Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marc. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Marc, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
I am a documentary photographer and journalist. My mission is to make images and tell stories that reveal the complex and authentic nature of the communities, organizations and people with whom I work. My experience has taught me that the internal narratives of understanding I carry, often act as belief systems that give structure to what I am seeing, hearing and feeling. These narratives can and do obscure the subtle and not-so-subtle realities of the world and people I am encountering. I do my best to figure this out as I work.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As a child, I explored the hills to the west of the Napa Valley with my border collie mutt Suki and a Brownie Starmatic. The camera was a gift from my grandfather; it had magic powers. It carried memories and told a truth. This was grounding to me as I lived in a family of shifting uncertainties where memory was filtered through alcohol and abuse.
I spent 40 years as an academic scientist and educator, pursing things that came easy to me but which, ultimately, weren’t satisfying. I returned to the camera about 25 years ago and pursued courses at Columbia College Chicago. One of my assignments in John White’s photojournalism class was to get a photo published. I did, in the Hyde Park Herald, and quit my job to pursue a career in documentary photography. Later I got training as a writer.
Almost all of my clients are non-profit organization or local media outlets, most of which now are also non-profits. I also do a lot of performance photography, particularly live dance and music. I basic photography – events, simple head shots, web-site images – for non-profit organizations, as that kind of work is necessary for their fundraising and branding. But, I prefer the narrative work; telling a story.
I am the most satisfied with my work when I capture a moment or a sequence of moments that tells a story. To work well with a client, I need to understand their story needs and outlook. I strive to to be an “in-house” photographer in spirit if not in fact.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Unlearning is a constant process in my work. The narrative I carry is not necessarily the reality that needs to be documented.
I am in the middle of a private project documenting octogenarian and a bit younger jazz deejays on the South Side of Chicago. I walked into my first set of sessions with them carrying a narrative about their history that I had learned from a much younger group of South Side jazz artists. The narrative was partly correct and partly incorrect. It took me three sessions with the older deejays before I was able to abandon the internal narrative I had learned and just listen.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My social media audience is peculiar in that it is Facebook centered and principally comprises members of the neighborhoods I document. It is not a marketing tool for money so much as it is a way of getting people to see and read my work. Undoubtedly my avoidance of other social media outlets affects my branding and marketing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marcmonaghan.com
- Instagram: @marccmonaghan
- Facebook: marc.monaghan
