In Conversation with AB+DM

AB+DM don’t just take photos—they build worlds. The award-winning duo of Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice have become known for bold color, rich texture, and portraits that feel as alive as the people in them. From standout magazine covers to striking images of names like Zendaya, Viola Davis, and Simone Biles, their work blends fashion and storytelling in a way that’s instantly recognizable. In this In Conversation, they get into how their creative partnership works, where their ideas start, and what it means to grow while bringing others up with them.

Hey guys! Thanks for chatting with us. For those who may not be familiar, tell us about yourselves—how did AB+DM come together, and what drew you both into photography and visual storytelling in the first place? 

AB+DM came together out of a desire to never be artistically apart. We had our own careers originally, and then started assisting one another, either to help or just as a support system. As time went on, we realized that there weren’t many duos out there and decided to explore the idea. We both started using photography as an outlet of expression, so we captured a lot of self-portraits. When that moment hit for us that photography was the direction we wanted to pursue, fashion and portraiture became our focus.

You’ve built a distinct voice as a duo. How do you divide creative roles between you two, and how has that collaboration evolved over time?

Thank you! When we first started, we divided the roles based on what we believed each other was stronger in (Ahmad was stronger in fashion imagery, and Donté was stronger in portraiture). Now, our roles are a bit more symbiotic. We both switch between the roles of photographer and creative director, depending on the client’s needs. 

You’re part of a long tradition of iconic creative duos across fashion, film, and culture. Think Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, Zendaya and Law Roach, Cher and Bob Mackie, Iman and Peter Beard, and so many more. How does having that kind of creative partnership shape the way you approach your work, and what becomes possible when you have someone who truly understands or complements your vision?

We truly love it. They always say that, “two minds are better than one” and that’s what we live by. Our partnership is built off love, brotherhood, and collaboration. That means that we trust each other and we understand that though we are individuals, we operate and move as one. What we’ve been able to do together, has gone beyond anything we could’ve done apart from each other.

When you’re developing a shoot, where does the initial inspiration usually come from? Are you pulling from references and visual research, or does it tend to come from the subject, the story, or the specific brief?

We love this question. It comes from all of the above. If we’re starting with a blank canvas we’ll begin with pulling references and doing visual research. We love the idea of throwing all the ideas into one place and then narrowing them in. If there’s a job where there’s a specific brief, our idea is to build and expand the world given to us.

You guys aren’t strangers to a good reference moment. When you’re drawing inspiration from visual history or existing media, how do you ensure it feels like an homage rather than a recreation while still pushing things forward creatively?

What helps us push things forward creatively is treating the reference as a starting point, not an end point. The question we’re always asking ourselves is, how can we push this moment even further? 

Does working with widely recognized subjects influence how you think about execution on set? How do you navigate the space between a defined creative vision and what the subject brings into the frame?

Yes! It definitely influences how we execute on set. Everyone is different when it comes to talent and client, so for us it’s really about learning when to take the driver seat and when to take the passenger seat. We try to understand whether we’re here to drive the vision or help bring what you see to life under our lens. The best way of navigating for us has just been to listen and see how everyone’s ideas can work together as one. We move like there are no bad ideas and that everyone deserves to be heard.

Looking at your body of work, was there a singular image or project that felt like a defining moment for AB+DM?

Our most defining moment would have to be our first one. It was with Zendaya for InStyle Magazine Sept 2020, styled by Law Roach under the leadership of Laura Brown. That was the opportunity that really helped to open doors for us but also taught a lot about equipment, production, and what it means to shoot on location.

What does your gear lineup look like on set? Does it change project by project, or do you have a tried-and-true setup you shoot with regularly?

We tend to keep the same camera gear set up with a few in and out pieces. We start off with our Canon R5 Mark II and we include our 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8. If we feel like getting fancy, we may break out a 85mm, or 16-35 2.8

You have something special in common with KEH… you’re based in Atlanta! How does this culture-rich city inspire you in your work? 

Atlanta is where our journey in photography started. There’s a deep love that we have for the city, the history, the people, and the art that comes out of the city. 

Tell us about how you view mentorship, community-building, and pouring back into the next generation of photographers? In what ways do you actively support or foster creatives who want to learn and follow in your footsteps?

We both grew into photography by being self-taught, so we know firsthand how tough it is to not have access to the right resources. That’s really been the heart behind everything we do, especially with our learning platform, learnwithabdm.com. Everything we’ve had to figure out on set and through experience, we want to put that into a community where people don’t have to learn the hard way. They can learn directly from photographers who are actively working and applying the same things we’re teaching.

What’s next for AB+DM—anything on the horizon you’re especially excited about?

What’s next for AB+DM is expansion. We can’t say too much, but there’s a lot of great things coming.

If you could give one piece of advice to photographers trying to break into editorial and high fashion photography today, what would it be?

We would simply say: shoot, study, and experience. That’s really all it comes down to. The best way to develop a style is to keep using your gift until something clicks. Studying gives you a standard, a direction for where you want your work to go. When you’re doing both at the same time, especially in the prep work leading into a shoot, that experience starts to show you what works for you and how to shape your process when you’re guiding someone else through it.

About AB+DM

AB+DM is the award winning American fashion photography duo made up of Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice. Since forming their creative bond, the two have built a world that brings a distinct and endearing approach to fashion and portraiture through color and texture.

Together, they have created images for some of the most recognized fashion and lifestyle publications in the world, including InStyle Magazine, Interview Magazine, Vanity Fair, CR Fashion Book China, i-D Japan, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Time, Essence, and both the American and British editions of GQ. Their lens has captured defining portraits of key figures across fashion, film, and culture, including Zendaya, Viola Davis, Lady Gaga, Glenn Powell, J Balvin, Anne Hathaway, Will Smith, Cardi B, Simone Biles, and Stacey Abrams.

Through their partnership, AB+DM has built genuine, in depth connections with their subjects in ways that allow their images to not just stand apart, but to be remembered. Their work has earned numerous honors, including Feature Fashion Photography Story from the Society of Publication Designers, Cover of the Year from the ASME National Magazine Awards, and the Neal Photography Award.

To see more of AB+DM and their work, check them out on Instagram and at abdmstudio.com.