Dan McCourt
DAN MCCOURT “I'm doing what I love, for couples that love what I do and being able to provide a living with the people I love around me so yeah, that’s what I'm proud of I guess.”
What are your favorite songs you play in your car/at work/bathroom/kitchen right now? : Currently got the editing playlist on repeat at the moment, James Vincent McMorrow - Cavalier.
Who are you? Describe yourself in a few words.: I've been photographing weddings for around 4 years now full time, I live in the northeast of England and photograph couples from all over the UK and all around.
Is it important to have the support of your loved ones, family, friends?: Absolutely, I'd be nothing without the loved ones around me. Both friends and family are a huge part of my life. The encouragement and belief, the people there to talk to when you're second-guessing yourself or things get tough or just when you need that company you know? The life of wedding photography can be quite an isolating one without your circle, without your people. It's mega important to have a good support circle around you at all times, a lot of the time they don't realize how important they are to you.
What are you the proudest of?: That's a tough one, in this industry we are our own worst critics and I'm sure many people reading this will be in the same boat. I find it hard to be proud of myself, we don't look back enough on where we've come and what we've created, and who we have created for. It always seems to be full of 'what if's or 'I wish I had done this' and 'am I good enough?' It took me years in the industry to stop myself from getting caught up in everything, it's an easy trap to fall in to, awards, features, likes they do become appealing and there is a lot of great things to come of them but it's not the be-all and end-all.
I'm doing what I love, for couples that love what I do and being able to provide a living with the people I love around me so yeah, that’s what I'm proud of I guess.
What kind of jobs did you have before your career took off?: In my past life before photography was introduced to me I worked in retail, from the bottom customer-facing up roles up to store management and that shaped how I work to this day. Not only from the art of connection building and relating to all of my beaut couples but down to the business side of things. Wedding photography is based huge amount of creativity and how you take a picture, how you tell a story but the business side often gets left behind. But as glamorous as the industry looks, it's a business, it's your own business and you've got to treat it accordingly. Analyze your figures, look at your forecasts, make shit happen rather than just hoping.
If you could interview a creative person (past or present), who would that person be? Please explain your choice.: Deakins, he's just a hero at what he does and the magic he creates on the big screen.
Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work?: If you work without heart and soul that shows in your final output. You can put the most wonderful people in the most scenic backdrop and it will look great but you need to feel an image and to feel an image the creator needs to put their heart and soul into it. Looking at a wedding gallery should transport you back to that moment in time, how it felt to be there at that moment in time, work made with heart and soul will evoke real emotion.
“Never would I look back at a piece of work and think I'd nailed it, that there was no room for improvement.”
If you had to start over, would you choose a different path in your career?: I'd find my people and I'd educate myself in the true values that photography has, not what the textbooks say. I went for years in this industry before any workshops - and when I say workshops I don't mean these portfolio days where you turn up, photograph a couple and leave. I mean the real deal, the raw education, getting down to the core values of doing what we do and why we do it.
We are just wedding photographers, we're just vendors on the day so there’s no need for any ego's, we're here to help each other and grow. So networking is so important. I certainly wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now if I hadn't met some of the people along the way, if you find the right people you will grow naturally and at a much better rate than you would do solo. By no means do I mean just constantly talk photography but by surrounding yourself with these people and you'll be absorbing constant knowledge and inspiration when you don't even realise it? You could be chatting over a beer about a completely random subject and you come away with a recommendation of a whole new body of work to look at and draw inspiration from.
What is the best advice that you have been given?:
You are what you eat.
I chatted to Si Moore of Bayly & Moore last year after listening to a few podcasts and the topic that was brought up repeatedly was creativity diet, you are what you eat. Find out what you like and look into it a little further, why do you love it? Why does it stand out? Research this as much as you can. Once you delve into a world of research you find yourself incorporating this in your work, you might not even realise it but it happens naturally.
Do you think that you would be able to teach what you do?: I've never set out to teach, nor has it really crossed my mind. However if people feel they may be able to benefit from what I know or how I do things, my inbox is always open. More than happy to share my knowledge if I can. We're all here to learn from each other.
What inspires you on a daily basis?: Life around me, my daughter, my wife, our dog, friends and family. These are the things that are important things to me, the inspirations for me, I simply want to do the best I can for them and be the best person I can be.
Looking at what you have created in the past, would you change anything today?: Always, never would I look back at a piece of work and think I'd nailed it, that there was no room for improvement. I'm not sure if that's just me or it comes with the creative industry. Don't get me wrong, I love some of my previous works but can always see room for improvement. I think once you don't think there is, it could be a slippery slope.
After these years of working on your craft, do you still feel the joy to do what you do?: If I didn't enjoy what I do, I wouldn't be doing it anymore. That's pretty black and white to me, once you fall out of love with wedding photography, it's time to step out. Don't get me wrong, there’s always going to be the grey days but deep down I will always thoroughly enjoy doing it. Life is too short to not enjoy doing what you love.
Do you believe that each person has the capacity to be creative? Why?: Absolutely yes, we all have creativity in us just in different forms. I find my creativity in light and seeing different textures and creating something with this whereas others release their creativity in music, in performance, in drawing or whatever.
It all boils down to the imagination as a child, it's just development on that, what happens in your life or changes you make to evoke this creativity.
Have you always wanted to do what you are doing?: Not at all, the thought of photography had never really crossed my mind until later in life. Looking back to my childhood I quite often had a camera in my hand but never thought anything of it. I never studied photography however I did toy with the idea and quite vividly remember a lesson at school in 2001, speaking to my media teacher at the time when they said 'there are no jobs in photography' (a world before social media ey?).
I left school, delved into studying subjects that couldn't be further from what I do. I travelled and then had my career in retail. Not only until my late 20's did I even start picking up a camera for fun as a hobby, probably the only hobby I had a genuine interest in that developed into a love.
How do you deal with creativity blocks?: Taking a break from what I'm working on normally helps this. I don't just mean taking a break from editing, I mean from everything to do with work, emails, social media, everything. Especially after this year, I think it's important to take a break from it all pretty regularly, refresh yourself and refresh your mind.
Do you need to be in a certain mindset to work?: I've often had this conversation with other creatives about this. I personally do, I have my playlist I listen to religiously before I start a wedding, driving to the wedding I have this quiet time with myself and the music. Nice calming vibes, it puts me at ease and releases any stress beforehand and I think that genuinely reflects in my work.
Do you have skills that you wish to develop or talents you wish to perfect?: I'm going to start focussing on analogue photography this year, back to basics.
Do your work and approach have changed?: I feel my work has changed quite vastly in the past few years, I've got to the stage I keep mentioning how I feel comfortable and I know what and how I shoot. Not only do I know this but I feel the couples I work with doing too.
Rewind a few years and I was very much thinking the 'killer' shots were the be-all and end-all. They're not though - there are so many other mega important and interesting things happening whilst we are hired to do what we do, important details that can often be overlooked.
Do you believe art should deliver a message?: It will always deliver a message to someone, whether it's the creator, the viewer or the masses. Everyone perceives what they are looking at in a different way and takes away different messages and meanings from it.
Do you have any regrets in life?: I do wish I pursued this career earlier in life but who doesn't. If I had I wouldn't have learnt some of the life or business skills that I have along the way.
What are your tips for establishing a successful wedding photography business in under two years at a time when the industry is very saturated?: Don't ride the wave, don't follow the trends. They come and go. Do what you genuinely love doing in terms of creativity. This doesn't take time, it takes years to realise what you love shooting and why but just be true to yourself and focus on that, not what others think you should be doing. There's always the feeling of imposter syndrome but that’s good, that’s a sign of healthy development. Push yourself as best you can. Don't be afraid to reach out to people, we're all part of the same community.
Who would you like to read from (Can you put me in touch with this person?)?: Chris Parkinson
What would be your question to this person?: How have you seen yourself develop and your ethos towards your work and what you do for clients change?
If you could ask yourself a question, what would it be?: What creates a good wedding gallery?
And your answer would be ?: Feeling, it can be any couple, any venue, anywhere in the world. As long as the feelings are there, that’s all that matters.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
DOB : 11-12-1986
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM
OCCUPATION: WEDDING, PHOTOGRAPHER
Copyright : CHRIS PARKINSON
CONVERSATIONS AND CLASSES TO INSPIRE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS.
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