Ian McFarlane, Photographer
Biography
Ian McFarlane (b. 1970) is an American portrait and commercial photographer based in Athens, Georgia. He grew up in Florida and Georgia and discovered photography as a high-school student in Atlanta. He later studied at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, where he began working as a personal darkroom printer and photography consultant for R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe. In that role, McFarlane helped guide Stipe back into photography, including printing the images for On the Road with Patti Smith (1998).
McFarlane’s first solo exhibition was in 1998 at Jane Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta. In 2000, he opened his own studio, working across commercial and fine-art photography. He later co-founded ATHENA Magazine and served as head of photography (2006–08), while also engaging in arts administration in Athens and working closely with painter-filmmaker Jim Herbert. His editorial and commercial clients include Rolling Stone, Spin, Jezebel, R.E.M., and the B-52s.
Artistic Practice
McFarlane works primarily in black-and-white, using natural light to create portraits that convey interiority, stillness, and emotional honesty. He explains: “My true love for photography is the portrait. I only use natural light, finding that special patch of light and allowing the silent dance to begin.” His minimalist approach favors intimate, often quiet settings that emphasize gaze, gesture, and psychological presence.
Many of his projects are rooted in personal narrative—grief, memory, and relational connection. For instance, his My Mother’s Daughter series emerged from the experience of losing his mother to dementia. McFarlane photographed mothers and daughters to create images of connection, both for the subjects and for his own healing. As he noted, “My goal was to create memories for these mothers and daughters…and for me to face the grief I had just begun to process.”
His work also includes black-and-white nudes and figure studies, such as Amy Wrap (1997), recently honored by Black & White Magazine in its 2023 Portfolio Showcase.
Ian Mcfarlane Jennifer Holding, 2016, 16"x 20" ( frame 19"x 26" ) ,Archival pigment inkjet print, Edition 3/20
Major Projects and Series
You Don’t Know How It Feels: A black-and-white portrait series of millennial women in Georgia, emphasizing introspection and quiet power. Featured in exhibitions in Athens and at Matney Gallery’s Fall Salon.
My Mother’s Daughter: An emotional portrait project of real mother-daughter pairs, grappling with themes of memory and personal loss.
Welcome: Ukrainian Refugees in Georgia: An ongoing portrait-documentary series of Ukrainian families resettled in the U.S. Southeast.
Amy Wrap (1997): A contemplative nude study in natural light, printed large-format, early in his career.
Selected Exhibitions
1998: Solo exhibition, Jane Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta
2002: Mercury Art Works, Athens
2016: You Don’t Know How It Feels, Chase Street Gallery, Athens
2025: Fall Salon, Matney Gallery, Williamsburg, VA
He has also exhibited with the Atlanta Photography Group, Photoplace Gallery, and the Lyndon House Arts Center.
Awards and Honors
1st Prize, PDN Black & White Portrait Awards (2019)
Photolucida Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist (2025)
Portfolio feature, Black & White Magazine (2023, 2024)
Winner, All About Photo Portrait Award (2023)
Multiple The Eye of Photography Weekend Portfolio features
American Photo magazine Portrait Award (2000)
Ian Mcfarlane, Dreaming,, 1993
Publications and Press
McFarlane’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Spin, Athens Magazine, Jezebel, and several photography books including Outdoor Photography: Portraits and Black & White Camera Craft. His series have been profiled by LensCulture, All About Photo, and The Eye of Photography, among others.
Artistic Philosophy
McFarlane sees photography as a way to hold space with his subjects rather than impose on them. His use of natural light and slow looking invites a mood of stillness, reflection, and vulnerability. The portrait, for McFarlane, is a mutual exchange—what he calls “a silent dance”—and his black-and-white approach strips away distraction to center the emotional core of each image.
Conclusion
Ian McFarlane’s work balances technical mastery with humanist depth. His portraits feel lived-in and timeless, grounded in an ethic of care and close attention. Across personal series and editorial commissions, McFarlane continues to shape a distinctive vision of contemporary American photography—quiet, poetic, and deeply felt.
Welcome: Ukrainian Refugees in Georgia: An ongoing portrait-documentary series of Ukrainian families resettled in the U.S. Southeast
Welcome: Ukrainian Refugees in Georgia: An ongoing portrait-documentary series of Ukrainian families resettled in the U.S. Southeast
Welcome: Ukrainian Refugees in Georgia: An ongoing portrait-documentary series of Ukrainian families resettled in the U.S. Southeast
