Meet Ivan McCartney | Camera Operator & Salesmen

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

Hi Ivan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my own business was a thought that grew from having no choice but to try it. I was a young man with a ton of ideas, no money, lots of know how, and a get it done attitude. Match that with a want to work ethic & pushed blind ambition you got yourself a business person.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work is a intricate dance of combining fun, creation, paperwork, hashing out difficult negotiations with big egos, and tight budgets. What sets me apart from others is I do my best to give you what you want Not just do what I feel is right. I believe photography is a collaboration for displaying art. I am proud of all my works. Particularly my early known works, being I had no professional experience, and was able to land work with Love & HipHop’s soon to be star, Yandy Smith. I am the 1st photographer for her 1st product line and magazine called EGL (Everything Girls Love). The fact that I was a unknown photographer that earned the opportunity to work beside a powerhouse before it was a powerhouse set my photographic journey off with an exciting blaze. I ran into many challenges like having to photograph my talents in the same room as well known photographers. Imagine being new to the game of photography and you have to share a room with known historic photographers that have dominated the field and already have good relationships in the field you are looking to make your living in? I showed no fear, in fact I embraced the situation with love and collaboration. I invited ideas and accepted guidance from the competition. In this it created a welcoming space for me to become aligned with the photographers that are now my peers in this sport we call photography.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I mean this is NYC its kinda hard not to have a good time. My 1st stop would be Harlem. Just walking the streets is a great start. Of course great food at Melbas or Caribbean Star. We have to get pictures in front of the APOLLO, Historic streets of Harlem demand that you Thompson Studios 125 for a good laugh. Later in the day we could hit the other side of the island & enjoy Malls that reside inside of corporate looking buildings. Parks that grow out of old railroads, & of course everyone wants to sit on the 42nd streets red stairs. Maybe see a off broadway show, take you to try some famous Hallal Food with the white sauce, go shopping, or just walk the o so popular 5th ave and of course take a cool smelly horse ride threw central park. If your feeling fit & risky we can rent a bike or get a citibike and cross the popular BK or Manhattan bridge. Later that night like 2am we can go dancing at Sisters or Beauty & Essex. If we do go clubbing be ready to come home with the sun.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Awwww man that list is longer than titanic the movie. I wanna shout out any and everyone that knows me and gave me a shot win or loose. Starting with fellow camera operators Rob Megget, Donald Stoot, Benardo Garcia, Jack Newton, Lindsay Adler, Hector from B&H, Victoria Will, and many more. All the model agencies that gave me test shoots to work and a fighting chance to create opportunities for their models. Agencies like Red Models, BMG Models, Elite, FORD and many others. Big shout out to my website creator and tech genious Edguardo Burgos. Huge shoutout Viceland TV for trusting me to work as a one man documentary team for multiple episodes of Dark Side Of The 90s” during the hight of covid-19. Forever greatful for the camera opportunities given to me from the people over at “Trevor Noha Show”. Big shout out to Healed Body for allowing me to photograph and assist in selling their product. Another shout out to the deceased great that constsantly inspire me aka Gordon Parks. Big thank you to Mary Mathews and all the entire photo crew I had the pleasure of working with on the movie Mean Girls. Of course I can’t forget all my TV and music people, like Mashonda, Vado, Yandy, Young Dro, JaRule, Sabrina Athena, Leanna Amos, Olivia Sky, the list continues. Another and final thank you to the person that switched me from charcoal drawing to photography. Mr. Springer. Once again this list could continue but I think you guys get the picture. It takes a village.