Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Mahoney Jr.
Anthony, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My photography journey began during my junior year at Maryville College (TN). My friend Eli wanted to get a better camera. This new camera he wanted was smaller and shot videos in 4k which would take his vlogs to the next level. I picked up his camera one day while we were all in my dorm room and began taking some candid shots. They liked the photos so much Eli agreed to let me use the camera until I had enough to buy it from him. I started doing group photo shoots with friends on campus to get content. These free shoots served as good practice for me, so I decided to create my Instagram account for my photography. I began to take photos for the different sports and groups on campus. Soon the whole campus knew about my photography business. This grew my clientele and I began to charge for my services.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There will always be struggles along the way no matter what dream or aspiration you are going after. As an entrepreneur the biggest challenge I have faced with my photography was building my clientele once I graduated and moved to back to Houston. I began to shoot with my friends around Houston and slowly my following began to grow.
theXLway – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business was originally called XL Photography but theXLway was different so I decided to stick with it. I have taken photos for graduations, sports, weddings, concerts, etc. I would say my main style would be portrait photography if I had to choose one. I have always been told that I never meet a stranger so that was very important trait to bring into my business. In my experience the more comfortable the client is the better the shoot will generally go.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Well like most photographers I plan to own my photography studio. I want to continue to work with other upcoming and established businesses around Houston. I am also looking forward to taking photos of the Rockets, Astros, Texans, and any other professional teams around the city.
Contact Info:
- Email: theXLway@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theXLway
Image Credit:
(6/7) shot by @theXLway (1/7) shot by @nolazco.photography
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
