DALLAS — Inside a coffee shop in Dallas, the grind does not stop.
Merix Alexander Gooden posts up on the green suede sofa. He's comfortable there. Accompanied by his filters and flavors, he begins to brew.
"In real-time, it happens in like two to three seconds," Merix explained. "In slow motion, it’s like -- this is art.”
Merix is a DFW-based photographer, videographer and content creator.
His work has been shared by the likes of Drake and LeBron James and he's traveled the world collecting images for clients.
A remarkable journey — that's still taking flight — for someone who first picked up a camera seven years ago.
"You don’t have to be an athlete to do something that will change your life," Merix expressed.
Merix grew up in the small town of Ville Platte, Louisiana. A city rich in culture thanks to cajun cookouts and a community of nearly 6,000 people.
But with a poverty level of 42%, Ville Platte is among the poorer towns in America.
"A lack of jobs, steady rate of crime," Merix noted. "But we represent our city with all of our heart.”
Merix went to college at Louisiana Tech. It was there the former high school basketball player passed up the ball for the lens.
With no background in photography, Merix did what any savvy youngster would do.
"YouTube. YouTube University," laughed Merix.
After graduating from LA Tech, Merix moved to Dallas for a finance job. He did photography work on the side and started to get his name out there.
But when the Covid pandemic hit, he moved back to Ville Platte to assess his future.
Soon, he was back in Dallas. A friend invited Merix to sleep on the living room sofa until he was able to afford a place of his own.
He stayed there for a year and a half.
"It wasn’t too bad," Merix shrugged. "It was a comfy sofa.”
During that time, Merix built his portfolio. More exposure led to more shoots — and he found his home on the hardwood.
"Word of mouth and just showing people that you’re good at what you do," Merix said.
His Instagram following is close to 150,000. His view counts are deep into the tens of millions.
Many of the viewers tuning in for his basketball music videos where he takes a single highlight he filmes, slows down the speed and tops it off with a carefully crafted song choice.
"Anything that I hear," Merix detailed. "I’m like, 'That deserves some Keyshia Cole. That deserves some Summer Walker.'”
His content in the hoops community has caught the attention of players throughout the NBA and WNBA, and he's teamed up with a bunch of them for photoshoots.
"Shoutout my guy, Merix," said Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey. "We've been locked in for a long time since I’ve been in Dallas. His pictures tell stories and videos tell stories. And he’s really making the people happy. All his work is fire. It’s just crazy seeing him blow up.”
"His work is top tier," praised Dallas Wings All-Star Arike Ogunbowale. "He makes everybody look good. Even if you didn’t look good that day, he’ll make you look good. Shoutout Merix. Always rocking with him. Love his work. Love him as a person.”
“I’m someone who prides myself in the details," added Indiana Pacers forward Myles Turner. "Something as little as the transitions, or a song choice, or the film, or a specific filter he uses. Something like that is very important to me and he never skimps on that detail.
Like most great photography, it's about being in the right place at the right time.
In January 2023, Merix tagged along with some friends and clients on a private jet to Miami. When they arrived, they went to LIV Nightclub where they saw Drake and Lil' Wayne. Merix had his camera with him and was able to get some photos of the famous music artists.
"Got to snap [Drake] up," Merix said. "And that’s been on my bucket list forever.”
Merix turned that into another opportunity a few weeks later, when he got footage of Drake performing at a Super Bowl party in Arizona.
Growing up, Merix's favorite athlete was LeBron James.
Never could he imagine, back then, that LeBron would post a photo he took.
“I’m scrolling my page and it’s like, ‘Happy birthday, Bronny' and it’s my photo,'" Merix smirked. "And I’m like, 'This is insane.'”
"He’s one of the best at what he does," declared Turner, a DFW native. "One of the best young creators of his generation right now, especially coming out of the Dallas area.”
Perhaps no one is more impressed with Merix, though, than his parents.
"They’re so proud," smiled Merix. "They comment on every single post. Anything I post on Facebook, my mom’s like, ‘Go, Al! Go, Merix!’”
In high school, Merix worked at McDonald’s. Now, he's working behind the scenes at the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Full-circle moments manifest often for the 27-year-old. But his focus has not blurred, nor has his perspective on life.
"If I’m sleeping on a sofa or a hotel Grand Marquis in Miami, it doesn’t matter. If you can see it, and you can dream it, and you can believe it," Merix said.
