A GUY AND HIS LENS: MARK CLENNON
Meet Mark, he's got the eye and the photos to prove it.
mark clennon the photographer
How and when did you get into photography?
I got into photography with the rise of Instagram, I was the person trying hard with extra filters on my iPhone photos, eventually I started shooting with an DSLR in 2016. I’ve been shooting consistently since then.
What is your subject focus? (ex: landscape, portraits, action shots)
My focus has, and always will be storytelling. I do feel that human image is our greatest storyteller, so I shoot a combination of lifestyle and editorial photography. I like to catch vibes and moments, so when I’m shooting around New York, most of the time it’ll be a candid.
mark clennon photography
How would you describe your art to someone who has never seen it before?
An exploration of black emotion, joy and inspiration.
How do you feel Black men are represented in the photography world?
I think that, overall, black men are represented in a diverse manner in the photography world. At times, there may be an additional element of masculinity added to the photos; but for the most part, there isn’t a burden of hypersexuality and colorism that a woman of color deals with.
How do you feel your work challenges the negative stigma around Black male photographers?
I think there's a certain “creep photographer” stigma that may come with some male photographers. What I mean is we see butts and breasts sometimes as the focal point of their images of women. I combat that by being super professional and, well, not being a fucking creep. I’m here to make art and I think that it comes off when I reach out to collaborate with someone. My focus is almost always a vibe, feeling, or an internal emotion, not just body parts.
If there is one thing you can say to the key holders of the art world, what would it be?
Black Art Matters.
It’s amazing what can happen if you give a platform to someone who’s been putting the work in.
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