Maxwel started freediving in 1996 in BC's Pender Harbour, and got certified as a scuba diver in 2004. In 2005, at 18 years old, he delayed film school and left on a 3 month trip to Honduras where he became a PADI instructor. This 3 month trip turned into 8 years, acquiring an impressive list of places for his log book, including Tobago, French Polynesia, Norway, Greece, Tanzania, South Africa, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

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He eventually hit a point in his life where he wanted to take diving to the next level and trained to become an offshore commercial diver. He then began teaching other commercial divers on Vancouver Island, and started getting his foot in the door with the film industry. 

 

Now he’s fully transitioned into a freelance Director of Photography, specializing in underwater sequences. He’s doing the job he’s always dreamed of, and has combined his two passions of film and diving into a career. In 2021 his film Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration won a much coveted Jackson Wild award. 

 

As an underwater cinematographer Maxwel is always searching for new and exciting subjects and locations to film. Diving opened a door to a large portion of the planet he continues to explore, camera in hand.