We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Scott Mcdaniel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Scott below.
Scott, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I have always had an interest in photography. As far back as using 35mm film and a Pentax K-1000 camera. Mind you, this was back when 110 and disposable cameras were the rage along with the Polaroid instamatics. I have always enjoyed taking photos of various subjects and things that just caught my eye.
I also found that I enjoyed creating designs for t-shirts at the time. Now, I include my photography with designs for all kinds of printing on mugs, shirts, etc. Not just designs but, prints of my work also. I have created my own website for viewing and ordering at Photobsb.com (Photos By Scotty Baby).
As much as I enjoyed photography, I could not concentrate on it full time until I retired. This has allowed me the freedom to travel and see what is out there that I find interesting. I think that an image should get an emotional response when viewed and that is what I try to achieve in my 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?
I grew up in Nevada and worked throughout the State until retiring in 2017. Scotty Baby is my wife’s nickname for me and I now use it for my art. I have always had an interest in photography but, never had much time to explore it further. Now having the freedom to travel and explore, I have once again begun clicking the shutter.
I believe that a photograph should give some kind of emotional response to the viewer. I also feel that no two photographs are the same and that each is unique as we are talking about a moment in time that changes in seconds.
I see much beauty in everything I photograph and have not yet settled on a particular subject matter as you can see. I am always open to suggestions about my work and hope that you find my images memorable.
I had an image titled “Desert Kayaking” that appeared in Nevada Magazine. It was a humor piece that I was pretty proud of. I have had my works displayed in local art galleries and Fineartamerica.com
Currently, my images can be ordered for printing on t-shirts, mugs, towels, prints, canvas, etc. through Fineartamerica, Redbubble or links from my webpage at Photobsb.com
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
My most rewarding part of being a photographer/creative, is when my artwork is purchased by an individual. This gives me a sense of pride that someone loved my image enough to want it on display or created onto a product for their use.
I also love the comments given on images that I receive on my Facebook (photoccnev775), X (@photoccnev775), and Instagram (@photosbyscottybaby) pages.
These always inspire me to continue contributing to my art.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I still struggle a bit with social media in building an audience. There are 100s of thousands of photographers out there to compete with, Social media takes a lot of time to keep up on. I try to get something out at least once a week if not daily.
This takes a lot of commitment. Responding to others, trying to produce something that grabs attention as well as getting shared. What are the current trends?, What are you trying to achieve and what is your ultimate goal.
I try to drive individuals to my website and ordering sites. You may have a different goal.
As an example, I also run an Airbnb/VRBO Tabor House All Season Vacation Rental (Taborhousevr.com) The home is located in Wallace, Idaho (Dante’s Peak was filmed there) and is a Victorian built in 1895. This home is on the National Historic Registry. I use social media (Facebook/Instagram/X) to inform prospective guests of the property and area. I link these with Idaho tourism, the local chamber of commerce and businesses.
This has been quite successful and yes, my photos are also used to promote the business. Hopefully this will give you some idea of what can be achieved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://photobsb.com
- Instagram: @photosbyscottybaby
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photoccnev775
- Twitter: @photoccnev775
- Other: Tabor House All Season Vacation Rental in Wallace, Idaho
taborhousevr.com
Image Credits
All images provided are copyrighted. Images provided by Photos By Scotty Baby