Today we’d like to introduce you to Thaddaeus McAdams.
Thaddaeus, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After serving eight years in the military, I received a medical discharge and found myself back home with some time on my hands and some money to burn. Poker became my hobby of choice but little did I know it would open the doors to a career in the entertainment industry that would soon create a demand for my work from some of the biggest names and brands in the business.
I got into the art after a big win at a poker night in the late ’00s. One of my opponents was upset that he’d lost and wanted to continue playing, but with his money gone, the only thing he could wager was a film camera and a ring. That was all I needed to spark the fire.
Later that same year, I traveled from Atlanta to New York with up and coming artist A Free at the time to take pictures for him while in the city. After being there a few days, I returned to Atlanta and pitched some of the photos to local publications in hopes to land a placement. After several attempts, Grip Magazine gave me my first platform to showcase what I could do. From there, I met Twin, who was Jeezy’s manager at the time, had invited me out to Jeezy’s album release party. The struggle of reloading the film in the dark club that night brought me to the store the next morning to purchase new equipment. After purchasing one of the newest DSLR cameras, I completed a full weekend of celebrity events, which eventually solidified my spot as the “go-to” photographer for Atlanta’s night-life and celebrity coverage.
Eventually, Ozone Magazine owner Julia Beverly caught wind of my word and began hiring me to cover events for Ozone. Seeing how far I could go with my work, I eventually cultivated Exclusive Access. After solidifying Atlanta’s clientele, I decided to expand my reach and tap into the Miami market. After securing a few events in Miami, I took a leap of faith and finally moved to Miami to fully tackle the South Beach entertainment industry,
Over the years, I have shot some of the biggest names in entertainment, from Jay Z and Beyoncé, Rick Ross, P. Diddy, Lil Wayne, Bon Jovi, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris and many more. My work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Billboard, Revolt TV and other top publications. Additionally, I have built great relationships with companies such as Pepsi, Jordan Brand, TIDAL and MTV that they have continued to reach out to me for events and coverage to this day.
I always say that I am trying to create something better that I did yesterday. A lot of photographers are just running around taking pictures, whereas I want to create the image. I want the person in the picture to feel good about how they look and capture the best angles possible to bring the art to life.
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?
I would say the biggest struggle for me would have to be learning everything on my own. Not knowing about ownership, rights and proper pricing really took a toll on my business when I first started. I didn’t go to school for any of this, so of course, all of this was like learning a new language. Though I went through those challenges, they shaped me and my company what it is today. Ultimately, learning from my experiences was the best teacher for me. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Initially, I began covering entertainment based content with talent interviews and celebrity events for the first few years in Atlanta and Miami. After building a credible repertoire in the entertainment industry, I branched off into the local government industry by working with the City of Miami Beach and Miami Gardens. Working closely with Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert has been one of the most pivotal moves for myself. After working with the mayor on a few campaigns, this broadened my scope of work by tackling Hospitality and Tourism Industry related work as well. I’ve had the pleasure in covering official city-wide launches, galas and fundraisers that have helped me appeal to several credible industries that have helped elevate the overall brand of ExclusiveAccess.net.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to continue expanding in my prospective fields by providing premiere agency services in entertainment photography/videography, talent interviews and event coverage. In the near future, I am planning to launch the official ExclusiveAccess.net streaming platform that will give me a shift in content distribution by premiering short films and series for up and coming actors. Writers and directors. By having a keen visual eye, I want to help give other visual creatives a digital gateway to showcase their work. I also plan to tap more into reporting and to correspond to help keep the readers up to date with the latest celebrity news. I hope that these implementations will help me better connect with my audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://exclusiveaccess.net/
- Email: info@exclusiveaccess,net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keepitexclusive/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExclusiveAccess
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/exclusiveaccess/
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