Declan! My man. So excited to finally have this conversation with you. To begin- can you introduce yourself to our community? Your name, where are based, and the mediums you work in?

Dave! Me too. Such an honor to be here with you. Absolutely I can; I’m Declan McWhinney (@declanrmc) and I’m based in Sydney, Australia! I’m a photographer and musician, however, my creative focus is on my street photography. My work aims to capture unique, special moments in order for me to write narratives using my images.

You write them well ser. Where do you trace your creative roots back to? And how did you come across photography in the first place?

Thank you ser! My creative roots trace directly back to my parents. Both of them have made careers out of their creative interests; my mum is an insanely talented graphic designer, and my dad is a world-renowned ceramic artist. Throughout my entire life, they both encouraged me to pursue any and all creative interests I had. Naturally, as parents, they always wanted me to be financially stable, however, they never suppressed me when it came to wanting to make a living through my creativity. When I started a band, they were worried, but after hearing us play live and seeing how much I enjoyed playing, they were beyond supportive. This was amplified tenfold when I began my photography career.

I’ve always had an interest in photography. I remember when my mum got her first camera phone, I always snuck it out of her bag and took photos of anything and everything. In high school, I studied photography and digital media, and I chose photography for my final art project. I studied different photography techniques and discovered chiaroscuro, which was what I chose to use as the underlying theme for my final body of work.

Fast forward five years to 2017, I was traveling in Japan and had just bought my first digital camera. I hadn’t discovered street photography yet, however, I simply took photos of what I found interesting, which turned out to be people. So when I got back to Australia, I started a new Instagram account and followed a few street photographers including you and Paola Franqui, the inspiration came flooding in, and my passion for the genre blossomed.

That's amazing to hear. I also was encouraged by my parents, and that allowed me to have thicker skin and more conviction when I met resistance from society and more bureaucratic systems. Glad you had the same support system. What is it about photography that you find compelling? Feel free to get specific.

That's wonderful to hear man. I've been in multiple clubhouse rooms/Twitter spaces where your dad has come up and spoken about how proud he is of you. That in itself is inspiring.

That’s a great question. So I have to go back in time a little bit here. I’ve always loved people. I’ve always been able to read and understand people quicker and on a stronger level than others. Now despite having loads of encouragement from my family, I still felt the societal pressure to go to university/college immediately after school. So with my love of people in mind, I applied for a psychology degree. I was accepted, which initially excited me, as I was very interested in studying the human mind. However I knew that I was not a book learner. Or I should say that I don’t respond well to the classroom environment. I learn everything through practice and experience. So I decided not to apply, and moved forward with my creative pursuits.

So what I find compelling about photography is its ability to freeze a moment in time, tell stories, and document history. After discovering street photography, I realised why I loved it so much - it was my way of studying people. As you know, you see so many different people when you’re out on the streets. I feel like through my photography, I’ve been able to learn more about people, and become more observant and aware of the complex beauty that is the human race.

Very well said. We have so much in common- I also felt the pressure to get a degree, and I did end up with psychology which actually helped me understand social networking. We also have a similar approach to why we love this craft. So glad to resonate with your ideas here.

You have an exciting NFT project coming up. How did you first find out about NFTs, and what can we expect from this upcoming drop?

I feel truly honored to be connected with you through our mutual approach to photography!

Yes! My next NFT collection is set to go live next week which I’m very excited about. I’ll get into the details of that after I answer your first question. I actually first heard about NFTs by seeing you and the legendary artist Oveck post stories about them on Instagram. I saw those same three letters crop up every now and then for a couple of months, and in March this year, I decided to do some research. I was blown away. I mean, the opportunity to make money through my street photography? How could I not be interested? What I didn’t understand yet, was that this was more than just an opportunity to earn. This was much bigger than that.

The words that everyone is familiar with by now, digital renaissance, perfectly describe what NFTs represent. The more I thought about it, the more it began to sink in. This was a MASSIVE cultural shift in the way we think and operate with art, with business, and with each other. I came for the money, but I stayed for the community, which has been the best part of this whole journey. I have developed some beautiful relationships with people I honestly 1: never thought would notice me, which shows how our perspectives have been warped thanks to web2 mentality, and 2: have shown me so much love and support, more than I felt I deserved.

On that note, the details of my next NFT project: it’s called 'Ghost Stories'. It's a collection of 42 images containing fog, steam or smoke, mysterious silhouettes, and aims to shine a light on the fact that there is a remarkable cohesion that goes hand in hand with the individuality of the human race. This collection also aims to encourage the audience and collectors to create their own stories for each image. It will be dropping on Wednesday, December 1st on OpenSea, and I’m beyond excited to have it on the blockchain.

Thats amazing to hear our interconnected global communities allowed you to find a way to monetize your art in a way that has never been possible. It's truly amazing that we've all been creating for the love of the craft, and now it feels like with these new markets, we are being retroactively compensated for all that hard work. What a time to be alive!

Lastly, what is your advice for someone earlier in their creative path, and what is your advice for artists entering the wild world of Web3?

It truly is special to be part of history. Especially to be able to recognise it as such!

Another great question! For someone early in their creative path, I have two pieces of advice. First, the obvious but most crucial one is to practice. Once you know what creative medium you find most enjoyable, and want to explore it more, give it 100% of your available energy. Practice it every day, let it become a part of your soul. Make sure to enjoy every moment, especially the failures. I know this sounds cliche, but it truly is crucial when it comes to the development of your craft and the development of you as a human.

My second piece of advice is to not be afraid to ask for help. I feel like for the last ten years or so, we’ve been taught that we can’t reach out to people and that we can’t lean on others for support, especially people we look up to. It is an artist's responsibility to educate and lift others up and you should always feel comfortable reaching out to your inspirations for guidance.

For those entering Web3, I highly recommend exercising patience and doing research. I say this because I believe I didn’t do either of those things when I began my journey in this new era. It took me a couple of months to slow down and truly understand what I was involved in. In fact, I'm still learning because this space moves at lightspeed. There is SO MUCH opportunity in Web3. If you keep an open mind and put your heart and soul into every move you make, you will see a 1000x return, not just financially. People will see your passion and your dedication and want to give it back. Above all, be available for others and be sure to lift them up, for we are nothing without the community that surrounds us.

Beautiful my dude. We eagerly await the drop, and we are all wishing you the best for a successful drop. The collection looks beautiful. To the reader, connect with Declan on his Twitter, his Discord, Foundation, and Instagram.