This is a weekly series where we feature our incredibly talented Adolescent members and their work! Sign up here to join the Adolescent Membership and be part of the @ family!

This week’s Adolescent Member Crush is Schaël Marcéus, a Canadian photographer and filmmaker! While working toward his BFA in Film Production, Schael has signed to Adolescent, had his work shown in several impressive exhibits, and been featured by VSCO, Dossier Magazine, and Flanelle Magazine. Keep reading to learn more about the creative community in Montreal, a photographer’s responsibility to push for inclusion, and sacrificing style when shooting commercial work.

Adolescent Content: How has being signed to Adolescent changed the style or trajectory of your work? 

Schaël Marcéus: [It’s] helped me be able to find stories everywhere. I arrived at the agency right after graduating, which was a crossroads moment for me. Through the different projects, I’ve been able to see the bigger picture when it comes to my practice. Plus, the feedback and support is priceless.

Adolescent: What’s the creative community in Montreal like?

Schaël: Montreal is on the smaller side compared to other cities like Toronto and New York. There’s still a lot of things going on in Montreal, though. I think it’s important to find those who you vibe with and whose work you enjoy, and build from there. We’re witnessing more and more creatives building and creating their own spaces outside of the mainstream to showcase their work, which actually makes the city super vibrant!

Adolescent: What do you think are your responsibilities as a photographer and filmmaker, respectively?

Schaël: I think my responsibilities as a photographer and as a filmmaker—especially as a black photographer and a black filmmaker—are to do everything in my power to push inclusion. My aim is to bring to my lens the bodies I would have liked to seen as I grew up.

Adolescent: Do you ever feel like you’re sacrificing elements of your style when you’re shooting commercial work?

Schaël: At first, yes. In my personal work, I’m always looking for beauty in imperfections. I always knew that wasn’t [going to work for commercial projects]. [Knowing myself like that has become] a great tool when it comes to pitching, as I’m now able to translate my vision in a clearer way. When people can see your ideas through words, it’s much easier for them to trust you with their projects.

Adolescent: When did you start shooting?

Schaël: I got my very first camera at 17, but I had been shooting for fun before with anything I could find. I would say that I really started to get serious about photography around 18. My cousin Lensley, who models, planned and shot a little editorial with me. It’s still some of my favorite work to date.