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

Anthony, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

For Eye of Ant Photo Company as a company – I want & hope for the company to grow & give creatives & industry leaders a new space & environment to create their wildest dreams. I want it to be a beacon of education & creativity that allows others light to shine through. Give them that voice that I felt like I did not have.

When people think of Anthony, I want them to remember me as someone that was always willing to help them, push creativity & this creative force that will be world renowned. I started photography because I wanted people to feel how I felt. Storytelling in images is a huge part of conveying emotions / feelings so when people see my art – I want them to understand where I am coming from & to understand the purpose on why the art was created.

Anthony, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

First off I would like to say – Don’t worry, you’re early. My name is Anthony MccCray & I have been a photographer for almost three years now. I am born & raised from the Charm City (Aka Baltimore City). I come from a life of adversity & perseverance which hence is why I first picked up a camera. I started in late 2019 – I was in a dark place & I longed for a creative outlet. I always liked film so I decided to give that a try & something just clicked inside when I was just freely & carelessly snapping photos. I brought my first camera in December when I was super broke, like painfully. When I first started, creating Art seemed so much easier than what it is now for me. Three years later, Growing throughout the industry & within myself has showed me that I am very detailed & calculated when creating, like a perfectionist. My mission is to help younger artists find their voice & light through visual media. I remember when I first started – I reached out to a bunch of people & did not get a lot of responses. I remember how I felt & I vowed to myself to always help others that reached out to me seeking guidance & help. I build my brand around that – Education & opening the door for others.

I am Fine Art Fashion & Beauty Photographer / Artist. What that means is I take a fine art approach when photographing concepts & bringing my clients visions alive. I never want any of my clients to feel like there is limit to creativity. I provide a luxury service & experience for my clients & other creatives I work with. I believe in the concept that people will always remember how you treated them, not how good you are at something. I pride myself on providing the best service & experience for my clients.

I am most proud of my growth throughout this industry. I have been “uncomfortable” for a while now & that is a sign of growth. There are moments I question myself a lot & wonder if I will make it. In moments like that, I reel myself back in & remind myself that I wasn’t where I was three years ago & I should always be grateful for the growth & experiences. I am human like everyone else & sometimes I can come off as awkward or shy but I am very out going when you get through the cracks honestly.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

This is perfect. This year has been ROUGH, especially the beginning of the year. I was working at a job I absolutely HATED. Mirco aggressions, sexual misbehavior, favoritism & etc. I was sinking into a dark place everyday I stepped foot into the office. My work performance went down, I had no energy to create art, I was just going to work then coming home to sleep. It was honestly a shit show. When I mean I was in a dark place, I was in a DARK PLACE. All I could do was apply for jobs while on the clock & spend my nights applying endlessly – I thought it would never come to an end. To add on, I was in a relationship at the time & that ended up coming to an end. When the relationship ended – my ex told me that her co-workers made fun of my art & totally downplayed my craft & you know, I didn’t even let it bother me. That just showed she was not the person for me.

For the first half of this year I was dealing with that & missing out on a bunch of opportunities because I had to “clock in” but that all came to an end in late July. They fired me for “bad attendance” & other outlining factors. At the end, I told them “thank you” because I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders & I could finally be free from that toxic environment. Since late July, I have been full time & I love it. It has allowed so many more opportunities for me & I have been able to connect with more creatives in my realm.

Being full time has a lot of ups & a lot of downs. But I would not trade this for a 9-5, it has brought me so much joy that I can’t even comprehend yet. It is not an easy thing to take on but I owe it to the people that have been pushing me everyday to be better & not to give up. Thank you to Javon, Vanessa, My Line brother Daryus, Doon, Nigel King, my org brother Darius, Ashley, Erica Myers, William Honablew, Quay, Zachary, Tyra, Kiki, Keez, Beez, Cat, Dwayne, my best friend Daniel, Vonnya Pettigrew for taking a chance on me, & all my creatives friends. Y’all push me to be better & listen to me when I am venting at some of my lowest points.

Your love & friendship means the world to me.

Have you ever had to pivot?

For sure. Being released from my corporate 9-5 job. All year I kept telling myself I was going to leave this job & flex up on them. In the short story, I was fired & I had to figure out my next plan. I remember Javon talking to me & telling me this is the moment where it would really test me in going full time. It’s all or nothing at this moment so now its time to create your narrative.

I have been rattling my brain to find that formula for my brand & business but it all comes with time & patience. I know I will have my moment. I know I spoke on this already but like I mentioned, I faced a lot of adversity in my life & its too the point where I can’t let things phase me too much. I think back to all those times I felt small, less than, unsure & worried about the next step. I regroup & push forward because I know what I am going through will come to an end.

Contact Info:

• Website: Eyeofant.com
• Instagram: Anthonymccray.photo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-mccray-83033711b/

Image Credits
All Image Credits are Copyright © 2022 Anthony McCray Eye of Ant Photo Company. (you & I have permission to post these images) Personal Photo – Javon Roye of JPRCREATE Photo of ensemble – Root Branch Media Group