Hi, my name is Carl McKinney and I am a visual artist based out of Columbus, OH. I spend most of my time in photography, but have interests that range from architecture and illustration to music and writing.

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What’s your photographic specialty? How’d you get into it?
My style has always gravitated around people, portraits, and life. Currently I am working on a 365 calendar project entitled instacalendar, which has been an interesting way to challenge my use of mobile hardware, software, and services. It will culminate with a gallery show graciously hosted by Wild Goose Creative. The exhibition opening is March 1st, 2014 from 7-10 pm.

What’s your favorite thing about Columbus?
Columbus has some really great leadership charting a focused course for its direction. Much like other cities in the nation, much attention—both financial and intellectual—has been centered around strengthening the city’s core. I appreciate this, because it allows for entrepreneurial individuals to craft spaces of purpose for myself and many others to occupy. Additionally, Columbus has a whole raft of interesting districts that act as cultural epicenters with hosted events, parks, business, meeting a variety of needs.

Where do you go for inspiration?

Much time for me is spent getting inspired by life around me. Whether its a day with my family walking through Franklin Park, or spending time in the Short North for Jeni’s Ice Cream with #kkers there is no short list of things to draw from. During the summer much time is spent in Clintonville at the Park of Roses watching peewee soccer with other engaged parents.

I am fortunate to have been surrounded by great mentors and friends that have inspired me throughout this journey. Christopher Keels has been one of my biggest mentors and I’m privileged to call him a friend. Over the years he has not only challenged me professionally, but he has instilled a confidence to trust my eye and not adopt the trends often seen in much of the portrait photography world. He and Bryan Fenstermacher, both based out of Columbus, were the first people I meet when I picked up a camera some 7 years ago. Bryan is a technical tour de force and has given me the most sound advice around how to collect an image of proper exposure and composition.

Style-wise, a shooter out of Tacoma Washington is my biggest photographic influence. Sean Flanigan‘s style is the most evocative, approachable and authentic. It’s great to see someone living out the dream, and he is a testament to talents that outweigh greed.

Hugh Forte is another crusher that captures authentic artful portraits. He and his wife have an incredible food photography blog called the Sprouted Kitchen. The imagery and details captured in the dishes dreamt up by Sara Forte are awe-inspiring and mouth-watering approaches to whole foods.

Kevin Russ is my favorite mobile photographer—his images on instagram offer an inspiring look at how much the art form has traveled in this mobile epoch. Sonya Yu is a recent discovery and offers an artful approach to food. I love her strictly film series on Tumblr as well!

Fine Artists and architects like Jean Michelle Basquait, Parra, Piet Mondrain, Barnet Newman, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Alavar Alto.

Music is also a great inspiration for me with Jazz artists like Aaron Diehl and Robert Glasper providing a backdrop upon which I can create.

What do you wish someone had told you when you were first starting out?
I wish someone would’ve told me to shoot more personal projects. I have been so focused on people and portraits that when I wasn’t shooting a couple for a wedding or a family for a portrait session that I did not shoot at all. It grew into me not taking my camera with me when I wasn’t on the job. That’s what makes this instacalendar project so much fun! Aside from mobile photography being convenient, I would argue the fact that mobile image quality has come a long way from its infancy and is an inspired and bonafide art of its own. It has kickstarted the joy of shooting just to shoot and challenged me to think creatively while stripping away paralysis of analysis and focusing me back on composition, exposure and subject.

How has your hobby-to-business transition been?
My transition was not without challenges, but the best steps I took early was shooting constantly and getting involved with a local group of photographers to share, grow, and connect. Most of these individuals owned and operated successful photography businesses and have been pivotal in my development. As mentioned before, Chris Keels and Bryan Fenstermacher have been enormous confidence builders with respect to my craft. Additionally, Nick Fancher and Brandon King have also been pivotal. Both have provided some form of inspiration or technical help with challenging my photography.

What pictures do you take for fun/for yourself?
Right now, it’s between the experimenting with instacalendar and starting a food photography project. As my fiancé and I look towards raising a conscientious consumer in #kkers, we know food will play an essential role in her life. Teaching her proper food choices now, with a diet centered around whole, locally-sourced foods will hopefully build the right behaviors for her as she moves towards adulthood. We hope to trial these stories in a way that is helpful for other parents wanting to give their children simple foundations around food.

What’s next?
Next is completion of this instacalendar project with its pending exhibition. There is type to build, walls to construct, photo booths to engineer, looms to stitch, prints to make, etc. The list goes on in regards to exciting things around that project. Additionally, I have a whole host of wedding couples to prepare engagements and bridal consults with. This is ramping up to my busiest season!