway are two neat places to walk around and grab a bite to eat from the many restaurants the two areas offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would definitely like to give a shout-out to all the people that took a chance on me when I was first getting started. I was really young, 16, and was inexperienced. If it hadn’t been for those first few clients that believed in me, I would have never been able to turn my hobby into a job that I love.

Website: https://www.maxotter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxotterphotography/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-1kwcMn4oPrIpVO38z7CpA