Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Maring.
Hi Charles, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story has lots of twists, turns, and moments of faith because I have always kept an open might about what it means to be an artist. I work at the intersections of fine art, photography, oil painting, music, animation, and fashion. Yes, it all connects in amazing ways, and there is incredible potential on all fronts. I’ve always done my own thing. I’ve always found a way to pave my own path.
My introduction to the creative process began around age 7. Both my older brother and my father were really into photography. Dad built a darkroom in the attic of our home in Houston TX, and really the whole family got into it. As a kid, I found it fascinating, and they involved me in the process so that I was learning right alongside them. I guess it just stuck because I always saw photography as something I might like to do someday. They allowed me to take one of the cameras whenever I wanted which was an Olympus OM-1 or Canon AE-1. Much of my life is a bit of a blur, but I recall all of this quite vividly.
We moved to CT at some point, and now in high school, I knew both BW printing and color theory quite well. So, I started my own little lab with the darkroom equipment we had. I’d print all the enlargements for the local one-hour photo labs. Each week I’d drive from lab to lab and pick up the orders and spend my nights printing. My first real assignment was my junior year when I created portraits for the high school homecoming dance. I did that for many years, and started to pick up some weddings here and there.
Post high school I tried art colleges for a few semesters but it was frustrating. I was being forced to take basic photography classes that I had already mastered. Quite honestly, I was too advanced for college, and ultimately dropped out. Then, I moved to Colorado with my Canon F1 in hand and shot a lot of nature landscapes on slide film, and snowboarding just for the joy of photography. After a couple of winter seasons, I decided to move back home. My mom, dad, and myself decided to open a small little portrait/wedding studio as a side hustle. I met my wife, also an artist, and she joined in. Together we slowly grew our brand through word of mouth. It was a family business for many years, but my wife and I really took the lead and took it to new heights.
In 2001 I entered the International Wedding and Portrait Photography Awards through WPPI. It’s the largest photographic conference in the world, and the competition is strong. I won the grand award with my very first entry. Funny thing is that I wasn’t at the conference. So, I hopped a plane and flew to Vegas that night to accept the award. Then I placed first the following year followed up with several 2nd or 3rd place wins consecutively. This put my name on the table, but mostly it gave me the confidence to know the value of my work. I stopped competing to simply pursue my craft, but I did judged or chair the competition for a number of years.
One day soon after that win I woke up and decided to get a small apartment in Manhattan. I knew my work would have more value in a bigger market, but actually lacked the funding to do it. So, I went into debt to make it happen. Turned out that NYC was waiting for me, and I quickly became one of the leading society photographers in New York. Commissions started coming in from socialites, and many well-known people. I’ve traveled the world over creating portraits, photographing and filming weddings, but also creating content for brands and personalities. I’ve shot everything from billboards in Times Square to fashion campaigns, runway, luxury travel, celebrity magazine covers, and books. It’s been a wild ride, and I’ve never been able to be typecast as a certain kind of photographer. People just hire me when they want the best, and want it done right.
These days, I don’t call myself a photographer. I am more of a marketing or media strategist. With all of the intimate experiences I’ve had working with celebrity brands, Fortune 500 companies, storytelling coupled with unparalleled knowledge of modern marketing opportunities it’s more about the ideas I bring to the table than the photographs or production itself. Smart brands are turning to artists for creative content solutions, and I am happy to work with companies and personalities that are ready to put emphasis on doing it right.
My NY apartment was in west Chelsea right in the heart of the gallery district. I lived next door to a painter who turned me onto a whole new side of creativity I never really understood, which was abstract art. Eventually, we’d share gallery/studio space on the ground floor of West 27th and I was creating short films around different artists in the area. At the same time, I was learning to paint, learning to see in completely different ways, and learning about art history. At some point I got the guts to go big with the paintings, and these days I simply prefer to paint large scale. Using my knowledge of print and digital technology, I found creative ways to print the art on fabrics as well. These days I also offer dresses, skirts, scarfs, and other wearable art. The paintings are very valuable, so this is a way everyone can enjoy the art, and it makes the world my gallery.
If you search my name you’ll see that I am a recording artist. Google labeled that organically when I started releasing music on Apple Music, Spotify, etc… I love playing music to an audience of any size. I write songs and perform simply for the connection to people. It also is an awesome way to introduce all of my art to others. Music, unlike photography, video, or painting, is highly social and is a great marketing opportunity for everything I do. Really it’s just another form of storytelling, but it’s highly personal.
Currently, I’m living in Savannah, Georgia. There was simply no reason to stay in the Northeast with the shutdowns from the pandemic, and I decided it was time to seek out a new life considering the circumstances. Savannah is a town with massive potential. I came here on a long weekend, and immediately packed up and moved down. I’m living in a live/work loft in the historic downtown district and it’s inspiring a lot of new work. This town seems to be experiencing a rebirth, and I’m excited to be a part of it. I’m hoping to help push the art and music scenes forward.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t come from wealth, so there is nothing smooth about the path I’ve been on for most of my life. The saying feast or famine comes to mind. There are big swings because anyone who is truly an artist is placing their bets on themselves and leveraging a past success to get to the next level. I put every dollar back into my work for many years to create bigger, better, and stronger experiences for my patrons and clients.
The pandemic really hit the Northeast hard as well. I had bought my dream home in Connecticut years prior. My schedule was booked with assignments all over the world when the shutdowns began. Luckily I had recently dropped the lease on the Manhattan apartment, and was just going into the city for work. I felt like I had to make some fast hard decisions considering the size of my mortgage, and the fact that projects were postponing or cancelling outright.
For the first time in my career, I could see the future very clearly. I would have loved to move south at some point, but my schedule was always filled with projects booked often a year or more in advance. It grounded me and locked me into the fast paced life I was living in the Northeast. Luckily the housing market was booming and I got out on top with the sale of the house as there was plenty of equity. Being forced to shut down my business was hard, but the life change was welcomed. I realize now that I’m free to live anywhere I want, and am happier than ever living in Savannah. Assignments are back, and I can do a lot of my work remotely. Having recently been in NYC for filmmaking projects, I know it was the smartest move to make. They have a long climb out of this mess.
It’s an exciting time in my life to have all this knowledge coupled with a lot more freedom to enjoy life, travel, and be selective about the projects I take on. So yes, there have been lots of obstacles. But, I’ve learned that you just have to keep riding it out, keep creating, and keep moving forward. It all seems to work out in the end.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m known for my photography and filmmaking capabilities and marketing strategies. That is really my specialty, and how I make most of my living. However, I’m proud of the fact that I have been brave enough grow beyond the camera. Most artists find what works and just ride it out, but I’ve been willing to take big risks and put it all out there. I’ve built an elaborate collection of large scale abstract oil paintings, I’ve been releasing songs and performing live, and I’ve been creating fashions just for the sake of creativity. Truth is I don’t do this for the money. I could easily go get a job, but I keep pushing through because it’s what I love. At some point, I am confident all that I do will bring forth even more opportunities as the feedback has been amazing on all fronts. It gets exciting where the ideas collide, and I’ve got big plans for future exhibitions.
How do you think about luck?
I consider myself very lucky. On paper, I never should have been able to break through to the point of making a good living in the arts. But, I don’t really see it as luck alone. It’s more about optimism. I move forward with everything I do humbly, yet confidently. It took a very long time to understand the value of my work. I’m willing to pass on jobs, and often do when somebody undervalues my efforts. It’s not always easy to say no, but I believe the universe is listening to my every move and if I accept less than I’m worth then the universe will keep delivering that kind of client. When I walk away the universe delivers clients who or overjoyed to work with me at any cost. That is the kind of client that always wins in the long run as they experience the best of all I have to offer. We synergize with joy and creativity, and the best work and success stories always have joy at their core. So, yes luck plays a role, but your beliefs play the biggest role.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.charlesmaring.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/togetherinstyle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlesmaring
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/togetherinstyle
Image Credits
Charles Maring
