Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John McCreary. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi John, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

My least favorite question people ask is “do you have a real job?” Getting cameras for photo and video is so easy, the industry is mostly looked at as a hobby. People assume I work for free because they know someone with cameras.
I LOVE my world as a creator. I have the ability to show the world how I see things. I have worked in corporate America and I could never go back. My heart and soul are in what I do now.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My first dive into this world was during the housing crisis of 2008. Financials took such a toll, even coaches from college sports teams were not taking trips to visit athletes. In high school, I was the athlete that would be approached by coaches after games, or I would have them at my home waiting to talk to me about my college plans. Kids were losing the opportunity to truly introduce themselves to coaches because everyone was pulling back on spending.
So I bought a couple video cameras, and went to high schools and told coaches I would make videos of the athletes to send to coaches either online or with a DVD. The internet was no where near as strong yet, but it was possible, but most players liked the dvd then.
I immediately went to the book store, and to some friends that had experience and dove in on learning how to make a video, from shooting to editing. This went well and one day I had a parent come ask me if I did photos as well. I looked her in the eye and said “I sure do”.

I did not.

So I had to get myself a photo camera and figure out the world of photography and taking those pictures.
I enjoyed providing a service, getting paid and ultimately working for myself.
Over the years I obsessed myself with learning more and more and attempting to master the crafts. Years later, I had moved to Connecticut for a job, and I learned my cousin was an assistant coach for the football team at Yale University. I called him and asked him who I needed to ask about coming to photo sports there and he gave me the contact and opened the door. I would photo their football, baseball and basketball teams, then the moment I was able to step into Ingall’s Arena and photo the hockey team, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to make that my main bed of photography.

The work I do and the challenges I face for myself and clients are very different depending on what I am capturing. I work in Travel and Tourism, sports, concerts, social media and marketing and so much more. The main constant is, when I am hired to photo or video something, I am hearing their ideas, and using my eye and expertise to not just complete the task, but bring it to life.

To this point, I am most proud of being hired by the Washington Capitals in the NHL. My goal in sports photography was to be the team photographer for an NHL team. But to be hired by a team with multiple superstars, including a player that is arguably the greatest goal scorer of all time, is quite the dream.

My work and what I am doing now is a wide variety from continuing to work for the Washington Capitals. I am also working on a Docuseries that focuses on people living with Multiple Sclerosis and I am developing a few other small series ideas as well.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Stop asking your friends and family that are creatives to do things for you for free. They have invested a lot of time and money, to reach a point where you feel they have a talent. Sup[port them as a business. Support them to grow and show them that you respect the work they have put in.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I knew about this place, but I was so focused on playing hockey, I didn’t go there, but I wish I did. There is a school in Florida called Full Sail University. When I was younger it was not a real bachelors degree or anything, but they have that and a masters program now. They are known for having some of the best resources for a student to learn, along with a class schedule that reflects that of the industry. Best of all, they learn all of the things that most creatives do not even know they NEED TO KNOW. Regardless of where I am in my career now, there is Sio much more for me to learn. Full Sail would have put me so far ahead of the game.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.silverscreenvisions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/John.a.mccreary
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silverscreenvisions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmccreary/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnamccreary
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/johnamccreary

Image Credits

Dyland Strome (Washington Capitals)
Carl Hagelin (Washington Capitals, ret)
Sophie from Whiskey neat in Florida
Annie Mae Weiss