It was only ten years ago when photographer Brandon Almengo first picked up a camera. He had no formal training, but as a curious 16-year-old he grabbed the family Nikon and started photographing friends in his Paterson, New Jersey, neighborhood. Today, he’s one of the hottest shooters out there, capturing the world’s top models and music artists and landing them in the pages of magazines like Vogue and the cover of Maxim, for which he shot rap sensation Saweetie.
“I truly hope me being the first Afro-Latino to shoot the cover of the July/August issue of Maxim magazine opens the door for many more people of color,” he tells us from his home in L.A., where he lives with his wife and new baby daughter. “Everybody where I’m from is either dead or in jail. It forced me to grow up quick. By the time I was in high school I had my own apartment and car. So, when I started photography I started offering free shoots in my neighborhood just to build up my portfolio.”
This story is from the January - February 2021 edition of Maxim.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January - February 2021 edition of Maxim.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Enzo on the Silver Screen
Michael Mann’s new biopic of Enzo Ferrari starring Adam Driver is set to make the legend burn even brighter
Some Like it HОТ
We piloted Ferrari's fantastie new open-topped grand tourer through the craggy hills of Sardinia
THE LEGEND OF ENZO
DURING HIS LIFETIME FERRARI FORGED THE ENTIRE PANTHEON OF MOTORSPORTS
THIS SIDE of PARADISE
A landmark new exhibition of Ellen von Unwerth’s work is suitably playful and provocative
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA IN BELIZE 10-MS
The famed director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now tells us why the Central American country has captured one of the world's greatest imaginations,
WEAPONS of WICK
Meet master engraver Melissa McMinn, who created Keanu Reeves’ dueling pistols for the hit franchise
SUDDENLY This SUMMER
Model, influencer and actress Summer Soderstrom is the blonde bombshell we're keeping our eye on
VIVA LAS VEGAS
We wade into the spectacle that was the reborn Las Vegas Grand Prix
DRINKING La DOLCE VITA
From pioneering distilling methods to the massive success of Martini Racing, the story of the most iconic name in aperitifs
FIVE-STAR STYLE
With an impressive roster of ultra-high-net-worth clients, i design powerhouse Rigby Rigby is making waves Bei on the Riviera and beyond