Wednesday, September 17, 2008

DIRK MAI: BLOWS UP

by Sarah Kowaney

(World Class Youth: Cody Kennedy, Jackie K. for COCO by Dirk Mai)

Whether you recognize any of his photos or not, Dirk Mai has definitely made a name for himself the past four years. Most well known for his photographs of MySpace “celebrities” and other fashion photo credits under the name [fingers crossed], Dirk is living his lifelong dream.

Ever since he was a kid in Caro, Michigan, Dirk knew he wanted to have a career in photography. His father and uncle were both photographers, inspiring him early on in life. When he was in high school, his father gave him his first camera, a Nikon FG that he now has tattooed on his chest. In 2007, he moved to Santa Barbara, CA to study photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography. While living there, he started taking party photos at the Factory, a popular club in downtown Santa Barbara. This eventually led to him taking photos of MySpace celebrities such as Jeffree Star, Audrey Kitching, Hanna Beth Merjos, and more, leading to massive exposure and many opened doors.Dirk Mai

Dirk is currently shooting at the BOXeight Gallery in Downtown L.A. His photos are used for ad campaigns, look books, and model portfolios. Currently, he has been shooting 3-4 times a week while working on his own fashion portfolio. The future looks bright for Dirk Mai. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.


World Class Youth: Jackie K., Cody Kennedy (Gene Simmons Family Jewels, 7 things-Miley Cyrus, October NYLON "It-Girl", Miguel Angel (Stay My Baby iCarly Miranda Cosgrove Video) for COCO. Photo by Dirk Mai.

ALL PHOTOS PROPERTY OF DIRK MAI 2008.


HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEBEARSANDI

3 comments:

Unknown said...

i love his work!!!

jessii.jukebox said...

Dirk mais wrk is abselutely breathtaking his work has inspired me as a young student lookng foward to high school still. He has showed me that if you put your mind to something you want to do for a living and be happy with what you do you can do it. He is my idol and that shall never change <3

chescakes said...

i love dirk mai too :> i love his photos!!