Photo Projects - How to Find Direction, Subjects, & Creative Ideas

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  • Опубліковано 28 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 92

  • @RobbieMaynardCreates
    @RobbieMaynardCreates Рік тому +17

    I find it really compelling to hear you talk about balancing two projects at the same time.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +2

      Cheers, Robbie. Something that I wouldn't have done in the past, but now I'm actually finding it to be really helpful-just giving myself a break from one, and going to work on the other. It's helped me avoid getting burnt out.

  • @whosjozikolnik
    @whosjozikolnik 11 місяців тому +5

    I have to say lately I've felt really connected to the work you put out here on youtube. no one else does something that resonates so deeply. the videos feel intimate and flow very naturally. you have way more influence than it may seem, I really appreciate the work you put into these videos. cheers!

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  11 місяців тому

      Appreciate the kind words. Thank you!

  • @robbiemurrie7562
    @robbiemurrie7562 Рік тому +7

    Your transparency on how long it takes to formulate a clear idea for a project is good to hear. I feel a lot of people love the idea of a project but not so much the long development of one or even just putting boots on the ground and going to make it. I thought when I started my current work I had it figured out but it’s taken a year of trips, using different cameras, a workshop and mentoring one on one to realise it’s only just getting started now with some clarity.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +2

      Cheers, Robbie. Yeah, I think it's important to talk about this kind of stuff, especially nowadays where everything is so instantaneous. I'm learning to love the long, tedious, and slow process of project work. And am trying to embrace all of it-not just the image-making.

  • @SamMcGhee
    @SamMcGhee Рік тому +4

    This video was so perfectly timed in my life. I have been trying to identify the core personal meaning of a photography project I am developing. The moment I pushed play on this video the title came to me and I’m feeling inspired. This video was very impactful.

  • @kuzmanator
    @kuzmanator Рік тому +17

    Love that you’re making videos like this. So so valuable. More than any technical video. As someone whose personal work focuses on long form projects this video really hit home and is a good reminder of the value of work and dedications of time and openness to change.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Glad you enjoyed it. And yeah, I much prefer making these types of videos. They aren't as popular to the masses, but to me, feel much more helpful.

  • @BryanBirks
    @BryanBirks Рік тому +5

    So true about talking with people and taking your time.
    Can’t wait to see that portrait.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому

      Yeah man, I'm sure you can relate with your work. So important to get to know your subjects.

  • @lanemortensen1952
    @lanemortensen1952 2 місяці тому

    Your approach to really jumping into your subjects is very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

  • @thiagobnla
    @thiagobnla 11 місяців тому +2

    the picture of the door saying "please close.." reminded me of the explosion in the sky's take care album.

  • @Larpy1933
    @Larpy1933 11 місяців тому +1

    Almost every one of your photographs is a visual poem. As I watched your video for the 2nd and 3rd times, your narration fell on me like light rain. It is your work that I couldn’t get enough of.
    And: you’re working sometimes in digital. That’s reassuring as I’m thinking of adding that to my repertoire.
    Others (in other YTs) have noted the very high level of your videography. I agree. Completely.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  11 місяців тому

      I appreciate the kind words. Glad you enjoyed this one. Cheers.

  • @RussWeymouthPhotography
    @RussWeymouthPhotography Рік тому +4

    Parallel to this, I've also been visiting the slate Quarries in Snowdonia over the past few years, photographing Dinorwic, Diffwys, Rhosydd, and Dorothea Quarry. I'll be returning later this year, taking in Cwmorthin Quarry and others, building up a body of work.
    It's a good idea to have a project to focus on. It gives a sense of purpose, something to aim for.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Cheers, Russ. Yeah, one of the big things a project gives me is a framework and sense of purpose with images.

  • @dmay1100
    @dmay1100 Рік тому +4

    Hey Kyle; great video, it helps to be reminded that not every time a photograph has to be created. I struggle with the mind set regularly, as well as direction of a project. I have a tendency to wander aimlessly at times and find other things to spark my interest. Thanks again for the video have a great week!

  • @magnusrasmussen6128
    @magnusrasmussen6128 Рік тому +2

    Im so excited to follow along with these projects. Love the vlog style videos you do on your projects

  • @MakersTeleMark
    @MakersTeleMark Рік тому +1

    Good food. Thanks for sharing the meal.

  • @speliotis
    @speliotis Рік тому +2

    Thank you for the inspirational video.. I noticed the way you frame your video is pretty much how you frame your stills... Would you please explain how you manage to shoot video & stills.... Your working relation with video & stills.... Thank you

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Cheers. Maybe something I'll talk about in a future video more in-depth. But long story short-I shot and directed outdoor television for seven years at the start of my career, usually as a one-man crew. So most of my approach is based off of how I worked then.

  • @Larpy1933
    @Larpy1933 11 місяців тому +1

    Damn! That was fascinating and useful to me. I think I’ll watch it twice more - RIGHT NOW! Thx and GOOD LUCK.

  • @liveinaweorg
    @liveinaweorg Рік тому +1

    I have enjoyed your 'An American Mile' book but am finding your exploration of Britain to be eye opening. I'm familiar with some of the places and topics having lived close to an American Airbase in Suffolk and hiking through North Wales but the attention to detail and insights you bring are all so new to me.
    In answer to your question about approach to a project, my experience on one project is quite different. I suddenly became aware that I kept being drawn to taking pictures of chairs when I stopped on an outing and took a few minutes to take a picture. Being in a farmshop restaurant at the time with my wife, son and a couple of friends made me think to myself: why is this shot important? I realised when I got home and started to look through my five star images (yeah, there aren't a huge number of those) that chairs in one form or another featured often.
    A project about chairs? Well, I think it's about more than just the inanimate object just as your image of the wall painting of the US states is about much more than a bit of WWII 'graffiti'.
    Wow! Haven't written a comment this long since someone claimed Freddie Mercury wasn't the best frontman ever

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Thanks for sharing your, experience. For me, I'm becoming very interested in images that have a deeper story or history, but without knowing the context, may seem like nothing.

  • @LandonWhitsitt
    @LandonWhitsitt Рік тому +2

    Thank you for taking the time to explain this. Perfect timing for me.

  • @dan.allen.digital
    @dan.allen.digital Рік тому +2

    Thanks Kyle. Your videos have encouraged me to think about taking on my first photography project. I think a video about deciding what camera to use for a project (film vs digital) would be helpful.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому

      Cheers, Dan. Maybe something I'll talk about in the future. But what I will say, is use whatever fits your way of working the best, and will allow you to just get out and make the work. At the end of the day, the success of the project/images won't be based around if it's film or digital.

  • @lukemerrill1272
    @lukemerrill1272 11 місяців тому +1

    This is so helpful. Thank you for your generosity in taking the time to share this Kyle. Thank you!

  • @phvrvohxo
    @phvrvohxo 5 місяців тому

    thanks for this video, made me figure out how to tackle a project i am currently working on here in jamaica

  • @Drew_1983
    @Drew_1983 Рік тому +1

    Needed this video. Had a project in my mind a while back after watching another video of yours. Wrote down some ideas and left it at that but after watching this I’m going to dive back in and see where it takes me. Thank you!

  • @SlavaVeres
    @SlavaVeres Рік тому +1

    Wonderful video! ❤ Kyle, thanks for sharing your projects and your thoughts and tips. In my experience it does take some time for ideas to develop and crystallize. I do follow your advice and I just go out and shoot and let the project to unfold at its own pace. It also teaches me to be patient with my ideas. Regarding your abandoned airfields project… a thought came to my mind about defence installations and battlefields in my home country of Ukraine 🇺🇦 One day many decades into the future some photographer will find an abandoned military outpost and will make a project about it. I wish for my nation to put the war behind them sooner than later. But not before we liberate our entire county from the Russian aggressors…

  • @Doutchy
    @Doutchy Рік тому +1

    Many thanks Kyle, these videos really help me feel i'm not a total photographic failiure! Hopefully i'll bump into you one day around Blaenau, an area that means a lot to me. I've been photographing above and below Blaenau for years now.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Glad you enjoyed! And yes, I try to get up there as much as I can!

  • @jamesbarnes3063
    @jamesbarnes3063 Рік тому +1

    Great tips, I get into photograph and get there and done itis that afterwards I sometimes forget why and what, thanks for the reminder

  • @devinpense
    @devinpense Рік тому +1

    Love An American Mile. I proudly display it in my office and look through it often. Thanks for the inspo. I work in the film industry and the development process is key to the success of the end result. Sometimes even developing something for a while and letting it go because it doesn’t have the juice to get across the finish line. I actually never thought about developing a photo project 🤦🏼‍♂️ I get wrapped up in taking too many pics. Thanks again for the tips! Looking forward to your new project. Cheers.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Cheers, Devin. I can definitely relate to your thoughts with the development process for film/video.

  • @EYDIMUSIC
    @EYDIMUSIC 11 місяців тому +1

    Excellent guidance, excellent work, excellent channel 👍

  • @vproven
    @vproven Рік тому +1

    Awesome post. One of the best.

  • @ralfschoeneck2089
    @ralfschoeneck2089 11 місяців тому +1

    Thank you! It helped me very much for rethinking how to approach my project. Especially to involve people who to get not only more background but provide also a emotional aspect to me and the project I am starting soon.

  • @ikechadmedia3116
    @ikechadmedia3116 Рік тому +1

    Thank you for sharing. I’m currently developing my first photography project. This was much needed advice

  • @adamcarter6649
    @adamcarter6649 10 місяців тому

    Really interesting Kyle and so good to hear about your processes. It's easy to get a bit lost with gear videos, but actually I think a lot of our imagery will end up looking the same regardless of what gear one uses. For instance I'm always considering whether I want to change up something, but when I look at my website I realise that all my imagery looks the same, regardless of what I used to create it. So for me, the best research is to challenge my own working process, not my equipment, and when I watch your videos I think about my normal processes with retrospection.

  • @jaredashtons
    @jaredashtons 11 місяців тому +1

    great video man! love the insights and sweet spirit with which you talk about and present it, brother!!!!!❤

  • @carbonejack
    @carbonejack Рік тому +1

    Another informative and inspiring video.

  • @mattbray_studio
    @mattbray_studio Рік тому +1

    your videos are always so helpul mate. appreciate what you do. all the best!

  • @Shmooexe3440
    @Shmooexe3440 Рік тому +1

    This was really helpful to find motivation to go out and shoot, thank you Kyle. Also for your WWII project, you might want to check out some places in South Dorset, there are a few Airfield buildings and pill boxes hidding around in the forests, hope this helps

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Cheers. I'm actually heading down that was at the start of March!

  • @simonberry1977
    @simonberry1977 Рік тому +2

    Always inspirational Kyle, thanks

  • @AlexDimopoulos
    @AlexDimopoulos 11 місяців тому

    Great advice 😀

  • @Chrsflks
    @Chrsflks Рік тому +1

    Such a great video, I’ve been wanting to sort of do a photobook project and I think was some much needed inspiration, also my family are from Blaenau Ffestiniog and I remember going there as a kid (I’m north east wales based) and it has always had this village in the most vibe to it and your shot of a misty Blaenau hit me in the feels, so thank you for that

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому

      Cheers! Yeah, there's something special about the Blaenau area.

  • @AntoineGeorgelin
    @AntoineGeorgelin Рік тому +1

    As always, incredible video! Thank you for this deep dive in your process.

  • @constantinestewart7416
    @constantinestewart7416 Рік тому +1

    Thanks Kyle for sharing, this is good advice for me because I always feel I need to be out making images. But taking the time to explore, observe and learn about a subject is equally important.

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому

      Cheers. And yep, as mentioned in the video, lot's more to do other than just making images. It all adds up!

  • @davidh8258
    @davidh8258 Рік тому +1

    Another great video,very informative. gave me ideas for a old church project in my province of Saskatchewan ,Canada

  • @ChrisW.Fuji_Canon
    @ChrisW.Fuji_Canon Рік тому +1

    Wonderful Project😍

  • @liamivarsson
    @liamivarsson Рік тому +1

    Such a valuable video

  • @James.5703
    @James.5703 Рік тому +1

    really good video.

  • @cjwomack
    @cjwomack Рік тому +2

    Good stuff here man!

  • @coreymagz3145
    @coreymagz3145 Рік тому +1

    I'm in the very beginning stages of planning my first massive project which I hope to eventually turn into a book so this is probably so sort of sign that I'm on the right path in terms of this video coming into my life. Thank you!

  • @BraveNewWorldAH
    @BraveNewWorldAH Рік тому +1

    great video mate

  • @bengibbardofficial
    @bengibbardofficial Рік тому +1

    great video, appreciate the insight and invaluable to see your approach to these projects -- just fyi can hear every smack of the hand on the desk when wearing headphones fwiw :)

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +1

      Cheers. And yeah, my mic holder broke, so had a bit of a shitty rig setup for this video.

  • @MikeGrayFilm
    @MikeGrayFilm Рік тому +1

    Love it!

  • @jaewalken
    @jaewalken 11 місяців тому +1

    Great work Kyle. What camera and film are you using for this slate project?

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  11 місяців тому

      A few different ones due to indecisions-GFX100S and 4x5 with HP5 and FP4.

  • @tobycunningham797
    @tobycunningham797 Рік тому +5

    Hi Kyle, great video, enjoy the channel, but keep out of the Churches, that’s my project - where the light falls - visit my local churches on sunny days and wherever the light falls I take images, mostly still life and details rather than vista of the interiors. But it’s mine! I promise to keep off the slate quarries (but not the east coast airfields!) take care, Toby

    • @kodithebear
      @kodithebear Рік тому +2

      There is enough to share man. Are you seriously telling another photographer to not shoot a subject? Every photographers work will be different even if they capture the same or similar subject. Relax 😂

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому +5

      I'm assuming he was joking.

    • @spincityvisuals
      @spincityvisuals 11 місяців тому

      @@KyleMcDougallodd joke as no part of it was even remotely humorous

    • @nightjedi1026
      @nightjedi1026 10 місяців тому

      What a strange and unnecessary comment

  • @OUoht14l
    @OUoht14l Рік тому +1

    I wouldn’t mind having more videos where you just show you taking pictures in the field

    • @xzzxxxxzzx
      @xzzxxxxzzx Рік тому

      5x6 would be great

    • @KyleMcDougall
      @KyleMcDougall  Рік тому

      More to come. I enjoy making those, but they're difficult for me (balancing video + image making). All of the Wales footage in this video was from a trip video I shot, which didn't end up working out.

  • @JohnnyMcMillan
    @JohnnyMcMillan Рік тому +2

    Ace video but the audio music seems a little loud in this one?

  • @Olyvia..
    @Olyvia.. Рік тому

    Why did you call it UNTITLED (TITLE)? Not so untitled now, is it