Exclusive Interview with Dan McMahon

I have never met Dan McMahon but I get the feeling that if I did I would really like him. Through his images I get the sense that he is on the quieter side, an observer, taking in the world around him with a considered perspective. But lets not forget to mention that spark. Dan has a way of capturing his subjects in both photographic essay style and in loose, candid moments. Circling a world inside New York City that is full of artists, fashion designers, stores and studios, Dan opens up his world through his lens. And most of the time it’s a 35mm one. Yes.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? DO YOU THINK THIS INFLUENCES THE WAY YOU OPERATE TODAY?
I grew up in Columbus, Ohio. I think definitely has definitely left it’s mark on me in many unimaginable ways. It has a really amazing community of art- ists that are pretty closely connected and always out to support each other or make it to your show.

YOU ARE BASED IN NYC. WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE AND WORK HERE?
Yes, I’ve been living here now for almost five years now and just starting to see things falling into place. All the circles of friends are starting to overlap and most of my projects begin through their references.

TELL US ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE? YOUR STUDIO? HOME? AREA? FAV SPOTS TO HANG?
I live and work out of my apartment on 14th Street in the city. It’s a really ridiculous street if you’re into people watching and has a feeling of being stuck in a New York time capsule. My new favorite place near me is the east river park.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY?
I remember playing with dad’s yellow underwater camera in the pool growing up. Not sure if there was any film in it but it was fun anyway.

WHAT DREW YOU TO FIRST USE A CAMERA AND PERUSE PHOTOGRAPHY?
Half-way through highschool they built a photo lab and all my friends took the class. After school we would all take our cameras and drive out to abandoned warehouses, quarries, empty parking lots. It was a really great time, and got me into exploring different parts of the city and starting to understand what I liked about a photo.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT SO FAR?
My favorite project recently would probably be the trip to Ecuador in October.

WHO HAS THIS BEEN WITH/WHO HAS THIS INVOLVED?
I went with a friend whose family lives there so it was really amazing to get the insiders perspective. We were able to see all these places that if I went on my own I would have never know they were there.

AS AN ARTISTS HOW DO YOU FIND THE USE OF THE INTERNET TO SHARE YOU WORK? HOW DO YOU EXIST ONLINE?
Yes, I definitely use it to share my work and I have a website and journal that I try to keep up with a few times week.

THOUGHTS ON PHOTOSHOP/DIGITAL ENHANCEMENT?
I think it definitely has its place, but whenever possible I tend to leave all the photos untouched.

DO YOU USE MOVING PICTURE AT ALL?
No, not really. Although I just did a little lookbook thing using an old VHS. I’m not really into the idea of all the gear it takes to make those things turn out right. I’m still trying to figure out the perfect set up and it can be the biggest pain shuffling gear around the city.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TYPICAL WORKING DAY?
If I’m not actually shooting, first thing I do is make a bowl of cereal, put on some music, answer emails, and begin to edit or organize a past shoot. I take lots of breaks and end up walking around the neighborhood or meeting a friend or getting coffee.

ANY NEW VENTURES YOU ARE STARTING TO/CONTINUING TO EXPLORE THIS YEAR?
I really want to do more travelling and if I could turn that into a photo project that would be the best.

DIGITAL OR FILM- DO YOU USE BOTH? DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE AND WHY?
I use both, but I prefer film. I shoot a lot of digital for many projects but I really like the process of shooting film. It’s kind of nice to only have like 3 rolls and have to make it work. Beyond that I just think it renders color and grain beautifully and I also love shooting polaroid as well.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY – THOUGHTS ON HOW THIS OPERATES TODAY AND HOW PHOTOGRAPHY FITS INTO THAT EQUATION TODAY?
I feel like I’m just beginning to understand the bigger picture on how the fashion industry works, but from what I’ve seen so far on a smaller scale and through the drive of social media there’s always a need to create new content and keep people interested in what the brand is up to. This create some really unique opportunities for photography.

WHAT IS INSPIRING YOU ONLINE?
If there’s a photographer or artist I like I tend to go right to their journal or blog.

WHAT IS INSPIRING YOU IN PRINT MEDIA?
There are so many inspiring self-published books and bookstores popping up it really overwhelms me trying to keep up.

WHO IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR YOU, SOMEONE YOU THINK NEVER GETS IT WRONG AND ALWAYS MAKES YOU MOTIVATED — IF ANYONE AT ALL!
There are too many! I’m a huge fan of so many artists that it really distracts me from my own work most of the time.

www.mcmahonphotography.com

www.mcmahonphotography.com/journal/