Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Charles.
Hi Marcus, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m from the East Coast. I was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in the suburbs of Maryland right outside the city—it’s known as the “DMV.” I moved to Austin in September 2024 with my girlfriend and our 5-year-old son. She’s from Round Rock, so that’s pretty much how I ended up here.
But as far as how I became a photographer and business owner, I’ve been pretty artistic since I was a kid.
I liked to draw and write poetry. I took my first photography class in high school and fell in love with it. Then, in college, I picked up my first DSLR and taught myself how to shoot and edit. I was primarily focused on making videos at the time. I was rapping and attempting to shoot my music videos to cut costs. But after a few videos, some local artists from my area reached out to me for some video work, and I accepted. That was probably in 2011. I was shooting videos for a long time, starting with a Canon T2i and then a Canon 5D, and editing in Final Cut Pro; those were the glory days. I messed around with photography a bit throughout that time, but after a few years of primarily video work, I decided I wanted to get serious about it. Once I did, I started booking more photoshoots and trying to move away from music videos.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It certainly has not been a smooth road. I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but I’m self-taught with everything. If there’s a mistake, I’ve made it. Sometimes it’s in the form of money, maybe having to give a customer a refund or forgetting to file something for your business and paying a fee. Perhaps you don’t have the right gear for the shoot, or a battery dies, and you have to improvise. I’ve had to do much of my research and ask many questions. Taxes are no fun. All I can say is do your research and ask questions. YouTube University is awesome, but fact-check everything.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love to create compelling artistic visuals through photos and videos. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting many different types of work, but I really enjoy and thrive in shooting portraits and events. Back in Maryland, I was the photographer for the University of Maryland Alumni Association and was great at capturing all of the action. I’m great at just being everywhere and engaging with everyone. I like to create a positive experience overall, and then I wow with the footage. I’m proud to work alongside the university and my alma mater, and I hope to find similar opportunities here in Austin. I talked about wanting to move away from music videos after making them for 10+ years, but I actually miss it, and would be willing to work with musicians this year.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
In my current line of work, success is doing what I love while getting paid what I feel I deserve. For me, photography and video work have never been about getting rich or even making a lot of money off people; it’s more about being able to capture a moment or convey a message artistically. If I can do that or provide that service for others consistently while continuing to learn and improve over time, I believe that is success.
Pricing:
- Photoshoots start at $300
- Videoshoots start at $300
- I’m usually willing to negotiate or work within a clients budget
Contact Info:
- Website: https://designlab44.wixsite.com/portfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/design.lab44/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designlab44
