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

Hi McKinley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I began pursuing photography seriously in the summer of 2004 right after I finished undergrad at Baldwin-Wallace University. All I really knew at that time was that portrait photography felt really good to me and that I absolutely would not go to my grave without pursuing it professionally. I legit remember sitting in the computer lab on a late night/early morning saying to myself that “I could die that much happier knowing that I tried….”

I’m very glad I made that decision. 22 year old me would be very happy if he could see me today lol.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Perseverance, trial + error, and faith are just a few of the things that got me to where I am today. I’m super excited and blessed to do what I do for a living. No two days are the same for me and I love that! One of the most important lessons that I have learned is that relationships are worth their weight in gold and more valuable than any check. After I finished undergrad in 2004 I spent SEVERAL years struggling financially and creatively until I landed a job at a local camera store in Cleveland, OH (my hometown) where I was able to meet and network with a majority of “big time” photographers and artists here. I want the world to know that my story is very much a Cleveland story and that there are a plethora of other artists here worthy of the spotlight and that we are more than our circumstances.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, we would probably spend sometime at my new studio in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood here. Some of my favorite restaurants that we would hit up include Alea (in Hingetown) or The Last Page Restaurant. We could also take in the museums in University Circle such as Cleveland Museum of Art or MOCA Cleveland.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s way too many people to name. For this piece I’ll definitely shoutout Marc Golub (my retired mentor), Theresa May who referred me to ShoutOut LA, and my wife Ramat 🙂

Website: www.thedarkroomcompany.com

Instagram: @thedarkroomco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedarkroomcompany/

Image Credits
The photo of myself (with the “crown” baseball cap) was taken by Angelo Merendino with permission

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.