Artist Spotlight Series: Stephan McMennamy

September 28, 2015

Artist Spotlight Series: Stephan McMennamy

Art, Artist, Artist Spotlight Series, atlanta, Digital Photography, Photography, Stephan McMennamy

A close friend has introduced me to the art of her colleague. I am now completely mesmerized by his digital photography work. It is genius, thought provoking and just plain fun. Enjoy my latest Artist Spotlight Series featuring

Stephan McMennamy

Atlanta, Georgia

What is your training?

my day-to-day job is as an art director, specifically in the world of advertising. as far as my photography goes, I guess i’d be considered “self taught”. because of the industry I’m in, I’ve had lots of exposure to professional photographers. I’ll take any chance i get to grill them for tips and tricks, but in general digital photography has allowed for seemingly endless experimentation. I usually just tinker and play as much a I need to till i get it right. (photo of me in the link below)

What inspires you and your designs?

the world around me is pretty inspiring. I like challenges. I like puzzles. combophotos seem to align perfectly with my itch to transform mundane objects into something completely different. and from a visual aesthetic i’m generally inspired by clean design.

What is your favorite piece?

I have a handful of favorites, but really it changes all the time. I’ve shot over a hundred of these now, so I lose track, but when I see an old one and I’m reminded of what I went through during the process, suddenly it can rise to the top.

How has the your area influenced your work?

I travel a lot for work, so “my area” covers a wide path. a lot of these just come to me and a lot are very spontaneous spontaneous. they seem to just happen wherever and whenever. I was at a park in San Fransisco last week and I saw a woman walking a white standard poodle. the poodle’s coat reminded me of cauliflower, so a took a photo of the poodle and ran to a market to get some cauliflower. just like that, my photo was done.

What is your favorite restaurant in Atlanta?

Terra Terroir, a local restaurant in my neighborhood.

What is your favorite cocktail?

I don’t drink, so i’ll go with a classic chocolate shake. ingredients: chocolate malt Carnation Instant breakfast (powdered), whole or 2% milk, Mayfield vanilla (or chocolate chip) ice cream. and if I’m feeling frisky, i’ll blend in some Reese’s peanut butter cups. simple, but amazing. trust me.

How do you balance personal life and work?

poorly. my job is pretty all encompassing. I just do the best I can. my wife and I have two girls and we both work. that said, it’s difficult to juggle all the balls we have in the air, but somehow we make it work. We take a lot of family vacations and try to cram in as much as we can on the weekends.

Dream trip?

I would love to pack up the family, take a month off, rent a RV and cruise around the west coast and hit as many national parks as possible.

Dream commission?

i don’t have one.

Who is your style icon?

Scott Schuman (the Sartorialist), who spans the globe documenting style icons.

Your favorite up and coming artist?

Josh Keyes. not sure how “up and coming” he is.

What is your most treasured possession?

my grandfather’s wedding band (which I wear). and a bracelet my youngest daughter made me. both of which I’ll wear till the day I die.

What are you reading?

emails… daily… constantly. The last book I read was The Meaning of Maggie, which I read to my daughter (written by a friend and geared for young girls).