Marcus D. Porter is a wedding and lifestyle branding photographer in Memphis, TN. He has over 13 years of shooting experience as a photographer and filmmaker. He specializes in documenting timeless stories for couples from romantic engagements to artistic weddings. while creating a style consisting of colorful and energetic imagery. He also helps brands & business owners create content through imagery and video that sell and elevate brand awareness.
Born in Fort Hood, Texas-raised in Alabama, Marcus met his beautiful wife, Courtney at Oakwood University! A graduate from Oakwood with a BA in General Studies with a concentration in Elementary Education, he uses photography to not only meet new people but it allows him to express himself while building relationships in his community.
Marcus is still an educator at heart who loves seeing others win in life. He spends his time using his gift of teaching to help new photographers and videographers through his mentoring programs. He’s found that some newbies don’t know where to start or how to work a camera. Others may struggle with taking the business more seriously and securing the bag. Recognizing this need, Marcus has created Marcus D. Porter Education which is his interactive online academy, one-on-one mentoring, workshops, and themed photo walks to help cater to different learning styles.
When there’s not a camera in Marcus’s hands, he enjoys traveling exploring the world camping in his truck. Being able to see the world and God’s creation is a sight to see and helps him strengthen his mental health. And in some way form or fashion, a camera still finds its way in Marcus’s hand to document beautiful landscapes and architecture. One of the best perks of being a photographer is the ability to travel and get paid for what you love to do. It’s definitely the best of both worlds. Marcus loves shooting destination weddings all over the world with his wife who is also a photographer.
Marcus enjoys playing tennis, bowling strikes, and going to the gun range. He’s a competitor at heart who doesn’t like to lose. He has his own bowling balls, tennis racquets, and firearms. Some would think that he’s an athlete making a lot of money but he just loves the game. He loves to learn. You can always find Marcus hanging in his techie apartment watching TV Shows, playing video games, and eating on hot wings, fried okra, and island foods. We can’t forget that he’s a new dog owner to a little Irish Doodle.
In this profession, Marcus has worked with Gina Neely Celebrity Chef, Carlos “Pote” Vidal Pro Boxer, Cynthia Daniels & Co., Memphis Councilwomen Rhonda Logan, Felicia Jarrell of Goldmine & Coco, Hilton Hotels, FedEx, Christian Brothers University, The Reset Conference, Selfie Utopia Memphis, and Common Table Health Alliance just to name a few. Marcus’ wedding publications include Black Bride Magazine, Black Nuptials, The Coordinated Bride, Munaluchi Bridal & Aisle Memories.
Marcus’s goal is to do more traveling shooting for destinations, cultures, venues, resorts, and excursions. He is a big Dallas Cowboys fan and would love to shoot photography for a NFL team in his lifetime. Shooting for concerts, real estate, and music videos is also on his bucket list of things to do.
Marcus strives to build a powerful culture of service! Photography is an opportunity to make others around him feel better about themselves and do better!
There’s nothing like seeing a vision in your mind that you want to happen so bad, and finally seeing that vision come to life. There’s nothing like going through one of the most depressing times of your life and coming out on the other side still breathing.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Marcus D. Porter. I’m a Lifestyle and Wedding Photographer based out of Memphis, TN. I help brands & business owners create content through imagery and video that sell and elevate brand awareness. I also document timeless stories for couples from romantic engagements to artistic weddings.
Born in Texas raised in Alabama, I’m a southern boy at heart who loves soul food, hot wings, fried okra, and Caribbean Foods. I played tennis in High School which is my favorite sport to this day. I love bowling, shooting at the gun range, and playing video games. One of my favorite things to do is to travel with my wife because I love exploring all the beautiful landscapes and cultures the world has to offer. It truly gives me peace. I’m a hard worker who likes to be punctual. I’m a very high-energy and goal-driven person who loves to smile and laugh! You can always find me cracking a joke or two.
There were some moments in my life when things weren’t all that great. My story is interesting when it comes to how I started in photography. Byron Phillips was my martial arts instructor for almost 7 years and in that time I would observe him shooting photography for Oakwood University and other engagements in the Huntsville area. At times, I would shoot with him taking great shots and he would always question my reasoning behind my shooting. I couldn’t always explain but he was able to explain the terminology. This is how I learned the art and connected the dots to what I was doing. My first camera was a Nikon F4 film camera. It was so interesting watching him pose clients and look for the light. He was a true master of his craft and I was his student. Shooting film was challenging because I wasn’t able to see the photos until the film was completed so I had to understand light!
I remember the love I had for shooting but some of my peers told me that I wouldn’t make money doing photography as a career and that I needed to finish my Elementary Education degree. So I did just that and sold all my gear. I was depressed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I remember sitting in my driveway at school cutting my arms with a knife ready to commit suicide because bills were piling up and I just didn’t know what my purpose was. I didn’t know what I wanted out of life. Luckily, I had a best friend that saved me that night. That night, where I thought it all was going to end is really where it all started.
In 2014, my wife and I moved to Memphis, TN because she landed a Social Work job. I remember wanting to be a barber, auto mechanic, police officer, and chef. I was all over the place. I remember linking up with Overton Park SDA Church where I met who I call my Uncle Gifford. He was my business coach and the guy who helped me get a job at FedEx through Kelly services. I remember that year I would use my iPhone to take videos of church projects. Pastor Kymone Hinds would play them in church and share them on Youtube. A guy from Baltimore, Chip Dizard saw these videos and asked his good friend Kymone who was shooting videos at his church. The pastor was like, ” It’s this guy, Marcus who just moved here. “He uses his iPhone to shoot videos for our church. I know it’s nothing serious but he does great work and it’s a big deal to us!” Chip told my pastor, that I had an eye and if he helped me get a couple of gigs so I could get some equipment, he’d mentor me. Also, it would help my pastor because it will be good videos and marketing for the church.
I got the equipment I needed which was a Canon T3i with a 50mm 1.8 lens. Chip has mentored me ever since I moved to Memphis. I remember quitting my job with no plan to pursue what I loved and the household got a little rocky. After talks with my wife, I went back to work at a temp agency to get back in with FedEx. I eventually got hired full-time with the company and I was proud. I actually loved FedEx because I used to fix printers, servers, computers, and hand scanners. When I got back to working a 9-5 job that’s when I knew I wanted to pursue photography full time, but I just didn’t know-how. I started to fall back into depression. I gained over 40 pounds in 6 months all while working overtime at my full-time job and still shooting videos and photography part-time.
I remember talking to Chip and him encouraging me, he’s spent years pouring into me. I have never seen such dedication from someone wanting to see somebody else win in life. Chip flew me to Baltimore in August of 2017. I remember getting off the plane and the Lyft talking me right to a gig, pulling out my cameras shooting. If some of you don’t know Chip and I are a lot alike. We both are motivators a.k.a Hype Men. We will hype you up…and secondly, it doesn’t take much to get us hyped. I also meet my other mentor and sister, Trene Forbes. I was able to shoot weddings with them all weekend. I gain so many tips and so much feedback. I remember when they both dropped me off at the airport, I was inspired and hyped! I really felt like this was meant for me and I could do this full-time! I just needed a plan! At the airport, they both had a surprise for me. They went to the trunk and told me that I had so much potential. They told me that I’m going to do great things, and pulled out a 24-105mm lens and gifted it to me. It was like they invested in me. They believed in me with no strings attached! It was love, and I remember my eyes watering up on the airplane headed back to Memphis. How could someone see so much potential in me than I see in myself to show so much love? To give so much knowledge, and to not hold anything back. The one thing I remember on that airplane ride home is Chip and Trene telling me, “Never Give Up! Don’t Quit!”
I went home and I snapped. There was a hunger that was ignited within my soul. For the next month, I wrote out a plan on how I was going to reach my goals without a 9-5 job. You see Habakkuk 2:2 is the go-to verse when it comes to writing out a vision. “Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.”
You see a lot of people focus on the Write the vision make it plain part, but what really struck me is why I had to make it plain on the tablet’s part. You see, you can easily just say it. I mean you could just speak it out and be done with it. I mean you could just right it down and put it in a safe secure spot. But in this message He wanted him to not only write the vision out and make sure it is plain, but also inscribe it on a tablet so that it may remain permanently on record so that when it comes to pass, people may believe in the prophet’s inspiration. There were certain tablets placed in public places so that all might see and read them that’s why the verse says to make plain. This was to be “made plain,” written large and clear. So I wrote that vision out on my vision board. I saved it in my iPhone notes. I did a Facebook post about it. I Pushed it out in my Instagram Stories and made it public.
At the end of September of 2017, I put my two-week notice in and I was gone. I walked out and remember taking that breath of fresh air because I knew in my heart I wasn’t coming back. I struggled for 3 months trying to fight…trying to grind…trying to push myself through. I’ve completed 4 years full-time and I’m still going strong.
People will tell you that you ain’t good enough. People will inbox you and say you’re crazy! People will call you and tell you that you can’t make any money! That you won’t survive, but if you don’t hear anything I’ve said today hear this. Listen to me! If you missed every tip every life lesson every nugget that I’ve said here today don’t you ever forget this one! Never Give Up! Don’t Quit! Clients are nowhere to be found…Never Give Up! Don’t Quit! You don’t have the money to get your LLC Never Give Up! Don’t Quit! Feels like every Photographer doesn’t wanna share their secrets Never Give Up! Don’t Quit! Bills are piling up! Your spouse doesn’t believe in your vision, your momma doesn’t believe in your vision; Stop worrying about the people in your life that God didn’t even give your vision to. He didn’t give the vision to them, he gave it to you! It’s not for you to explain to them, It’s for you! Embrace it. Walk into your Greatness, be patient, and trust the process. Don’t rush it! You can’t squeeze 10 years of hard work and success into 6 months. Give it time to brew. Sow your seeds and take care of your garden and watch it grow. Through it, all don’t you ever forget who you are and don’t you ever forget these words. Never Give Up! Don’t Quit!
I was that kid who was always bullied and picked last but it never stop me from being the funniest guy in school. At one point in my life, I gave up on myself and almost took my own life because I didn’t know what I was destined to do. Even though life was hard, I was able to find my passion through great mentors and positive men in my life. I’ve been shooting for over 12 years but I left my job and I’ve been full time for 4 years now doing what I love and what people told me was impossible!
Make sure to Check out my Youtube Video on why I decided to open up my own studio.
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