Arann McCormack talks photography, freelance life and cultural touchstones
Arann McCormack is a commercial, and editorial portrait photographer whose work concerns unconventional, contemporary compositions. She shares with us her life in culture.
Was a career as a photographer something you always aspired to?
Yes! I feel very lucky to have discovered my love for it at a young age, I think I first picked up a camera when I was 12. I never really thought about it becoming my professional career until I started my bachelor’s degree. I sometimes say I fell into it, but when I look back I think I have been subconsciously scheming for a very long time.
What is your process when creating a new work? How do certain themes and experiences feed into or present themselves in your photography?
Right now, all my work is a reflection of my own lived experiences. The themes I choose always seem to bubble up to the surface very naturally. It’s quite an unconscious practice, even in my editorial work the references I choose are normally always very similar to the way I see the world around me. I think subconsciously I’m trying to understand my own feelings or experiences, and by producing the work to an audience, I’m hoping someone will relate to it and validate that experience I feel. I will always have an overarching theme of girlhood in my work, I find it one of the most captivating things to explore and watch myself. I was quite confused about the world around me and my own identity when I was younger, so I’m probably just trying to figure her out too.
Tell us about The Heartbreak Chapel.
The Heartbreak Chapel is Ireland’s only Vegas style wedding chapel, and I am their in-house photographer! When they asked me to come on board the team it was a no brainer, the Chapel has the most incredible people working behind it and their values have always aligned with mine. We prioritise authenticity, aesthetic, and affordability, which I think is especially important in Dublin right now. There has been such a huge amount of love and hard work poured into the Chapel, you can feel it when you walk in. I can’t wait for the summer weddings.
Who is someone you look up to in the realm of Irish photography?
I’ve always been inspired by Joshua Gordon’s work. He’s very unapologetic in his style, especially in his commercial work, which can be difficult to come by in that specific sector. I’m very interested in the commercial world myself, but it can often be played too safe. Joshua finds a nice balance of authenticity while maintaining that aesthetic brand image.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
A few weeks after graduating from my BA in Photography I was the youngest person to be shortlisted in the AIB Portrait Prize 2024 at The National Gallery of Ireland. I then went on to win highly commended. To receive that recognition after only just finishing my degree was surreal, but to also reach so many young women was extremely rewarding, I still get really lovely messages now about the work from other girls my age.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew about working as a photographer?
Your energy and personality is 50% of the job. Your talent can be unmatched, but if you’re unprofessional or unpleasant to be around you will only go so far. For the most part, agencies are looking to source people that of course can deliver the brief, but also someone that’s reliable, and sound to be around for hours on long set days.
Tell us about the realities of life as a freelancer.
One reality that struck me quite early on is that you have to remain optimistic. If you start to let your doubts take over, you won’t last long. It was difficult for me at the beginning to not have total income security for months into the future, but I see it now as something really exciting, I never know what opportunity is around the corner for me.
What would you say to a budding photographer unsure of their next steps?
Ask questions! I meet with lots of young photographers who are confused post grad. Everyone’s individual experience is different, there is no one set way to go about it so I recommend talking about it out loud to someone who has taken that path before, even if it won’t look exactly like yours.
Arann McCormack’s life in culture
The last thing I saw and loved… The Smashing Machine directed by Benny Safide.
The book I keep coming back to… Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.
I find inspiration in… Music and people watching!
My favourite film is… American Honey directed by Andrea Arnold.
The song I listen to to get in the zone is… ‘Movements’ by Leon Vynehall.
The last piece of art I recommended is… Sons of Roisin, a short film about a young man from Belfast navigating the loss of his brother, and his hearing.
I never leave the house without… Basic but my headphones!
The piece of work I still think about is… Manchester Girls by Dean Davies, a portrait project blending the worlds of documentary and fiction.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… Someone shared with me the quote that says, “There are people less qualified than you, doing the things you want to do, simply because they decided to believe in themselves and take action.”
The art that means the most to me is… Probably my favourite film, American Honey, the cinematic representation of on paper ‘flawed characters’ was transformational in my approach to documenting the world around me. Incredibly complex characters but always captured in a way that is brutally honest, and beautiful because of that.
The most challenging thing about being an artist is… Learning to detach your self worth from how your work is received, your work is an extension of yourself, and displaying that to the world for critique and validity is always a difficult thing to navigate. Although, when it is received well, and perceived authentically there is no feeling to match it.
If I wasn’t a documentarian and photographer, I would be… Some kind of curator. If I wasn’t creating work I would certainly have some involvement in it.
The magic of art and photography to me is… There is a line in a famous documentary called Everybody Street, where a female photographer shooting New York street photography in the ‘80s says, “Photography is the only tool that can stop time itself.” That’s always stuck with me.
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