Meet Danaér Mensah | Visual Effects Artist & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danaér Mensah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danaér, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Since I was 13, I’ve known that pursuing a creative career would be my top priority. As a Photographer, Graphic Designer, Motion Designer, Filmmaker, and Creative Director, my personal goal is to push the boundaries in all I do. I enjoy using creative media to transmit my own individual opinions about the things I shoot to the world, and while I primarily work with artists, I also cover corporate events such as weddings.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work, as I like to refer to it, is as eccentric and vibrant as my personality. I’m a Visual Effects Artist who enjoys pushing boundaries and breaking the norm in not only concert photography, but all of the things I capture. What distinguishes me from other photographers is that I do so much more than just capture images. I create “Live Collages,” which combine with moving photos, graphic design, videos and photos in one moving slide, it’s a whole new experience. Inspired by certain cool mangas, I always wanted to create like a book type of aesthetic and tell a story on the things I shoot.

If you know regular collages on instagram, on how you keep scrolling to the next picture, you can see a particular image that looks cut off, but when you scroll to the next picture you’ll see the full thing. Like you can already see what’s coming next but in a cooler way. I do exactly that, but in a video format. In my opinion it’s something very unique and interesting that’s barely being done. I would love to showcase you some Live Collages if I can.

However, this trip is not without its challenges. As much as I enjoy my creative work and introducing new ideas to the world, it can also be a very stressful situation if you become too comfortable, so you have to continually challenging yourself. In this business, keeping optimistic and assisting others can also help you learn. I used to believe that I could accomplish everything on my own, but you just cannot. It’s not so much what you know and what you can do as it is who you know. But deep inside, I love that it’s not easy to just show up and start going crazy because anyone who can do that and get out of the bloom will ruin it. It’ll merely damage the legitimacy of the creative process for me and others. All I have to say is, please, please, don’t be a gatekeeper. There is enough money for everyone to be successful and to make it big.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In New York, oh boy there’s a lot man. Definitely Balloon Museum! The works show a provide an escape to a fun playful dimension of freedom. You can play, touch and feel your way through hypnotic visuals effects atmospherics, all illustrated by Michael Shaw. So many fun activities and rooms you can explore and experience!

For restaurants, I’d definitely recommend Lagos TSQ, and yes, I’m being completely biased right now haha. Even as a Ghanaian who knows Ghanaian Jollof is significantly superior to Nigerian Jollof, it’s a fantastic venue to actually sample amazing West African food, and the ambiance are unrivaled.

Daily Paper, you’ve definitely saved the best for last! Oh yeah man, this is definitely my go-to spot anytime I’m in the city, because I’m now biased in Philly but constantly have work here in New York. The Daily Paper is about music, art, fashion, and the beautiful culture. Powered by African culture’s rich heritage and wrapped in spectacular and contemporary designs. The Daily Paper here in New York are honestly very phenomenal on how they represent their selves. The music they play are amazing and the vibes is just so vivid. In the summer, they always have these fun events and the moments there are always worth it. Definitely recommend if you’re wanna go to SoHo and find a place where it’s not only a clothing brand shop, but a culture one where everyone is welcomed!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
On Instagram, my boys @juriel.ny and @iconnac. Both of them have amazingly vibrant photographic styles, and the amount of resources they supplied me over the past months has encouraged me immensely.

Juriel is tuned into fantastic fun concept photography while also knowing how to play with colors and images well. I remember meeting him in January, having about 1.8k followers, and now he’s got over 15k!! He’s always sharing how he does his edits on his reels and is extremely creative on how he showcases it. He’s genuinely a very nice guy who is always supportive and never acts as a gatekeeper; he deserves all of his success!

Iconnac, my other brother, is quite adventurous with incomprehensible photography. He is truly one of a kind and has always been in his own lane. I’ve actually been inspired by his photos for a long time now, and ultimately working with him was fantastic. He’s always giving me useful tips on how to combat all the nonsense and negative activities that goes around the industry and not to tell everyone my business. He’s extremely knowledgeable and super enigmatic on how he presents himself, and he’s the reason why I have so much confidence in my own unique work.

They’re both amazing in my opinion, and I wish I could work with them both more often!

Website: https://dvxglobal.myportfolio.com/dvxglobal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dvxglobal?igshid=MTNiYzNiMzkwZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
by @dvxglobal