How Dubai-Based Filipino Photographer Jef Anog Is Bringing His Creative Eye to Skincare Brand MAXIORA

After more than a decade behind the camera, capturing fashion, beauty, and commercial campaigns, Dubai-based Filipino photographer Jef Anog is now bringing his creative experience into the skincare industry.

As the founder and chief operating officer of MAXIORA, a registered skincare brand in the UAE, Anog draws on his experience in visual storytelling, branding, and business to develop products for a range of skin concerns that are often privately discussed.

“Creating MAXIORA has given me a renewed sense of excitement—the same fire I felt when I was first starting as a photographer,” Anog says. “I know that I can contribute a great deal to the brand by combining everything I have learned from fashion, commercial photography, content creation, branding, and accounting. All those years of experience are now coming together in a completely different way.”

It is a transition that draws on the different stages of his career. Before entering entrepreneurship, Anog worked as an accountant in the Philippines and later in Dubai. He eventually left the corporate world to establish himself as a fashion and commercial photographer.

“At that time, the photography industry, especially fashion photography, was booming, and there was not as much competition as there is today. I had the opportunity to work with leading haute couture designers, international and local brands, real estate companies, agencies, and publications,” he recalls. “ILLUSTRADO named me one of the most influential Filipinos in the UAE for three consecutive years.”

Today, those experiences shape how he approaches MAXIORA. His accounting background helps him navigate the operational side of the company, while his years in fashion photography and content creation inform its visual identity, communication and positioning.

For Anog, developing MAXIORA is not simply about putting another skincare product on the market, but also recognising concerns that people may feel uncomfortable discussing and creating a brand that approaches them without judgement. By addressing hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, the brand aims to help people feel more comfortable and confident in their skin.

MAXIORA focuses on tone care for areas such as the underarms, knees, elbows and bikini line, addressing concerns that consumers may experience but rarely discuss openly. Its ToneSync-5 product is available on Amazon UAE, giving the young brand a direct channel to shoppers. However, polished visuals are only the beginning. Clear ingredient information, responsible claims, suitability guidance and realistic expectations remain essential when choosing any skincare product.

“What interests me most today is building a brand, finding ways to help it grow, and sharing what I learn throughout the journey,” he says. “Every time MAXIORA reaches a new milestone, I experience a different kind of satisfaction. It feels like I am creating something that can grow beyond me and become part of other people’s lives.”

His approach to entrepreneurship is guided by the belief that progress rarely begins under perfect conditions. Instead of waiting until every detail falls into place, he believes that one must prepare, decide what they want, and take the first step.

“If you continue waiting for the ‘right time,’ you may end up waiting forever. Opportunities often begin the moment you decide to move, adapt, and start even when you do not have everything figured out yet,” he shares.

That willingness to adapt has defined Anog’s life in Dubai. What was initially meant to be a six-month stay became a 16-year journey spanning accounting, photography, content creation, and now entrepreneurship.

As MAXIORA enters its next stage, Anog is bringing those worlds together, applying the creative perspective he developed through photography to build a UAE skincare brand that empowers people to feel more confident in their skin.