Scott McDermott, Photographer and filmaker, LGB 1993
Scott McDermott
La Grande Boissière, 1993
Photographer and film-maker
USA
Find out more about me:
- Photography
- Insta: @ScottMcDermott_
- Films
- Children’s book
I live in New York City with my wife Olga and two kids Aksel and Ingrid. I work as a freelance photographer and film-maker shooting projects for advertising and editorial clients as well as directing commercial spots and short films. A few years ago I directed a feature documentary about racing driver Danica Patrick.
My favourite Ecolint memory: wow there are so many. Playing basketball outside at lunchtime. Ski trips with the ski team. Hanging out with friends on the grassy hill that is now the cafeteria. There are so many...
I routinely draw on general knowledge I learned at Ecolint, be it geography, history, math or any number of things that come up in daily life. I would also say I probably have a unique worldview of first-hand experience with many cultures. This is backed into my subconscious in a way that I may not always aware of, but occasionally, I realize that this is quite different from the “Usual American Experience” many people have had, in the community I live in now.
If I had it to do all over again, I would have applied to better colleges! At the time I didn’t realize how unique an applicant I was, being an international student, Eagle Scout etc.
I applied to decent schools and got into all of them, and was left wondering what would have happened if I applied to the very best ones. Not that any of that is all that important for the eventual career in photography I’ve had, but looking back I probably could have aimed higher at better schools and who knows what would have happened.
My words of wisdom for Ecolint students: participate! Do it all. I discovered photography in part by shooting pictures for the yearbook. You never know what might become your thing and experimenting with activities and interests outside of classes is key.