Photographer Interview:
Dylan Warmack
BIO
Dylan Warmack is a curator, photographer, and a multi- media artist living in NYC. Hailing from Detroit with roots in Atlanta, Warmack is most known for his large scale photography installations that feature varying artists from across the globe. His work as a photographer covers luxury beauty campaigns, fashion editorials, brand look-books, and personal portraits. His work is a reflection of his obsessions: art, travel, and ebay deep-dives.
35s & 45s:
Through his personal 35mm photographs, Dylan is a purveyor of the random and overlooked. Capturing things we touch and use, but also pass by or disregard-he insists on showing their visual appeal. The imagery encourages thinking outside of our bubbles and following a path less thought of.
Tell us a little about yourself? Where you’re from, where you’re based now?
I’m originally from Detroit MI, currently living in the Lower East Side in New York City.
How long have you been shooting for?
I've been taking photos for about 6yrs and more seriously for about the last 3 years.
Did you buy your first camera or was it a gift?
I bought my first camera, I hadn’t moved to New York yet but I started spending a lot of time here. I had just got interested in William Eggleston and Thomas Demand and some other street photographers, so I decided to try to take some photos.
How has your photography evolved since when you first started?
I’m just more comfortable shooting and open to asking for help and advice from other photographers.
Does your environment affect your creativity?
My environment has little to do with my creativity, the most random things spark ideas.
Are you self taught? Any tips you have for people who are picking up photography?
I’m self taught, my tip would be to spend time in bookstores and learn about the history of all the different types of photography.
Your work focuses on a lot of objects and seemingly in between moments- is this purposeful?
I think some of it is purposeful, but some of it is just stuff that finds you. A lot of it is things that I just see. It's not like I planned it. I mean a lot of those photos are stuff from New York, another country, it's just like all over the place. That defines me. I remember walking in Mexico and seeing these random building blocks on the ground that followed a path and then I took a picture. Then I went to some market and I saw some signs. They would go on the same path, like the same motion. It's like, if you're looking at something, then you just can't help notice it. I just take pictures. So it's not like that stuff found me and I really found it.
“…we see so many images we become so desensitized and everything tends to feel the same, when indeed most images are very different and some deserve time to look further…”
You have a lot of bright color use in image, is color something you look for with composition in photos?
It's funny that you said that because I never thought about it that much. Actually right now, I kind of want to take a lot of black and white photos. I haven't really done that a lot. I've really been trying to figure out what I could do to make that interesting. I guess some of it is about color but it's not the only thing. It's more about the composition or something that I find interesting and the colors are just kind of a part of it.
What is your favorite photograph that you’ve taken and why?
My favorite photograph is probably the last photo I took. Every time I shoot something I'm always surprised with the final photos, and it feeds me wanting to take more pictures.
Do you prefer digital or analog? Why?
Right now I’ve been shooting digital but always have a film point and shoot with me. I prefer analog because it has a mystery to it and every time you get film back there’s at least one photo that will surprise you and keep you wanting to shoot.
What was the vision behind the show you curated with Seaport District NYC?
It was a relationship that I had cultivated over the years. They wanted people to kind of activate those spaces. Then because of COVID, it ended up being an arts project that made the most sense. Highlighting photographer's work at a large scale, most of the time kids, whenever they print stuff or even famous photographers can only print their stuff so big because it's so expensive to print, you know? 35 millimeter negative, it's so small, but for it to be blown up to 90 inches tall and 50 inches wide, that's huge. It's a good chance for people who would never, or for anybody to see their work blown up that big cause they never would be able, you know? It's not possible. I think it's just a cool opportunity that way. Right now, people want to show. I want to give people an opportunity to show work cause not a lot of people are having gallery shows and it's become a little bit more tricky. I think it’s cool when people are able to show work on that level.
Do you do curations of shows besides that one?
I've done a couple of things, but this is like the biggest thing. These are like the biggest ones to date. I'm working on a couple other things.
What subjects do your gravitate towards while shooting?
I gravitate to the bizarre or random things that aren’t supposed to be there. Looking back I’ve always been attracted to contradictions because things really are as they appear.
Any memorable moments of you trying to capture an image that stand out? How did that photo turn out?
One time I was in Paris just taking street photos, and I was walking past a window with blinds and all of sudden an eye just appeared looking through the blinds. I was too slow to take the photo but it's one of memorable moments and always a reminder to stay ready.
Candid or posed? Flash or no flash? Why?
Candid. Flash, the more light the better
Fave film stock? Why?
Ektar 100 or Portra 800. I like the colors of Ektar, and for portraiture you can’t go wrong with Portages 800
Would you say you have a consistent style of shooting?(Regarding specific lighting, location or subjects, or regardless of those things)
I've been shooting more in studios recently so playing with different strobe setups are fun, but the sun is the best light. I love just walking around and trying to make the most boring things look interesting.
Do you prefer portrait style or more behind the scenes?
That's tricky, it just depends, I shoot a lot of stuff for money. When I get paid to do these shoots, it's a different thing, you know what I mean? And I like doing it because I get paid to do it and it's fun. You don't always have models around, or people around you, but I could take a camera and walk anywhere and take photos that I like. Whereas, some of that stuff is people having to plan shoots. And sometimes I'm not good at that or just don't even want to be. It's just too much work, sometimes. I do like portraits. I’ve been shooting a lot of beauty stuff, hair and fashion. So that's something I've been liking to do more recently.
You use the term smart when talking about images, what do you mean?
A cyber friend who knows this famous fashion photographer. She had showed her a bunch of photos that I'd taken. She didn't really say anything about a couple of them. And she was like, “that's smart.” My friend told me that, I didn't really care that much, that she said that, but it made me think. That's kind of what I would want someone to say about it. Photos are just smart cause a lot of these images are stuff people pass by every day. You know what I mean? But I do think it makes you look differently. It's pretty much a lot of the stuff that I photograph are things that you have to pay attention to see. I mean, cause anybody could walk past it. It doesn't really mean anything to anybody. So it's like you have to be looking to see it.
When it comes to photography what moves you?
Just anything that makes you stop, especially because in a day we see so many images we become so desensitized and everything tends to feel the same, when indeed most images are very different and some deserve time to look further. Also maybe they don't.
Is there any particular element of shooting you’d like to tackle or explore?
I want to shoot more posed studio portraits and some more conceptual art ideas.
Is there any particular concept that you had in mind that you would want to do?
Something super sculptural or something that's more staged.
What camera would you want to be your last?
Hmmm probably Contax t3 or Leica m6.
What would you like people to take away from your work?
That the images are smart and slightly off.
Interview by 35s & 45s
03.16.21