Central to the pair’s success, it seems, is their ability to build connections that run “deeper than the job”. Hibbert sought out AB+DM to shoot Smith after hitting it off with the pair when they shot Olivia Rodrigo for the May issue. “We try to think beyond just what’s happening on set,” reflects Barber, “like, okay, we got the job done — but how are we following up? How are we communicating? What are the relationships that we’re developing?” On the slim chance that a publication’s creative team wouldn’t fall in love with them, “we want the talent to say it’s either AB+DM, or the highway,” laughs Maurice.
After listening to them finish one another’s sentences for an hour, it is surprising to learn that Barber and Maurice only connected for the first time via Instagram in 2018. After admiring one another’s work from afar, they assisted each other on a handful of shoots, before launching AB+DM Studio in May 2020. In fact, the pair are full of surprises. Barber has a degree in biology and maths, and nearly opted for medical school; “I’m a super nerd,” he says. Maurice had originally planned to be an actor: “Yeah, that didn’t work out at all,” he laughs.
They’re both self-taught in photography, but ultimately, they “became mentors to each other”. Where Maurice specialised in portraiture and intimate shoots, Barber delighted in capturing movement, fashion and wide angles. Where Barber considers himself the “mental, cerebral” part of AB+DM – nailing their logistics, processes and gear – he describes Maurice as the “the feeling, the soul”: constantly joking and dancing around with the talent.
“Once we met, we realised we were so in sync in a way that felt honestly uncanny,” says Barber. “Since that moment, we’ve never looked back.”
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