We're back! It's been a while. Check out the last episode if you missed it as I went in-depth with an update—talking about where I've been, and what's in store for the future.
With that being said, I wanted to kick things off with this interview that I did with Wesley Verhoeve. We actually recorded this last year, and I feel terrible that it's taken this long for me to post it up, but I didn't want it to launch in the middle of the break I took from the show.
So, here it is, and I'm excited to share it.
If you're not familiar with Wesley, he's a very talented photographer and curator, who has just released his first monograph titled 'Notice'. In this interview, we talk about his early career in the music industry, how he discovered photography, and then we spend the majority of time talking about how his latest book project came to be.
This is a really interesting one as Wesley first started this work while he was in lockdown in Vancouver during the early stages of the pandemic.
Things we touch on include:
Definitely take some time to check out Wesley's work. I put links below to his website, and Instagram, as well as a link to his book 'Notice'. He still has some copies available if you're interested in ordering!
Thanks for listening!
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Hey everyone, for today's solo episode, I want to focus on something that was inspired by a recent Q&A that I did on my Instagram—and that is talking about extremes.
One of the most common answers, when I asked people what their biggest challenge is with their photography, was that they suffer from things like imposter syndrome, lack of satisfaction, comparison, and lack of energy. IMO, these are things that are often caused by us living in the extremes—where we pick apart every little thing we do and label it as amazing or a total failure. And that also applies to how we view ourselves when it comes to things like our capabilities, worth, talent, and so on.
Anyways, just a quick episode today, but I hope it helps you in one way or another!
Also, if you're interested in signing up for my 'Field Notes'—which is a bi-weekly email series that touches on more topics like this one—you can do that here: http://eepurl.com/hfQ9jz.
As always, I'd love to hear from you, so shoot me some feedback or suggestions for episodes moving forward.
Cheers!
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Find out more at www.contactsheetpodcast.com
Follow the show on Instagram: @contactsheetpodcast
Follow Kyle on Instagram: @kyle__mcdougall
Hey everyone, for today's solo episode, I wanted to talk about what I think is one of the most important skills you can have as a photographer—that is patience.
Nowadays, more than ever, it can be easy to feel the need to constantly be creating and sharing work, but in doing so, you can easily miss out on ideas and opportunities that present themselves when you take a slower approach.
Recently, I spent the last month making a bunch of duds... basically creating images that either didn't live up to my expectations or were just plain out bad. But those 'outtakes' are important, and they're often where you find little hints that lead you in new directions. It was a great reminder to me about how important it is to stay curious, and not beat yourself up if you're not always creating 'winners'.
I figured it'd be a great topic to discuss for today's episode. I hope you enjoy it and that it gets some ideas rolling.
Also, if you're interested in signing up for my 'Field Notes'—which is a bi-weekly email series that touches on more topics like this one—you can do that here: http://eepurl.com/hfQ9jz.
As always, I'd love to hear from you, so shoot me some feedback or suggestions for episodes moving forward.
Cheers!
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Find out more at www.contactsheetpodcast.com
Follow the show on Instagram: @contactsheetpodcast
Follow Kyle on Instagram: Show more...
In this episode, I'm talking with Tadas Kazakevicius—a documentary photographer from Lithuania, and someone whose work I’ve been a big fan of for a while now.
I first came across his work a couple of years ago and was immediately drawn into not only the aesthetics but also the energy that his images possess—especially his environmental portrait work.
There was a lot that I wanted to cover in this interview, including learning more about Tadas’ book that he just released titled ‘Soon To Be Gone’, which is a journey through rural Lithuania documenting its landscape and people.
Other topics we touch on include:
As well as many other things.
If you're not familiar with Tadas’ work, definitely take some time to check it out at the links below. Also, if you’re a photo book collector, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of ‘Soon To Be Gone’. You can do that by getting in touch with Tadas on IG or through his website.
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Hey everyone, today I want to take some time to talk about ego, and how it can hold you back from growing as a photographer and achieving the goals that you have.
As I get further along in my career, I've realized that it's all about doing the opposite of what your ego wants—embracing the things that make you uncomfortable, like a fear of failure and a fear of being judged by others.
I hope you enjoy this episode today and that it gets some ideas rolling.
Also, if you're interested in signing up for my 'Field Notes'—which is a bi-weekly email series that touches on more topics like this one—you can do that here: http://eepurl.com/hfQ9jz.
As always, love to hear from you, so shoot me some feedback or suggestions for episodes moving forward.
Cheers!
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Find out more at www.contactsheetpodcast.com
Follow the show on Instagram: @contactsheetpodcast
Follow Kyle on Instagram: @kyle__mcdougall
In this episode, I'm talking with Chiara Zonca—a fine art photographer originally from Italy, now based out of Western Canada.
I've been a big fan of Chiara's work for a while now, and I'm sure many of you listening to this are probably familiar with her images. I've always been fascinated by the look and unique quality of her photographs, so it was cool to be able to learn more about her journey and approach.
Chiara's images documenting the landscape have a surreal dreamlike feel to them, and they also showcase a unique personal connection—something that we dive into in this interview.
Other topics we touch on include:
And many other things.
If you're not familiar with Chiara's work, definitely take some time to check it out at the links below. You can also find a link to her book 'Desert Portraits'. I hope you enjoy the talk!
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Chiara’s Website
Chiara’s Instagram
Buy ‘Desert Portraits’
You can find out more about the Contact Sheet Podcast on our Website and Instagram
Hey everyone, have a solo episode for you today where I talk about a few of my favourite takeaways from Alec Soth's 'Photographic Storytelling' course that he released last year with Magnum.
Some of you may have watched the video I did about this on my YouTube channel, but I wanted to do a podcast episode about it just to expand on things a little bit, and also for those that may have missed it.
If you want to check out the video I made about this, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/1s8NJZn-LI0
Hope you all enjoy this one, and as always, shoot me some feedback or suggestions for episodes moving forward.
Cheers!
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Contact Sheet Website: https://www.contactsheetpodcast.com/
Contact Sheet IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast
In this episode, I’m talking with Tim Franco—a French-Polish photographer who is currently living in South Korea.
Tim does a wide range of work, including editorial and commercial, but it was his personal projects that first grabbed my attention, including his first book ‘Metamorpolis’, as well as his soon-to-be-released project ‘Unperson’, which documents the stories of North Korean defectors.
I was immediately fascinated not only by the subject matter with this project, but also the creative approach that Tim took—combining portraits that were created using large format pack film with landscapes of various border crossings and stories from the defectors themselves.
Tim’s willingness to experiment, as well as his dedication and patience, are very apparent as you browse through his work, and it was great to have a chance to learn more about his process and history with his craft.
If you’re not familiar with his work, I definitely recommend checking it out at the links below, and if you’re a photobook collector, hop over to his website and pick up a copy of ‘Unperson’. It looks like it will be an amazing addition to any collection.
Enjoy!
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Hey everyone! Happy new year... I'm a bit late with this one, but I wanted to get up this episode giving you all a bit of an update, as well as talking about some of the photography rules I'll live by in 2021.
It's been a busy past few months, but I'm currently working away in the background on some new interviews and solo episodes, and am planning to get back on track here in the near future with weekly releases.
Also, if you're interested in signing up to my 'Field Notes', which I talked about in the episode, you can do that here: http://eepurl.com/hfQ9jz.
Hope you all enjoy this one, and as always, shoot me some feedback or suggestions for episodes moving forward.
Cheers!
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Contact Sheet Website: https://www.contactsheetpodcast.com/
Contact Sheet IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast
I've always been interested in learning more about how other photographers approach their craft. I find that being able to relate to an artists's process and way of working can be extremely encouraging, especially if it's someone who you look up to.
I recently started reading a book called 'Photo Work', which was put together by Aperture (https://amzn.to/2LNSF8x). It's a great little publication that includes interviews with forty different photographers, asking them all the exact same questions about the process.
I've found the answers to be incredibly insightful, touching on topics like how a project is started—intuition vs concept, photographic style, knowing when a project is complete, and some other great ones.
As I dive deeper into putting together my first photo book, I've become really interested in learning as much as possible about projects and direction, and I found this book to be a wealth of knowledge.
So, in today's episode, I wanted to share a few answers that I really connected with and have a chat about projects, in hopes that it provides you with some value, and helps you in your journey.
Hope you all enjoy this one, and as always, shoot me some feedback or suggestions for episodes moving forward.
Cheers!
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Contact Sheet Website: https://www.contactsheetpodcast.com/
Contact Sheet IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast
Film photography has seen a resurgence over the last few years and the community is growing daily. As someone who works with film as their medium of choice, it's been amazing to see this boom, and also to connect with so many artists who have embraced the analog process.
I recently did a Q&A episode on my YouTube channel, and someone asked me what I thought about this boom. I answered briefly in the video but figured it'd be a great topic to expand on in a podcast episode. So today, that's what we're talking about.
I also touch on dealing with criticism as a photographer, as I think it's a fear that can often hold people back from creating and sharing their best work online.
Hope you all enjoy this one, and as always, shoot me some feedback or suggestions for episodes moving forward.
Cheers!
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Contact Sheet Website: https://www.contactsheetpodcast.com/Contact Sheet IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast
In this episode, we’re chatting with Sean Tucker, a UK based photographer who I’m sure many of you are already familiar with. Sean also has a very popular YouTube channel, which is quite different than most others in the photography realm.
I came across Sean’s work a couple of years ago was immediately hooked by his message. I also loved the fact that he was putting out content that focused on the creative life and the ebbs and flows that come with it.
If you haven’t watched any of his videos before, Sean often speaks about things like ego, creative envy, and online criticism—which can all end up as roadblocks if we’re not careful. His philosophical approach is refreshing and the content he’s creating is an incredibly important and necessary addition to the photography world
This interview is very much a conversation about navigating the creative life, as we dig into Sean’s career, and talk about things such as the importance of consistency and doing the work, getting clear with your direction, not being afraid to make changes with your work, as well as some other really important topics.
I hope you all enjoy this conversation and get some value from it.
Make sure to check out Sean's work at the links below!
Sean’s Website
Sean’s YouTube
Sean’s Instagram
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Another mini-episode for this week talking about a few things that have been on my mind recently that were influenced by a recent project I completed. Also, regular episodes will be back soon! I'll be honest, things have been crazy over the last month with making the move over to the UK from Canada. But I'm finally starting to feel somewhat settled and I promise to bring some consistency back to this show very soon.
As for today's episode, I'll go into more detail during the show, but the main points are:
1. It All Matters
2. Do You Like It?
3. Make Work That People Won't Like
The regular interviews will continue next week, but I've been having fun recording these mini-episodes and have gotten some good feedback on them. If you've been enjoying them, make sure to reach out and let me know. Always love hearing your thoughts!
Also, I just launched a 'Contact Sheet' T-Shirt for sale on the website. If you want to support the show, you can pick one up here: https://bit.ly/3ieHvnS
They're only $20 plus $5 shipping worldwide.
Hope you enjoy this one!
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Contact Sheet Website: https://www.contactsheetpodcast.com/
Contact Sheet IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast/
Today’s guest on the show is Alex Burke who is a landscape photographer from Colorado, working exclusively with 4x5 large format film.
After a brief period of time spent shooting with 35mm at the start of his career, Alex made the jump to 4x5, and he’s been using ever since—and with that comes a wealth of knowledge and experience. Alex is someone whose work I’ve been a fan of for a while now, and I thought he’d be a great person to sit down with to talk about the world of large format.
Any of you who are familiar with Alex’s work will know that he’s incredibly talented—everything from the way he uses light in his images, to his skillful compositions. But on top of that, I’ve always been impressed by the tones and colours that he’s able to achieve scanning and processing his film at home. I’m sure a lot of you know how challenging it can be to get things dialed in and looking correct, but Alex’s images always look true to life with beautiful tonality throughout.
In this episode, I wanted to explore Alex’s process—everything from the initial challenges working with 4x5, all the way to drum scanning at home—in hopes that this helps anyone who’s interested in jumping into the world of large format film.
If you’re not yet familiar with his work, make sure to check out his Instagram and his website. His blog has some really helpful articles on it for film shooters, and he also has e-books and prints available.
Hope you all enjoy this one!
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Alex’s Website: www.alexburkephoto.com
Alex’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/alexburkephoto
Contact Sheet Website: www.contactsheetpodcast.com
Contact Sheet Instagram: www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast
This week on the show we’re talking with Rhombie Sandoval—a photographer and storyteller from Southern California whose projects document people and places from specific locations across the world, including ones like Morocco and Iceland.
A few months ago I came across Rhombie’s project titled ‘East Of Jesus’ on Instagram. The work from this collection instantly hooked me for a number of reasons, but probably the biggest one was the incredible sense of connection that could be felt in her images with the subjects that she was photographing.
I learned very quickly after talking to Rhombie that the work she’s creating is about so much more than just the images themselves. It’s about the experiences and the importance of putting yourself out there, being uncomfortable, being open, sharing other people’s stories, as well as at the same time creating your own.
Regardless if you’re a portrait photographer or not, I think there’s so much to take away from this interview, and for myself personally, it’s given me a lot to think about with my own work and how I’ll approach things moving forward.
Make sure to check out Rhombie’s work at the links below, and also hop on over to Instagram and give her page ‘Anywhere Blvd’ a follow—a platform which features portrait photographers by promoting the narratives of their subjects.
Hope you all enjoy this one!
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Rhombie’s Website: www.rhombie.com
Rhombie’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/rhombie
Anywhere Blvd Instagram: www.instagram.com/anywhereblvd
Contact Sheet Website: www.contactsheetpodcast.com
Contact Sheet Instagram: www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast
This week on the show we’re talking with Jason Lee! I’m sure almost all of you are familiar with Jason and his work not only as a photographer but also as an actor and a professional skateboarder. Jason is known for his role in the hit TV show, ‘My Name Is Earl’, as well as a handful of Kevin Smith films. He’s also the co-founder of Stereo Skateboards.
I first discovered Jason’s photography roughly three years ago when I got back into film. I was immediately attracted to his images and his love for the road. His series ‘A Plain View’, released in 2017, documents rural Texas and to this day is still one of my favourite photo books.
I love Jason’s commitment to his craft and also the creative approach that he employs. A big stand out for me with ‘A Plain View’ was his decision to shoot the entire project on an old Crown Graphic 4x5 camera with the original lens and expired film—highlighting the fact that creative decisions extend beyond the just image itself.
In this episode, we talk about his discovery of photography, how his vision developed, road-tripping and working on projects, as well as the creative decisions made throughout.
Definitely make sure to check out Jason’s work on his website (listed below). At the moment, I believe he’s taking a break from IG, but the photo community he created called ‘Film Photographic’ is still very active, so make sure you go give that a follow as well. Enjoy!
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Jason’s Website: www.jasonleefilm.com
Film Photographic: www.instagram.com/filmphotographic
In this episode, we’re talking with Vincent Perry Jr—a photographer and filmmaker based out of Seattle, Washington. Vince specializes in creative portrait photography, and also has a YouTube series where he shares his process and experiences, as well as short films that’s he’s made.
I’ve known Vince for a while now, but this was the first time that I had the chance to sit down and talk with him about his process. I definitely admire his mindset when it comes to his work and navigating the creative journey and I feel like we share a lot of similar ideals. His work is also fantastic, and his attention to detail definitely shows in everything that he creates.
In this episode, we talk about the importance of getting started and maintaining flow, the challenges of juggling both photography and video, the film community, relationships, connecting with other artists, as well as a number of other important topics.
If you aren’t yet following Vince, make sure you check out both his Instagram page to get a feel for his photo work, as well as his YouTube channel for his filmmaking content.
Vince’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/vincentperryjr
Vince’s YouTube: bit.ly/3gAuMel
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Buy A Shirt!: bit.ly/2EiWsHw
Another mini-episode for this week! I've been playing a major game of catch up over the last few weeks, and haven't been able to schedule as many interviews as I'd hoped, so I decided to do another mini-episode to talk about a few things that I think are super important—and that is discussing ways to help you thrive as a photographer.
I go into detail in the episode, but the main points are:
1. Be Conscious Of How You Spend Your Energy
2. Surround Yourself With People Who Will Help You Grow
3. Do The Work That You Love The Most
The regular interviews will continue next week, but I've been having fun recording these mini-episodes and have gotten some good feedback on them. If you've been enjoying them, make sure to reach out and let me know. Always love hearing your thoughts!
Also, I just launched a 'Contact Sheet' T-Shirt for sale on the website. If you want to support the show, you can pick one up here: https://bit.ly/3ieHvnS
They're only $20 plus $5 shipping worldwide.
Hope you enjoy this one!
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Contact Sheet Website: https://www.contactsheetpodcast.com/
Contact Sheet IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast/
Hey everyone, something a little different for today's show. I've had this idea to start doing these mini-episodes periodically whenever I have some interesting things to share or some thoughts on my mind.
Not sure yet if these will be scheduled consistently, but I figured it could be fun to test out.
So, today I want to talk about two things. The first is an amazing organization called 'Sirkhane Darkroom', which is a not for profit photography school based in Turkey that teaches children film photography.
Someone sent me a link to their page a few weeks ago, and the images immediately hooked me. They're just full of energy and curiosity, which I think are two things that easily get lost as we develop our skills. I want to talk about that, and also just want to share a link to the page as it's a really awesome organization that people should be aware of.
You can find out more here: https://www.heryerdesanat.org/darkroom
And on their IG here: https://www.instagram.com/sirkhanedarkroom/
Secondly, I want to talk a bit about social media. Lately, I've had a number of people reach out to me asking for advice when it comes to building an audience. It's something that's on my mind quite a bit, so in this episode, I share some of the things that I've learned over the years. I hope it helps.
Also, I just launched a 'Contact Sheet' T-Shirt for sale on the website. If you want to support the show, you can pick one up here: https://bit.ly/3ieHvnS
They're only $20 plus $5 shipping worldwide.
Hope you enjoy this one!
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Contact Sheet Website: https://www.contactsheetpodcast.com/
Contact Sheet IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast/
This episode features Patrick Joust, who is a photographer based out of Baltimore. I’m sure many of you are already familiar with his work, and I actually had a number of people reach out to me over the past few months requesting to have Patrick on the show, so I’m excited to finally get this interview launched!
Patrick is known for not only his incredible night work documenting spaces and environments but also for his candid portrait work. I’ve admired his photography for a long time and it was great to have a chance to sit down with him and dive into his history and his process.
In this interview we talk about how Patrick got started with photography at a later point in his life, the variety of his work and the importance of not rushing things, the struggles of social media, photographing at night, as well as an important discussion about inequality and privilege.
I hope you all enjoy this one and make sure to check out Patrick’s work at the links below!
Patrick’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/patrickjoust
Patrick’s Website: patrickjoust.com
Patricks Prints For Sale: society6.com/patrickjoust
Contact Sheet IG Page: www.instagram.com/contactsheetpodcast/
