Your portrait of the man fishing is really good! Subtle, human and also very well composed. I love that we can see his surroundings. I would encourage you to continue this river project! Could be awesome :-)
Totally agree with the "project concept". As a young photographer, I was mainly shooting standalone photos, and there are some good ones, but I quickly realised they were a sort of an entry point to a story to be developed. So I started to force myself into creating series of at least 6 photos, as opposed to single standalone photos. Introducing small 6-photo projects helped me to not only find inspiration but also develop my story telling skills. For photography is all about telling stories, I think. So great advice Kyle !
Some very insightful stuff. I live in an area like this and you hit the nail on the head, as well as presenting some great ideas on how to combat the feeling of “there’s nothing to photograph”. So helpful!
Having come from a film beginning I love the way digital lets me warm-up if I lack inspiration. My dodge is to “photograph anything but in five technical / compositional different ways” then move to something else & repeat until I get over myself. Being digital I don’t feel the crush (cost!) of commitment using film caused. Yes, you’ve committed to the image but isn’t that a part of photography.
Great really needed video for me. I have a few projects I'm really excited about but one of the problems I had was approaching people. Your tales from the riverbank pictures have inspired me to not to worry so much though, because you show that people are really friendly and open if you just start talking to them and take an interest in their lives or hobbies; as I would be if someone approached me. So many thanks Kyle for the inspiration to make a start. 🙏
Cheers, Kevin. Yeah, I usually just strike up a conversation and don't rush things. You can get a feel pretty quick if it's worth asking or not. I think if you show that you're genuinely interested in people, most are open to having their photograph made.
I've been enjoying your videos due to your low-key style and an obvious love of photography. When you get excited, like towards the end of this one, it's like a kid's excitement.
Yessss totally agree, I struggle here in NH especially in the winter. When I was in California and Arizona it was no problem whatsoever. But I always bring my camera with me, even at work. You just never know what will catch your attention
Spot on. Finding a subject, as you've discovered, is a matter of « seeing » rather than just looking, being open/willing to change, looking afresh, concentrating on the particular/ personal, which can have resonance. Difficult: saying something meaningful about an often photographed place. Compare two photographs: the seminal Yosemite: « El Capitan » Ansel Adams (1952) and « El Capitan » Thomas Struth 1999 with cars in the foreground. Easier: saying something meaningful about the banal: « Fountain » Marcel Duchamp 1917 [urinal installation], « Campbell's Soup cans » Andy Warhol 1962. « Uncommon Places » Stephen Shore (1982) book of photographs.
Kyle - "One project is called Country Roads". Me - "TAKKEE ME HOOOOMMEEE" Haha but in all seriousness, this helped me because I have been stuck on what to shoot and where to go. Great advice as always Kyle.
Thanks for this! I live in Florida in the US. It's very flat, very boring most of the time. Outlining themes and planning ideas is a great way to find things to shoot that bring joy to my work. I appreciate the tips!
Fantastic, I love the idea of writing your project ideas down. I started taking photos 20+ years ago as a teenager and have a list of ideas that I have just found and gone back to after not really shooting much other than family and candid snaps over the past few years. Great for the creativity.
Thank you so much for making this inspiring video and sharing your experience. I have the same habit of writing down what ever occurs to my mind which could potentialy lead me to a new photo project and watching the way you organize your notes just helped me to better organized mine.
Great video Kyle! For personal reasons time and travel have been reduced considerably for me these past several years and living in a very small town of an agricultural area in Florida kind of limits me on things I would love to photograph elsewhere. I generally have several themes in the back of my mind when I head out for a quick drive or walk in town but I keep my eyes open for anything that grabs my attention and having a fuji camera I can quickly change back and forth to b/w if called for, I also take notes on things that I would like to revisit at a different time to photograph but when I can't get out at all on any given day I find birds, reptiles, flowers and macro photography in my yard to take images of. There's always something to photograph it's just a matter of having an opened mind to do so, it may not be national geographic material but it does help train my visual awareness I find.
Just made a youtube video going through the same practice. It's a great way to start working on the messaging within your photography - all the while start to build a cohesive body of work. Way more challenging than it seems but a great exercise nonetheless!
Also... if you're like me and very much working towards becoming a better photographer. Give youtube a shot. It's an amazing way to start developing your story telling skills which honestly has greatly helped me in my series work
Great video. Have you read "Place: A Short Introduction" by Tim Cresswell? I feel like a lot of your ideas have foundations in human geography and sociology.
@@KyleMcDougall I hope you find it useful, if simply to contextualise your work as an artist. The approach to place and space in your work chimes with discussions about landscape that take place in human geography, sociology, visual anthropology, etc.
This is something I struggle with - my area is beautiful but nothing grabs me. I may try going to the nearby town and doing portraits but I struggle with confidence asking people if I can take their portrait
Hey Steve, approaching strangers is always a bit awkward for most of us. My advice, is to strike up a conversation first, without any intention of making their image. You'll get a feel real quick if they'd be up for it or not.
How do you command yourself to be curious about everything. I cannot do it. I think if someone does not know what to shoot, he shouldn't shoot. Just because you were foolish enough to buy that DSLR, doesn't mean that you have to shoot. Weird problem.
Sometimes its not about a location being boring or lacking subject material. The old saying, "one person's trash is another person's treasure" when selling used goods. To the owner, they dont want it anymore as they have had it for years and it doesnt serve a purpose or excite the owner anymore. Its because the location we live in, be it small village to large city doesn't appeal to us anymore, we have become aware of every aspect of it and the wonder and amazement of where we live no longer excites the senses as before. I live in a rural area in Australia. I really want to photography busy cities, amazing coastal areas but unfortunately I am stuck with amazing rural sunsets and sunrises, vast land full of wheat, rice and various other crops, old farm silos, classic tractors....the list goes on. I have photographer friends that live in Sydney who always tell mw how lucky I am living where I do. In turn I tell them, NO, how lucky they are living in a city that is so full of subjects. The thing is both locations are exciting, but after all these years we have both shot the hell out of them, we know every inch of our home area and so it doesnt excite anymore. Its the same principle as owning a new car, you look after it, wash it religiously every week and make sure it doesn't get damaged but after a few years all that stops, its not special anymore, its just a car. Thats the way I see it. I can't see any more life in my small town that I can photograph because I have been there for 30 years and believe me, it hasnt changed.
Yes! Sometimes it is hard to find inspiration when you are in the same location over and over again. I get that with Oakville and Milton. Sometimes all it takes for me is to use a different lens (tele instead of a wide) or a different film. Generally, I keep all my notes in a notebook I keep tucked in my camera bag.
It can definitely be a challenge at times. And I agree, sometimes switching up format or the tools can provide some inspiration. I’m always thinking about doing something with square in the future as most of my work is 4x5 aspect ratio.
Very good suggestions. I am an extremely inquisitive guy in most areas of my life. But when it comes to finding interesting subjects to photograph, I become paralyzed and give up if in my mind I can't see anything worth shooting. I suddenly become a perfectionist. If the setting isn't perfect, I give up and go home. I hadn't thought about it until now. Something to work on.
Man, that image of the guy fishing is amazing.. really haven't seen shot like that before. Shot on film I presume? Could you get a similar look from digital?
Really good video! I'm from Croatia but I live in Mexico so I see things differently then people who live here. Your video ignited my brain. Now I have some thoughts that I have to write down. I only have my camera for 3-4 months ( sony a6000). Thank you and hello from Mexico City! 🤘🇲🇽🇭🇷
This is a lovely video for us down here in Melbourne Australia. We're in week 5 or 7 of severe lockdown number 7 or 8 who knows anymore. It would be lovely just to go for a walk and say `Hi' to someone else who's not me. Just to say `Hey, so good to see ya, how be ya', as the song goes. Other people are always so magnificent and so inspiring for photography projects.
Yeah, that's tough, Tony. Luckily we're not in lockdown anymore here in the UK. But it was definitely a challenge for me when we were. It felt like almost the entire first year of living here I was indoors or in my local area with not much interaction with others.
Great video, I decided to go back to my neighbourhood where I grew up and take photos of the places I played as a kid and move my camera closer to the ground so I get the same perspective as an 8 year old … so glad I did this … 👍🏼
I watch this channel to really torture myself. I wish I had the time to dedicate to a project. I have a couple of ideas that i have let go because I just can’t take the time to stop and pursue. Makes me sad.
The amazing thing is that I believe that the tips you've given here are not just for photography but can be applied to every creative process. As always, mega inspirational so thank you Kyle once again for this great content!
Just moved from Portland, Oregon to Waldron, Arkansas lamenting how boring everything is here. Coming across your video is just what I need. Thank you so much.
Wow, I am from Pennsylvania but lived in Waldron, AR for a while (very boring...lol). I moved to North Arkansas. A lot of beautiful places not far outside of Waldron, though. I didn't think I'd see another person say they lived in Waldron on RU-vid lol
Holy heck the lawn bowling example is too real for me because I literally walked past my local lawn bowling club last week and asked to take some photos of them playing and did so!
I find it interesting that you say the American southwest is good for finding interesting stuff around. I live in the southwest and i feel like i struggle to find interesting “concepts” or “themes” outside of Las Vegas nightlife.
To be able to say "regardless of where you live", one must have lived in all the places on earth. Otherwise, you are just guessing the conditions in which other people lives. There are places where you can get beat down just for carrying a camera visibly. I'll give you real life example that i personally experienced. I and my friend are hobbyists, we decided to hang out and shoot the streets and old buildings (not the people), but people who lives in that area are very poor and generally are in some relation to criminal activities or criminals (might be family member etc) so they have a lot to hide, and when they see people who walks around with cameras on their necks, they think they are either from law inforcement, insurance companies, banks and investments, or news and media. so they immediately get suspicious and aggressive. we almost got beaten. Sometimes it can be really hard to have an interest in photography in specific places. So i personally don't believe in "regardsless of where you live" part.
Without planning for it I started a project during the 2020 virus thing where I brought my camera when I go to my recycling center and throw things away, this project has saved me from completely falling into the pit of despair! The photos are nothing special, instead, it's the routine of taking pictures so that I don't forget my skills! Maybe one day I can make something from the photos too!
So glad you made this Kyle as this was my thought process just a few days ago. I have a good handful of projects I’m starting to conceptualize and figure out. As always looking forward to what’s to come.
I’ve been shooting since 2009 or 10, and all my photos are shot within bicycle distance of my home. I never go further than my bike can take me and home again in one day. I don’t know if I’m just lucky that I live in a place with a lot of different things to shoot. But I “feel” like there is lots of stuff to shoot around basically everyone.
Cheers for this Kyle. You've just made wanna pop out around the corner to to photograph, for the umpteenth time i might add, a piece of local wasteland. I've shot there quite a lot and have started to think I've probably exhausted its potential. I like to find beauty in the most unattractive places. Here's to hoping i can find some more this afternoon!
I'm moving today and will probably never have to worry again, as I will have beautiful hills, great old buildings, hundreds of years old knife making workshops, castles, lakes and lots of beautiful little valleys, forests and creeks right at my disposal. This being said, even in my mundane farmland dominated, flat as a pancake current home I always loved shooting the mundane, the not so impressive everyday landscape the most, as that is what really makes you hone your compositional skills an your eye for strong images.
Fantastic breakdown of this issue and how to get past it. Funny thing is I started doing this in my local area about 6 months ago and it did completely change my perspective on creating photos.
Really good video! I'm from Croatia but I live in Mexico so I see things differently then people who live here. Your video ignited my brain. Now I have some thoughts that I have to write down. I only have my camera for 3-4 months ( sony a6000). Thank you and hello from Mexico City! 🤘🇲🇽🇭🇷
Thanks so much Kyle for this! I remember asking you about projects and you have told me that you plan a video about projects and inspiration. The time was perfect for me to see this great video. Thanks so much! 🙌
Lately I have been getting more and more interested in the local history of my hometown and I recently found a photo book about my home town with old pictures dating from around 1880 to 1930 and I thought I would be fun to recreate those pictures and compare how these places look now. I already made a map with all the locations but until now I didn't really have the motivation to pursue this 'project' further. Your video really made me wanna go out and get started on this.
My car broke down the other day and I had to walk home and on the way I shot like a full roll spotting all kinds of things I hadn’t seen before. I’ve been doing a lot of specific themes, church steeples mostly, but I think I’m on my way to finding a project and have some IR ideas. I’m super curious already. I’m gonna apply what you said so thanks for making this! Gonna download that app too
kyle uploads a video cycle: I made my presets, I applied them to my shots, tweaked a little, thought "yeah this is good now", watch this video, put all images in the trash, now trying to make a new preset... 😖
Don't be so hard on your work. :) I know that's easier said than done, as I do the same thing often (look at other people's work, compare, and then feel not so great about mine). Embrace whatever direction you take your images and what feels right.
So good to watch this, thank you Kyle! I find your content planning, or subject/people approach, story structuring etc, so compelling. And you share these insights in such a humble way. Love it. And I find that not many other RU-vidrs are providing such content.
I had never thought of photo projects to help me stumble into an idea. I love it. I've been very bored of my surroundings and feeling pretty uninspired so I'm going to make a note of ideas that bounce into my head and give it a shot.
Many ideas to pick up in this video. Thanks a lot. Obviously, some places are more sexy than others. However, it could be an interesting challenge to photograph ugly places. But what's ugly? I think there's also a kind of perception bias in our surroundings, worn-out by our eyes... I also have an hypothesis. It's free. Maybe there's an heritage of evolution. Into the wild, in a new place, danger can be everywhere. Where can we find food, water, make a fire? So maybe it's natural to watch out, struggling with the unknown. I wonder if there's something about photography in anthropology studies...
Definitely a perception bias, IMO. I've even noticed that when I return to places that were once common to me (previous places I lived, etc.), I see them in a completely different way.
I've also discovered that if I go out with certain criteria, looks, etc in mind for shots, it saves me money by not shooting absolutely everything I see... It's easier for me to make the quick decision "Does this fit what I'm after today?" If not, I keep on walking.
Thanks, Kyle. So much fantastic and useful information here. I also uses notes on my phone to help. I find planning really long term also helps me-sometimes when I scout an area, I may decide it might look better in a different season so I put a calendar date on my phone and return later. I also find working with 'loose' themes like 'texture' or 'contrasts', means I have more choice for subject matter. Thanks again- great stuff as always!
Absolutely great video! Lots of good ideas, there's plenty of interesting infrastructure and utility's around me. I think I'll look into a story there. I would like to say your transition slides are hard to read and not very accessible. Would you be able to try and provide more contrast or a clearer font? Thank you in advance!
Great tips. I do the same with my notes app and have 4/5 different projects on to go at the moment. Would love to hear more about that app you use. Also love the sound of your home on the river project.
Really helpful, as this is exactly what I am struggling with right now. I think I will start to just focus on one colour and try to get a theme going with that. I would love to see more content like in this video!
Kyle has NEVER been to san jose california. Everything is brown. hills, houses, buildings, fences, islands in the street, trees, lamp posts, highway overpasses, everything is brown. Come here, take some shots, let's see if you'll update this video.
@@Adrian-wd4rn Hahaha…..I have no idea what I’m talking about I just thought maybe it could be fun but I am not a photographer at all. Evidently it would not be .
