Over time, Magazine Dreams materialised into a character-driven series. Dedication and belonging are both personal motivations, so what better than to focus on these bodybuilders one-on-one. Each figure stands tall, mythological in pose and stature. Max’s stylistic choices of monochrome and a harsh flash takes you back to the bold physical forms of bodybuilding’s 1970s golden era, all topped off with “flamboyancy and pantomime”, as Max puts it. “It’s all one big grandiose performance that I found really intriguing and impressive.”
This effect is all achieved with a Fujifilm GFX, lit with a single Godox DP600III-V (bare bulb or with a small reflector depending on the background). “I barely direct people – these guys are professionals,” says Max, who kept the scene as simple as possible and let the bodybuilders do their thing. The photos are finished off with monochrome conversion, upping the contrast, and a touch of grain.
Currently, Max is drawn to projects floating in style between documentary and portraiture, and is open to collaborations and commissions, with plans to follow the thread of curiosity: “I’m always looking for interesting, sometimes bizarre, but always honest, stories and communities to photograph,” the photographer ends.