.jpg)
BEYOND THE ATHLETE PODCAST
Join us on this conversational, learning, and informative experience on 'Beyond the Athlete,' where we delve into the behind the scenes and untold stories and inspiring journeys of people within the world of sports, entrepreneurship and innovation.
In our upcoming episodes, expect an exclusive peek into the lives of renowned men and women from across the world . Discover the defining moments, untapped passions, and the strategies they employ to overcome obstacles both in life and works. From tales of resilience to discussions on personal growth, each episode promises an intimate conversation that transcends the world of greatness.
Get ready to be motivated, empowered, and uplifted by the remarkable experiences and wisdom shared by these extraordinary individuals.
Tune in as we explore the stories that go beyond the game, only on 'Beyond the Athlete.'
BEYOND THE ATHLETE PODCAST
EP32: Behind the Lens - Darrel Hunter's Path to Visual Storytelling
What does it really take to build a successful creative career? Photographer Darrel Hunter pulls back the curtain on his journey from East London sports enthusiast to sought after fashion photographer shooting Tracy Ellis Ross for the Met Gala.
The conversation explores how early sports participation instilled valuable discipline that translated directly to creative pursuits. Hunter reveals the surprising truth about finding purpose: "There's no deadline. It could have been 10 years ago, could be 3 years ago, could be today when you wake up and figure out 'this is my purpose.'" This refreshing perspective challenges our cultural obsession with early success and predetermined timelines.
Behind the glamorous Instagram posts of fashion weeks and celebrity photoshoots lies an exhausting reality rarely discussed. Hunter describes the grueling schedule of 3am bedtimes followed by 6:30am wake-ups, constant travel between locations, and the challenge of maintaining creativity while managing the business side of photography. These candid insights demolish the "just push a button" misconception about professional photography.
Perhaps most valuable is Hunter's emphasis on community building. "Nearly every job I've had has been from someone advocating for me," he shares, highlighting how genuine relationships—built without expectation of return—create the foundation for sustainable creative careers. His approach challenges the stereotype of the competitive creative industry, instead promoting collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
Whether you're an established creative, aspiring photographer, or someone seeking their purpose, this conversation offers valuable guidance: build authentic relationships, embrace the unglamorous work behind success, and remember that purpose can reveal itself at any moment. What are you silently building today that will speak for itself tomorrow?
Instagram Links:
Beyond The Athlete - https://instagram.com/beyondtheathletepod?utm_source=qr
Basketball Nxtion - https://instagram.com/basketballnxtion?utm_source=qr
Coach David - https://instagram.com/coachdavidbbn?utm_source=qr
Music, music. What's up, guys? Coach david here and I would like to welcome you all again to another amazing episode with an amazing guest um, this gentleman I've known for a very long time. Um, we met through sports um, and we he's kind of gone into a different route as well, but I always believe that sports always has some sort of impact in what we do later on in life as well. Same way with me, obviously, from playing basketball, from playing football, to now what I'm doing with the Nation Sports Association and Basketball Nation. It's going to be a very interesting, I would say, conversation between him and I would like to introduce you guys to an ultra creative um photographer, filmmaker, um videographer like you. Can you can tell me if I'm wrong in anything um the founder of the founder of mode hunter, mr daryl hunter.
Speaker 2:Welcome, sir thank you so much. It's been good to be here.
Speaker 1:Likewise it's been a very long time. I don't even know how long. Yeah, I don't think it's 10 years.
Speaker 2:Maybe just under. No, not 10 years. Maybe just under 10 years.
Speaker 1:We met in 2013?.
Speaker 2:I think it was around 2012, 2013. Yeah, around the winter times.
Speaker 1:I remember because every time I used to come to that court it was always snowing. Yeah, I remember because every time I used to come to that court it was always snowing. And we met at a Nike run, yeah, Hosted by none other than Tremaine Emery, Denim, TS founder, who obviously at the time was in fashion. But I was also in fashion, but I didn't know. You guys, all of you guys were fashion creators, yeah and yeah. So we met there and I think ever since we've kind of just kept in touch some way somehow. I don't know whether it's social media, whether it's randomly meeting on the street and stuff like that, but yeah, welcome to the podcast. This is Beyond the Athlete.
Speaker 2:Thank you, happy to be here, appreciate you having me. Thank you, man. Thank you for coming.
Speaker 1:Thank you for coming. Thank you for obviously accepting the invite. We've obviously tried to do this for a while. I'd like to start off with pretty much history.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:The foundation of everything. Growing up. What was that like for you? What was family life like? What was your childhood like?
Speaker 2:Different things that you may have learnt. That has kind of brought you to where you are today, within what you do. Wow, that's a. Um, that's a lot to start with um. So, born and raised in london, um grew up with I have a sister, an older sister, and my parents who originally from guyana, south america. So yeah, um, just typical like london kid growing up in East London, in Hackney yeah, it was. I mean, what do you want to know?
Speaker 1:Everything really like. What sport did you play any sports? How did you get into photography? What were your passions? All those things basically, so I mean.
Speaker 2:I've always been quite active from a young age, playing sports football or football, basketball, table tennis, um, running, um, athletics, all kinds of things so it was always something that was with me. I was always quite active. As I got older I started to take it a bit more seriously, so I played um on my college team and played with my church team, played in Sunday league football. Yeah, it was just something for me that I always wanted to be active. I've always enjoyed watching sports literally every kind of sport and also being involved. So it's something that's kind of stuck with me.
Speaker 2:And one thing, as you were saying, sports it doesn't just, it's not just while playing, it also, I think, sets a foundation for life Um, it gives you discipline, um, allows you to be part of a team, um, and things like that. So there are things that I think you can take from sports and having that foundation that um have always stuck with me. Um, with regards to photography, photography I I know it sounds really cliche, but it was always something that I loved yeah, nothing sounds, nothing.
Speaker 1:Ever is cliche, but it's something you know.
Speaker 2:Everyone always says oh, I've always been a photographer or I started out, but for me it was always something that I loved and enjoyed. Um, specifically fashion, um from a creative aspect, was something that I always um felt a part of, even from young aspect, or something that I always felt a part of, even from young, but never something that I took seriously as a career until later on. I mean the story of how I got into it. I was working in a corporate structure and this was probably around the time that we met so and I got to a point where I very much was like what is it I want to do for the rest of my life that I would love, something that, even if I wasn't getting paid obviously you want to get paid, but even if I wasn't getting paid, what would I get out of bed for in the morning? And something that would drive me, something that feeds my creative spirit. And I settled on fashion photography.
Speaker 2:Um I at first I wasn't sure whether I wanted to be a stylist, but um I literally I reached out to a family friend, um from like. She was around the same age as my sister and her and my, her and her brother, when we were same age and our parents were friends and everything. I reached out to her and she's an amazing stylist like she was working with all big publications at the time and I reached out to her and told her that I wanted to get into fashion photography. And she took me under her wing and literally introduced me to a whole bunch of creatives, started taking me to fashion shows, had me assisting her on photo shoots yeah, like, literally, if it wasn't for her, um, I wouldn't have been able to get in. Like she literally opened so many doors for me. Um, I went and I did a short course in fashion photography, learning about lighting setups and how to do photo shoots and editorials and stuff like that, and that's how it all began. Yeah, that's how the photography journey began.
Speaker 1:That's quite interesting. So for me, what I got from that wasn't just the process that you went through, but the consistency.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because from then to now, you're doing amazing things as well. I appreciate it. And funny enough, and the fact that you actually almost kind of identified your purpose quite earlier on For me it was three years ago so it just shows that there is a time for everyone as well, and that's something I wanted to highlight to those that are watching that some people may take them a bit longer, some people might take them a short period of time. So for me, it was three years ago that I realized you, what, what? Something I'll wake up for is helping people through sports. Yeah, and literally that's what I started doing, same way with yourself. Um, going to photography. It was something that you set your mind on and you just ran with it I mean there's no.
Speaker 2:I feel like one of the lies that we've been told or we tell ourself is there's a specific time, that you have to do this, so you have to do this by this age, or you have to do this in this moment. And then you think, okay, it's too late now, and it's even something that I struggled with. You have this idea of where you should be, but, like you said, it could be, could have been 10 years ago, could be three years ago, could be today. You wake up and you figure out this is my purpose, this is what I want to do, this is what drives me, and there's nothing wrong with taking that step in that time, like there's no. Um, I think there's no deadline, literally and again, it's still something I'm learning, but it's literally something that we and I say we, including myself, need myself need to learn that yeah, it's three years ago. You know what. I'm going to go into this wholeheartedly. I'm going to put everything into it now that I've discovered what I want to do and what drives me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing. I really like that because I'm a big preacher of consistency. Yeah, my mentor talks about that as well. Consistency is key in anything. I think a lot of people tend not to really kind of like really push on what they are meant to do if they're not consistent. For example, at the time, during that time when we first met, I wanted to get into fashion.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:But I just didn't know how to. I had ideas for design, but I can't. I wasn't the designer. My mom was yeah, um, or she is still um. I wanted to get into styling, but I didn't know how to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um I think that's normally the issue. Yeah we know where we see the end result and we know where we want to be. Yeah, but it's just, how do I get there? Yeah like what is the journey?
Speaker 1:so yeah, that's yeah yeah, and and for me similar to yourself as well I think I started reaching out to people, um, but I didn't have anyone around me that could show me that way, so I had to learn yeah my my own way and really be in people's faces, and I think that's also that that allowed me to be able to accomplish what I'm doing now with sports, because it allowed me to.
Speaker 1:Now, okay, I've gone through like training with the fashion side and now I can apply those skills to sports as well, which has made it a lot more yeah. I want to say easier, but a lot more impactful, and and made me more efficient and consistent than what I do. Um, but it's.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, not to cut you, but it's also you saying that is important, because a lot of times we look at things that haven't gone so well and not realizing that this is setting you up for the future, because you've now taken all those things that you're using trying to get into fashion and you're able to use them now where is? Like where you actually want to be, so it's really important yeah, um, so this leads on to my next question.
Speaker 1:So, um, obviously you've gone now and you've had someone that's sort of like a mentor to you. Yes, um, that's a mentor now to you, or is this? Is it you've kind of like now more sort of colleagues per se, or so, yeah, I mean so.
Speaker 2:They are no longer in the fashion industry. They're no longer in fashion. For me, what happened was I would then reach out to different photographers whether by mutual introduction or whether people that I had met and I would literally just go and just sit in their studio and just watch them and observe. I would assist, I would practice, I would do test shoots and just reach out to people, and that's how it grew um for me. I'm I learn by actually doing, rather than just sitting down in a classroom reading a book and whatever. Um for me, yes, there is a side for the technicality of photography videography is that why you did a short course?
Speaker 2:yeah, exactly because I literally had no clue. I just knew what I wanted to do. I didn't know how to truly work a camera. This course taught me I think it was like six or eight weeks, and it taught me how to use a camera on manual, um, how about f stops and lighting setups and literally the technical side. A brief introduction into it. And then also, hey, if you want to do a shoot, you have a makeup artist, you have hair stylists, you do test shoots, you reach out to agencies. So that in itself was also really valuable, um, but from there I then had to very much just keep reaching out and testing and practicing and, like you said, consistency, um.
Speaker 2:In the beginning you have that hunger where you just want to go everywhere with your camera and you're constantly shooting and reading up books or looking at works or photographers that you admire, buying every magazine, and yeah, that's kind of how it went.
Speaker 1:Amazing, yeah, amazing. So a little bit of story. I started loving photography last year, okay, yeah, so the first time I actually did any photography was last year. Yeah, I applied for media accreditation to. It was myself, daniel, who's behind the screen, and another lady and three of us were meant to go to when Team USA were here before the Olympics and the basketball team, and we wanted I was just going to go there with a GoPro I was going to get them to do the photography, videography, but we only had one pass, so I was going to give it to one of them and then my wife said, no, you should go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm like, I don't know how to do photography, so I had to go on YouTube and learn three days before. Yeah, so when I was there, same way that you would ask people, I was like speaking to different people from and these are guys that are photographers, videographers, um, broadcasters from like, germany, the States, from this, from Spain, from UK and literally just speaking to everyone oh, how do you set up your camera this way? Oh, I really like how you've done your edits on Lightroom.
Speaker 1:I actually learned how to use Lightroom from Emmanuel, so he taught me how to edit. So literally everyone around me kind of helped. And then, yeah, I think my pictures came out really good. I'll show you after I'll take a look.
Speaker 2:But I mean, I also think that's the beauty of the community. Yeah, yeah, Nowadays there's so much information out there whether it's on YouTube, whether there's podcasts or anything. There are people who break down or give you information about cameras and how to use this and whatever, and then from there you can find your own style. You can decide what you want. Yes, somebody may show you how they edit, but then you will then tailor that to what you want, and that's something that I like about this community.
Speaker 2:It was also, I mean, I remember this season we were walking and there was about three or four of us photographers walking together and somebody I think they were either a stylist or something and they said oh, you guys all hang out and you talk. Don't you feel competition between you? And we're like no, we don't look at ourselves as competitors, we're colleagues, and if somebody needs help with something, you're not going to be like I'm not telling you because I don't want you to get ahead. It's kind of like oh yeah, yeah, hey, let me help you with this camera. It's. I think it's important to pass on knowledge, sitting there and trying to hold on to something like imagine if you went there and all the people said we're not telling you we don't want you to be able to take good pictures, or you should know, I mean.
Speaker 2:I feel like that's a terrible response, like, if you have that knowledge and if you're in an environment where people are all trying to be creative, I think it's good to share. And then you I mean none of us we could all be in the same place with the same camera. We're not going to take the same pictures. It's going to be different. What your eye sees is very different to what mine sees. How you want to edit, how you want to shoot, whether you're framing it a certain way, it's all different and I think that's the beauty of it um, having people share that knowledge and then seeing what they create and when they come out with it.
Speaker 1:So I'm glad you had a good experience see, now you've got the bug and shoot more. I just get a camera. So sometimes when yeah, when we go out to take pictures um, I think we went to the jordan event on sat Saturday and I took the camera from him to take his picture, but normally he wouldn't have asked me before but, now, because he knows how I've done and he's been a good teacher as well.
Speaker 1:So he's like okay, cool, yeah, you can take the picture. So, yeah, but it's still a learning process for me. It's something that I do enjoy, something I'm going to keep doing as well. You've been promoted now.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, yeah, you can like take the pictures. Trust me, if a photographer trusts you to take a picture, you know that you're taking good pictures, thank you.
Speaker 1:Emmanuel, so yeah, so obviously, with what you do and in terms of just life in general, like when we're actually building and being and being creative and creating, um, there are things that will obviously it's never smooth sailing, because a lot of people they see online that, oh, because you dress the same way, because you're wearing Prada, I'm wearing X, y, z, maybe LV shoes or whatever. Um, oh, you're doing well, yeah, doing well, yeah. Um, there's nothing. There's nothing happening inside you like life is good, yeah, um, you're traveling to all these amazing cities, um, doing photography, going to paris fashion week. Um, you're around those celebrities like everything's good, but they don't realize the, the pain and the process that you have to go through to get to where you are as well. So it'd be great to hear, um, how you those pains, yeah, and how you obviously overcame them as well or are still overcoming them as well, um, I mean that again is a very important um topic.
Speaker 2:A lot of people see the finished product um, and a lot of people will see again, like how you dressed or where you are, and they're like, oh, you're living the life, it's amazing you're doing so well. Um, first of all, I have to say that I am extremely grateful for where I am, like literally like all praise to god, like I have had some of the most amazing opportunities. I'm able to travel, I'm able to work, I get to go to some of the most amazing cities, work with incredible people, like I've had doors open for me that I never expected. So I am extremely grateful and I realize that it's a privilege Like many people like dream about hey, I'm going to wake up in Cuba tomorrow and then, hey, I'm going to get to go to Paris the next day. So having these opportunities for me is truly amazing and I'm never and I never want to take it for granted saying that there is the hard graft behind it.
Speaker 2:When I first started going to like New York, that definitely would not have been possible without. I have family in New York and I was able to stay with them, so I only had to play for my flight, I would literally stay with my family. They looked after me like literally. So imagine like I'm now going to New York and I'm staying, like for free. That's a massive chunk of money that you would spend on accommodation. So you have the support of family and you also have somewhere to stay. When I first started doing Paris Fashion Week, I had another friend in the industry who was like a stylist and influence or whatever. It was like you can stay in my apartment. You can stay in my apartment, um. So that's the thing when you start out for me, without the help and support of those around you, unless you have a massive bank account, it's very difficult. Then you have the late nights and early mornings. So, yes, we're in these amazing places and you're producing images. You're getting to go to amazing events.
Speaker 2:However, for me, especially during the summer fashion weeks, my days I'm getting up sometimes I'd say like 6.30, 7 o'clock in the morning, depending on what shows I've done the day before I'm getting to sleep, probably about. I always say if I get to bed by 3 am, that's a good night. Oh, wow. So you're averaging literally, um, about what? Three, maybe four hours sleep at night, if you're lucky um. You're editing um. You're out all day shooting, whether it's blazing 35 degrees or you're in the snow. In new york, you're having to travel to various different locations. You're shooting backstage um shooting stuff for brands, shooting street style um trying to remain hydrated, trying to eat between all of it.
Speaker 2:It's, it is a lot of hard work. It's also um, like. So my nephew, who's a model, um, he came with me for the first time to milan fashion week a few seasons back and I said to him I was like it's, I know you're coming to enjoy yourself, but this is hard, like I'm getting up early in the morning and we're going to be going everywhere and I think after a few days, he realized I was just like, just meet me when you can like.
Speaker 2:When he got back after fashion week, his mom asked me what did you do to him? He has slept all week and that's the thing. A lot of people look at the finished result and they look at the and polished images and the beautiful clothes and what they see online and don't realize that people, whether they're in production, photographers, um, stylists, buyers it's work like you're actually there to work. It's not just a holiday, it's not just running around, um, and it takes time to get there. You don't just suddenly come in and like, hey, now I'm traveling to all four cities, I'm getting flown out to here, flown out to here, um, I always feel that, even now, after being in the industry so long, it's a massive privilege for someone to say to me hey, we want to bring you here to do this job for us, because that means that you actually trust me, you respect my work, because there are so many other talented creatives that are in that city or in that country that you could have asked, and you've asked me.
Speaker 2:So overall, I would say it is again a blessing, but there is a lot of hard work, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of learning Dealing with like unless you have a whole team behind you. You have to be an accountant, you have to be a manager. You have to do your admin, you have to be your own personal assistant, you have to be your editor. These are all the things that you have to do and have to manage, so there's more to it than just showing up in a city and taking pictures.
Speaker 1:There's so much more, yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely more to it than just showing up in a city and taking pictures. There's so much more, yeah, yeah, absolutely correct, absolutely right, um, and thank you for sharing that as well, because it reminded me of um. So when I was in styling, I used to assist um zoe costello. Yeah, um, and this was, I think, during covid or just before covid and after yeah and um.
Speaker 1:I remember getting into styling and you'd think that the level that she's at it makes sense, the amount of work that you have to do just to style three artists or just one artist with one outfit. I'm having to go to Hackney to pick up this free bags. I'm having to go to the city to pick up this two, two boxes. Like it was crazy to the point that I can't carry any of this on the public transport. I have to put in a cab, yeah, and then now it's obviously having to sort out the cab and making sure that, yeah, like everything is sorted, make sure you're picking up the right items, the right sizes, and then you take all of this to to the, to the set yeah and you've maybe used like two items basically from all of that, and then you have to return everything back as well, and that's just my part I'm not thinking about her part is maybe even way more than that exactly, and the grafting that comes with that.
Speaker 1:That just made me really respect a lot of stylists like herself, and also creative as well, because the amount of work that you have to put in behind the scenes is what produces the great work that we see, that we see on your page, that we see with what she does, with her artists as well, and I think a lot of that really taught me what to do with within sports as well. So, bringing that grafting like I was saying that myself and amanda, we we used to carry the tripods and cameras here, like when we were when we started the podcast um, and we'll be traveling from like maybe like almost two hour journeys. Yeah, I'll have two tripods on my shoulder, he'll have lights. Yeah, on his shoulder we'll have a camera bag, like all that kind of stuff and then yeah, and we, we made sure that we had to do that.
Speaker 1:Um, even when I had a conversation with maximilian cooper from gombo 3000 and I keep saying this story to everyone I remember in in the first three years he told me that a lot of people used to think that he was a millionaire. Yeah, but he took he would say that he had to walk from, I think, west london all the way to Islington to pick up maybe something like like merchandise or something like that they were using for gumball. You know, people would never know that he was having to go through that. He was owing people.
Speaker 1:He was, yeah, like people don't yeah people don't see that grafting, but I think this type of conversations allow people to understand those who want to listen. Yeah, to understand that there is a lot of work that you have to put in. You can't put in minimal or or any small work. You have to really go above and beyond.
Speaker 2:Basically, yeah, I think it's also like you said, from you. Being in it, you found it was a newfound respect. Um, a lot of people look at photographers. I've heard people say to me oh, all you do is push a button.
Speaker 1:Like it's literally, it's so easy, you just have to push a button.
Speaker 2:Same with stylists. It's like, oh, you're just putting clothes on someone. Like there's research, there's the pickups, there's drop offs, there's steaming, there's pinning, like there's thinking of how the outfits go together. It's literally so much work that goes into being a stylist, um hair stylist, makeup artist, photographer, that people don't see. And I think the problem is when others either look at your craft and think, oh, it's easy, anyone could do that. They don't understand that what you're putting into it.
Speaker 2:And then, like you said, like a lot of times, people like, oh, you're so rich and they're not realizing that you're waiting like six months sometimes to get paid. Like you've got outstanding invoices, you're literally just running on fumes to make sure that you can make it to the next thing. But you're presenting this thing of, yes, I'm successful and everything's going well, it's all. I think it's all part of it. It is um character building, um. I do believe that if everything came easy, um, you wouldn't appreciate it. I'm not saying that things need to be intentionally difficult, but the same with you you doing that has then allowed you to be like oh, hey, you know what I believe in this podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna carry my lights, I'm gonna do this, whereas other people be like this is too hard, like I don't want to have to do this. Why do I have to carry lights? Why do I have to carry a tripod? Get someone else to do it, and then they give up at the first hurdle. But the fact that you've got this built from your um, your character, from sports, from working with other people, from pushing that's now allowed you to be like hey, um, we need to get done. If we need to walk with all of this on our back or pull it or like to make sure it's done so we can present something, we're going to do it. So I think that, yeah, it's really important seeing that side and also working through it and then sharing that with others so that they don't take it for granted.
Speaker 1:Indeed indeed, I remember you mentioned community earlier and you just mentioned having been able to have people around that you can work with. It'd be great to kind of dive in a bit deeper into that in terms of like community because, for example, I myself and most people that might be watching even someone like the guys in here they may not know that there are communities out there, especially within your field yeah, as well, and people that share ideas, share knowledge, yeah, can work and collab together as well. So we're going to kind of know how important that community is to you and just give us like an aspect of how even works within that space. I can tell you how it works and we're in sports, but obviously, from your side it'll be great to know because there might be things that I can even take from how your community works and implement it into mine as well.
Speaker 2:So um, I mean in life as well as in this. I um, I'm again. I'm still learning.
Speaker 1:I as you all know, yeah exactly.
Speaker 2:You know you come from this mindset and a lot of times we're taught um, yeah, I can do everything on my own, like it's all about me.
Speaker 2:Trust no one, I'm just gonna do this and I'm gonna be able to get ahead, and you quickly realize that that's not the case, um with me. I think nearly every job that I've like, the vast majority has been from someone advocating for me, someone suggesting, or people reaching out and finding me through someone else. A lot of the things that I've learned have been from people. Sharing knowledge from people it's like community, in whatever space you're in, is extremely important. It's also important to find the right community people that you um look up to, people who are doing better than you, people who, um are either where you want to be or are on a path that you want to be. Like having that support and having someone you can bounce ideas off of, if you're like hey you know what?
Speaker 2:let's go, and let's go and grab dinner or let's go and grab a drink or something and just building like I I'm. I always say that one of the most important parts of this is relationships like you don't always you don't just go up to someone and say, hey, I want you to tell me this or give me this or give me that.
Speaker 2:Build relationships without expecting anything in return. That's true I had. I mean, there's so many stories I have about this. There was somebody that I met, I think on the subway in New York years ago and just built like they're an editor. We became friends, literally formed a relationship, like literally fine, when I was around we would hang out, sometimes we would just keep in contact, didn't think anything of it. I think probably about five or six years down the line I get an email, um, asking me if I'm available to do this job. Didn't recognize the person's name but then I saw cc on the email was this editor who I'd met and who has friends with and they had just literally reached out to someone, said, hey, I know a good photographer. Um, you should reach out to him for this job.
Speaker 2:Like things happen and people think of you. It's not just your skill, but it's how you relate to people, yeah, how you are in certain environments. So for me, I can't stress enough how good it is to have good community around you. I mean, and then also so you can reciprocate, Like there's times when I have a job and I need someone to assist me or I need someone to do something and I'm like, oh, I know someone. There's somebody that I know that's in my circle. They're good at what they do. I like working with them. You know what. Bring them on board like you can bring other people onto jobs, um, and you can share information yeah, um again.
Speaker 2:I mean there's a another great photographer, videographer, um, director, um, and he I mean he works for the new york times now, um, and he was the person that literally got me my first one. I started working for Teen Vogue originally. He was the one that suggested to them you should work with him.
Speaker 2:I mean also anytime I have questions, or just like creative, like he has a wealth of knowledge, he's able to share knowledge, like we can discuss things. Oh hey, you should watch this person. It's a really good podcast way. Oh, you're thinking about this, let me advise you, and then you can share that with someone else. So for me, I would say to anyone that's either coming up or planning like community, having the right people around you, just reaching out to people that you admire or people you look at, and just making connections and then just working with that, is super important yeah, I think, I definitely think that's that's.
Speaker 1:That's really good to know as well. Um, because a lot of people think that community is just for themselves. No, but not understanding that is for everyone else as well, exactly so, like even when I, when I speak to a lot of the guys within the basketball space, um, I always say to them that basketball nation is not um for me yeah it's for you guys to.
Speaker 1:There's a platform for you guys just to create how you want to create, um. So if it's the case that you want to do a podcast using basketball nation as a platform, feel free. If you want to do a tournament, feel case that you want to do a podcast using basketball nation as a platform, feel free. If you want to do a tournament, feel free. If you want to create a clothing brand, feel free. It's just a platform. We're just there to create that structure to support you.
Speaker 1:Yeah you just get to facilitate, yeah, to help, so like that's a beautiful thing exactly so, like even now, we have this young guy, um, from america, kj, and he's just, he's got his platform. But he's just come to us and basically said listen, like we'd love to work with you, we would like to work with you guys because of what you guys are doing, um, and I'm like, yeah, this is your platform, like what do you want to do? And then from there it's almost like it's it's kind of like taking us to another level now. Yeah, um, where things I was thinking about before by myself or with a smaller team, he's now been able to like maybe enhance that and say, okay, cool, this is how this is, we should do this.
Speaker 1:So now playing we didn't want to play in the summer league this year, but we ended up playing in the summer league because of him. Um, we put our team in the national league now, something that I've been thinking about two years ago. But because he's just like pushed and pushed and said you know what? Let's just register, see what happens. I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking how are we going to pay for our home court? How are we going to do all that stuff?
Speaker 1:but he's like let's just do the first part exactly take the first step, exactly so so having people around like that and having that community does help as well. Yeah, so it's not like I'm asking for anything back from them, but the fact that he's been able to put his time and put his effort into this is created something that's completely new and different for us, basically, which is powerful. So, yeah, that was that was really good to share, thank you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's all right. That's the thing it's like, just not about taking it's about giving as well. That's what community is about. It's like a symbiotic relationship, like you give and you get, and that's how you grow, like you're sharing. If you go into it with the mindset of oh, I'm just gonna go in here like I want from everyone it doesn't work like that, that's not like community.
Speaker 2:That's not the true value. And then soon after a while, people will start to be like wait, hold a minute. This, this is not um working this is not what it's about and you don't want to be that person yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:That's true, um. Leading on to my next question um, obviously we've spoken about community. Um I I did say I didn't do any research, but I read somewhere and I can't remember where that you're planning to go into filmmaking. Is that true, um?
Speaker 2:I think that was probably in an interview okay, I had um done before um for me, I so I love photography. Yeah, first love like all types of photography. Um, yes, I choose fashion photography and portrait photography as my main medium, but I love all types of photography, and what I had said is I don't like to limit myself in a creative space. I have a friend called Simon Frederick an amazing director photographer everything.
Speaker 2:And one of the quotes he had said is he's a creative and at the moment photography is his medium. It depends if he now uses film as his medium. That's him, he's just and it makes sense because as a creative, you're kind of fluid like you. I don't feel like you should limit yourself to one space if you're a photographer and you're great at sketching, like what's stopping you from now?
Speaker 2:yes, creating some work. That's true if you're a filmmaker and you also are great with clay, like you could be a sculptor, like and that's the thing, that's why I said filmmaking, because it's something that I enjoy um, I do like telling stories with photography, but then there's also another element that um and I have um had the opportunity, um, thankfully um, to be able to do some film work as well and work with other people, which I'm super grateful for because it also gives me a chance to kind of flex my creative muscles and try something new and like.
Speaker 2:Basically, I like just being thrown at the deep end and being like you know what sink or swim. I need to figure this out. So having that um opportunity to try it's like definitely something that I would like to do and something that I'm thinking about moving into sounds good, sounds good I like the fact that you said that you don't want to limit yourself and you want to go into other things.
Speaker 1:Um, similar to myself and the guys in here as well, we're always very much kind of push looking to push the boundaries. I know, for example, emmanuel started off doing photography. Now he's doing videography as well. Um, I know, amandla, obviously from funny enough, this guy that you're sitting here, he knows how to do everything.
Speaker 2:He knows that he knows how to do photography videography.
Speaker 1:He knows how to edit videos, photography. He knows how to edit videos, um. He knows how to build websites and start to build apps. He knows how to that's valuable. He's commonly built he's currently, um, even working on building a bank now with another company like he's. He knows how to do everything, so, yeah, so it's it's nice to be connected with him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, you need to keep a hold of him, honestly.
Speaker 1:But then you still have someone like Adam as well, who's worked in the TV space as a creative, but also in tech and cybersecurity and all that kind of stuff. And then you have Daniel, who's like one of the personally for me, he's a very good writer when it comes to like writing scripts, filmmaking, but then at the same time, on the camera, he's a very good writer.
Speaker 1:yeah when it comes to like um writing scripts, filmmaking, but then at same time on the camera, he's like one of the best. A lot of people are not going to know him yet, but people are definitely going to know who he is eventually, um I mean, you have a great team.
Speaker 2:That's honestly yeah, so much skills here that you can like feed off of 100 again. You have your community, you can share, like literally, you have this and they can learn and you can learn, and that is like the quickest way to build each other up and then there's no limits, because you're like oh hey, let's try this.
Speaker 2:Oh hey, let's do that. And for me again, like you said, you got help with the photography and now that's another skill that you added and that you're learning and you're growing. It's. It shows again that there's no limits, it's just the people around you and whereas, like you said, even with the basketball, you weren't thinking of this. You're like oh, the money. Whatever this guy comes along like, let's do this. And then, all of a sudden, it takes it, yeah, to a place that you didn't expect.
Speaker 1:It's, yeah, it's, it's beautiful, because then we realize that money money gets attracted to what you create as well it gets attracted to a problem. So if you, if you're building something and you're being creative and you have something there, it almost kind of like attracts it, like okay, cool, this needs to be sorted. So for some way, somehow the finances will always be there and that's something if you're not doing anything, why do you if?
Speaker 2:you're just sitting back and it's like, literally, it's not going to happen?
Speaker 1:no, not at all, not at all. But yeah, that was, that was a good point as well. Um, I wanted to go into more, a bit more about your experiences now. Um, obviously you've traveled to so many cities, so many events. What would you say your favorite cities have been to shoot at?
Speaker 2:I know you wow um that's, that's um, that's hard I have I have.
Speaker 1:I don't have one favorite. Not one favorite favorites, Um okay.
Speaker 2:So I think one of my, one of the best experiences that I had was um going to Cuba and working out there. Um I was working with a travel company, um, and they I got to go to Cuba for two weeks and traveled around to various places. Two weeks and traveled around to various places. They wanted images of cuba, of life, of hotels, of um like more documentary style photography and for me, it was one of the most incredible experiences.
Speaker 2:Um as much as I like going to um paris and new york and whatever. I like going somewhere where the culture and the experience is completely different to what I've been used to. Um somewhere where I can learn more. I think that's one of the best ways of learning. Traveling Um in that as well. Um Saudi Arabia was one of my most favorite trips as well, again like a completely different culture. Um um um. Uzbekistan was again incredible. Just um the architecture, the food, the hospitality of the people.
Speaker 2:Um georgia and the country is another one of my favorites, um, I think, for me, I love photography. What I love the most about this job and the opportunities I have is meeting people all around the world, going to different places, um, like even in fashion week, like, literally, you could be sitting down at dinner from with someone from thailand, from japan, from um the us, from canada. You have all of these people in one space and it's all of these cultures and experiences coming together and talking, sharing food, sharing experiences. It's, for me, that's the, that's the beauty of it, um being able to go to various spaces but then also having these connections with different people, different backgrounds, and just learning so amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that the connectivity between like people from different backgrounds is so amazing and I think it comes. I don't think all industries have that, but a lot of exactly, industries creative sports, uh, media, like everything to do with something to do with like just being a creator. Yeah, um tends to allow you to meet those sort of people as well. Same with myself the amount of people I've met internationally just not even just from doing media, um in sports, but also this podcast as well. Um, it's allowed to allow me to speak to some interesting people from all over the world, so it's a great tool yeah, it opens so many doors 100, 100.
Speaker 1:So who are the most interesting people that you've been able to shoot? Because there's quite a few on your page, but I don't know if there's any others that we may not know about. That you may not, maybe keep it to yourself, because I know sometimes artists like to keep some of their work to themselves.
Speaker 2:Do you know what it is for me as well, I try to like yes, there are some people who I have on a list and I'm like, oh, I would love to do a portrait of this person. Like, you have a list of people that you're like, these are the people that would be my goals to shoot, have a nice portrait session with, or this kind of brand I would love to do a campaign for, or whatever. I have an issue where I don't stay in the moment. So even when I shoot someone who I'm totally amazed by and I'm happy, I'll be like okay, what's next? What's next? So, yes, there are people that I have like amazing um talents, that I've been able to work with.
Speaker 2:Um, but instead of just sitting back and thinking, oh, they were great, and then constantly reliving that moment, my thing is okay, what do I want to do next? Who is it I want to work for? How can I be better? Who can I work with? So, yeah, I think, um, it might be me downplaying it a bit, but I have. I have been able to photograph and work with some like amazing people are you gonna tell us some names?
Speaker 1:that's what we're waiting for.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, um oh man, um, okay, so most recently, um, someone who I've um like from a fashion perspective, from talent, from hard work, from acting and writing everything, tracey Ellis Ross I worked with her to capture her for the Met Gala. Amazing, yeah, I mean again, and this is the other thing that I feel so privileged not only do I get these opportunities, but the people that I work with are some of the nicest people. Um, the experience is great. Um, I know people always say to me oh, tell us, who's like the worst person to work. What's your terrible experiences? And I'm like I don't really have any. I don't have a terrible situation. I don't know why people always want to know the terrible things like for me.
Speaker 1:I'd rather focus on the good.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, having um that experience and that opportunity, it was, um something that I've looked forward to and it was amazing, and being able to being the same rooms and work with talent, like that is great. And then you're like, okay, how can I improve? Like, um, I'd love to shoot her again. Like what would we do next? What would happen? It's that's how I normally look at it, um, whereas, like people will be like, oh, my goodness, you got to shoot this person I'm like yeah, like I'm grateful, my thing is okay.
Speaker 2:How can I do better? How can I always improve and um build on this?
Speaker 1:so you know. No, you're right. You're right. There's a legendary NBA player that we may be getting onto the podcast and I said to some of the guys I was like, okay, that's quite big.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But after doing that, what's next?
Speaker 2:Yeah, see, exactly, because it's like, okay, cool, you can't just stick with that. Exactly, you've done it.
Speaker 1:Exactly that. Exactly that's the thing. It's like what's gonna top this now, kind of thing. So it's like, yeah, that's the same way. I think as well. Nice, are you allowed to say who the?
Speaker 2:player is or are you gonna wait?
Speaker 1:I'll tell you outside it was mentioned in one of the podcasts, but I'll tell you outside of it okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, um yeah, so, um, so, yeah.
Speaker 1:So now you've mentioned obviously one person that you've shot, and I know you don't want to tell us more um, so, yeah. So now you've mentioned obviously one person that you've shot, and I know you don't want to tell us more, um, so maybe you can tell us who you would like to or who you're looking forward to shooting next for me again, not that I'm trying to yeah, yeah, keep, but I like to say things after they've happened okay, I'm very much I'm.
Speaker 2:I believe in um, yes, you should have goals and yes, you should, but a lot of people and that's fine, a lot of people talk about things before it happens and it may not materialize or it's like only becomes just a talking point and you don't actually do it. For me, I prefer to be like I'm going to keep this very close to my chest, yes, until it happens, and then we'll see it.
Speaker 2:And then I will put it out there, I mean, I get in trouble so many times with my sister, with family. They're like why did you not tell us you were doing this and everything? But I just I prefer to let it happen, have the results, um, rather than going yeah, yeah, it's the best way to be Like you, literally, you make sure you do the work. You have the results, rather than going around Like.
Speaker 2:I mean, we all know people like that who go around and keep telling him I'm going to do this, I'm doing that, I'm going to do that. My thing is do the work, like let the work show, and then, when it happens, then you can celebrate yourself, others who support you, and then you can move on to the next thing. Yeah, that's kind of how I look at it, so I'm not trying to hold it back.
Speaker 1:That's okay. That's okay, that's okay. I have a few more questions to ask. Obviously, they're not, I wouldn't say, final questions, because we're obviously going to have conversations after this. Of course, my next one would be what? I know you don't like talking about the future, but what's next for mode hunter, because mode hunter is your platform, yes, yeah. So what's next for mode hunter? Because you already told us what's what next for you, but what's next for mode hunter?
Speaker 2:um so the thing, when I started, or when I like started doing photography or whatever um mode hunter was supposed to be or how I saw it, it was a platform for I used to. I remember when I first started I would during fashion weeks, when I wasn't before I started to go around the world. I would literally as soon as fashion shows were finished I would go on.
Speaker 2:I remember like stylecom or or whatever, and look at all the pieces and then like write reviews about the shows yeah, I would literally write reviews about the shows, um, when the different campaigns came out, so, like the spring, summer or whatever, I would look at the pictures and talk about it. So mode hunter was not only supposed to be a platform to showcase my work. I looked at it as something where I could have writers or other photographers contributing um, making it more of a space for creatives. Um, it's something that I'm still working on and something I would like to see happen for me.
Speaker 2:Um, my main thing is, if I have people working with me or for me, um, I want to respect creatives. I I want to make sure that people are compensated for their work. If you're doing something like, so, having that platform would be great, but also I'm like we need to have the funding to make sure that people are being compensated correctly, um, so, yeah, mode hunter as a platform. I see it, um, as being more of a? Um creative space and not just my work, of course.
Speaker 2:So I mean, even at the moment, a lot of people, um, either don't know my real name, um but still now or they, um, don't realize that it's me which I don't mind, um, but a lot of people will say oh, this is mode and I'm like my name's not yeah um, or they'll, or I'll get emails that'll be like oh hey, we're looking for daryl. Like whenever I'm like, yeah, it's me, I'm here, but it's yeah, it's something that I want to create like much, like you have here. You have a team, you have people working together. You're part of it. That's something that I would definitely like to push amazing yeah, thank you for that.
Speaker 1:Um, last two questions um, obviously my number one sports, basketball. That's how we met. Yes, yes, so my question would be actually no, before I asked that who would you like to see or invite onto this podcast From a sports perspective? From, because, for me, I don't see athletes as just sports. Yes, I see athletes as pretty much what you do is. You're an athlete because of the kind of work you have to put in. Yeah, as well, it's an athlete's mindset. Yeah, so it's all about the mindset and the actual physicality of sports, which is why it's called Beyond the Athlete. Yeah, so, yeah so.
Speaker 2:I mean, can I just reach as far, as, as far as I want?
Speaker 1:As far as you want someone that you may know someone that you may know, someone that you may not know it's up to you.
Speaker 2:Oh, I mean from a, from a sports perspective. Um, I mean, like Alan Iverson, yeah, kevin Garnett, like for me, yeah for me. Um, again, it's not just because they were great athletes or are great athletes, it's also um their mindset and also what they went through and um, yeah. I just feel like they have a lot to offer and I'm interested in their perspective.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, yeah, Thank you for that, thank you for that, and then, last but not least, um, you have to start bench trade. The reason why I asked this question to all my guests is because I'm going to create like a video where I have just all the answers in one gonna get me in trouble.
Speaker 2:Start bench trade. So start bench trade oh, mj kobe lebron oh my goodness it's easy it's well, I mean it is, but oh so, but they can come off the bench right yeah, start bench and you have trade one, okay, so start mj bench kobe trade lebron okay, any reason um. So for me, I grew up um like watching michael jordan, so I actually saw him um not in person, but I grew up watching him play like michael jordan, clyde drexler, um charles barkley, um, like all those.
Speaker 2:And so, seeing what he did and how he changed the game, where he played his game, his mentality, for me he was always the epitome of success, like basketball, like, literally, he was always the number one player. Like there were other players like I. Still to this day, my favorite point guard is Jason Kidd, nice, I still. Like love ray allen, like um grant hill, penny hardaway, like these are the people that I so seeing them and seeing that era, I mean, prime shack was ridiculous yeah, like literally um yeah, I'm not, I'm getting sidetracked, anyway, just seeing these players um and like seeing what jordan did at that time.
Speaker 2:It was seeing it in real time and now even watching it again, like for me, he would be on my team um number one, um, kobe. The reason why I say bench is because I'd still like to have him on my team.
Speaker 2:Having him and jordan in the starting lineup probably wouldn't make sense, but he is the only, and I know there were so many people afterwards like, oh, harold Miner, he's gonna be the next Jordan. Oh, this person's the next Jordan. Grant Hill's in it. There was always a next Jordan for me, the only person that emulated and then elevated what Jordan was able to do, and again with the same mindset, um, kobe, like he was, like, watching him was incredible, um, so that's why I would bench. And then you left me no option.
Speaker 1:There was only other like I could only start bench or trade so I know, unfortunately, you can get some good pieces for yeah, oh, I would get. Yeah, can you imagine the people I could use to build my roster for LeBron?
Speaker 2:So yeah, unfortunately I had to trade LeBron.
Speaker 1:Yeah, understood, understood, great answer, thank you. Thank you, but yeah, it's been a pleasure obviously having the conversation. And yeah, I've really enjoyed it. I've really enjoyed the conversation. Conversation this is pretty much something that would speak about off camera. Yeah exactly, I thought it would be great to bring in front of the camera and just kind of connect and talk and have and have a vibe and have a. Yeah, it's been fun. It's been definitely fun. I think I got to know you a bit better now as well, that's good but, yeah, thank you very much and thank you everyone for watching.
Speaker 1:Hope you guys took a lot of knowledge from this, a lot of information from this, and hope you've enjoyed the conversation as well. Obviously, you know what I'm going to say. Make sure you're subscribing, make sure you're also commenting. Let us know what you think about this podcast, whether you're listening or watching on all platforms. And, yeah, we want to connect with you guys. So even on instagram, you'll see, you'll see um at the bottom of the screen, um, of how you can connect with us and connect with myself, coach david um. And yeah, it's been a pleasure, obviously, bringing another episode to you guys, and I hope to see you all soon, coach david out. Peace, thank you.
