Meet Rashad McCain | Photographer

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

Hi Rashad, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For me, I’ve always had a passion for telling stories, whether it was by writing or through visuals such as photography. Some of my photographer influences have been Gordon Parks, Ernest Withers, Carrie Mae Weems, and others. I have always appreciated the ways they have told our Black stories through the eyes of a lens, and I just wanted to take a chance and tell some stories of my own.

Although I haven’t been doing photography very long, I decided that I want to be able to leave my mark and tell stories of my own that maybe someone else down the line can be inspired by. Photography has allowed me to begin the venture of expressing a creative side that I didn’t know at first I had, and each time that I get to do it, it brings me some happiness. You can’t ask for anything more liberating than that, in my opinion.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would tell anyone that no matter what venture you decide to get into, whether it’s athletics, music, photography, or something else, you have to constantly put in the work and dedicate your time to the craft you choose. I remember when my Dad bought me my first car, the first thing that he told me was “if you take care of the car, the car will take care of you.” You can say that it’s a lesson that I continue to try to apply to what I do now. With anything, the results you get are based on the energy and effort you put into it.

What makes me proud is coming up with new challenges and innovative ways to tell a person’s story through the lens. Photography is a craft that can take you so many different directions, with the common thread of you playing a conductor-type of role. It’s thinking about the next shot, the next locale, the next look, the next style that you want to try. Art, especially photography, to me has always been about being willing to step outside of your comfort zone, because there’s more than one way to tell a story. At the same time, it’s also about making your story relatable to people when you tell it.

Of course, there are many different challenges that come with any craft. The biggest thing to remember is to stay consistent, constantly practice your craft, never be afraid to fail, and to stay humble. Although there will be plenty of peaks and valleys with photography, anything worth having is worth fighting for it. You are the author of your own story, and you can’t let anyone else hold the pen.

My moniker that I have for McCain’s Lane Photography is being “Greedy 4 Respect.” I never really got into trying or doing photography for the money, but for me, it’s about people respecting who you are and what you do with your craft. If you want something bad enough, there are sacrifices that you have to make in order to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. My brand is constantly evolving, and being on the journey to see where this venture will take me has been to this point one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I’m just a man from the west side of Montgomery, Alabama trying to leave my footprint on this world. That, more than anything, is what McCain’s Lane Photography is all about.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
At my core, oddly enough, I’m pretty much an introvert! Little ironic considering what I do, I know! But, I would probably take them to The Legacy Museum for the Equal Justice Initiative in downtown Montgomery. I’m a big sports person too, so any good football or basketball game I’m usually up for seeing. Even though it’s been awhile because of the pandemic, I’m pretty nice on the pool table, so if you wanna take a L, people now know how they can reach me! Thanks Shoutout Atlanta!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout out and say thank you to some of the photographers that have inspired me throughout this journey, such as Walter Iooss, Deana Lawson, James Van Der Zee, Dawoud Bey, and plenty others that I’m forgetting to mention. Some photographers in the local area challenge me in their own unique ways to step up my photography game as well, and I take little elements of their styles and craft it into my personal one.

When I look back and see some of the prominent photos in American history, whether it’s telling the story of the Civil Rights Movement, iconic sports photos, or other moments, I look at each individual picture and wonder what the story behind each of them are. Some of them are subtle, others a little bit more direct. But they each tell their own distinguished story. For me, I guess that’s the reason why I chose to start doing photography in the first place. I want to be able to capture my own personal unique stories and convey as many human emotions as I can.

I want to thank my family for the continuous support that they provide for me every single day, and I hope that through my work and efforts, I have made (and continue to make) them proud.

Instagram: instagram.com/mccainslanephotography

Twitter: twitter.com/mccains_lane

Facebook: facebook.com/mccainslanephotography

Image Credits
Larkin & Co Photography (image credit for picture of me on rooftop holding camera, looking off)