Creating & publishing a photobook | A chat with Kyler Zeleny

[@patrickmccoy6711]

I would love to see more videos like this - documenting the experiences of photographers in creating long-term projects and photobooks. I think many photographers aspire to do so, but are unsure of where to begin, how to create a narrative and how to follow through with an idea to completion. I for one have been planning a project for many months, but struggled to find the time and the right photos to execute it... but I guess this is why I find your podcast so valuable!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks Patrick. I definitely plan on sharing some more content like this in the future.

[@shaneg3490]

I found the interview very interesting. Great job Kyler on accomplishing so much and being so humble. Side note: you look so much like your dad! Crazy how time flies.

[@tim_butcher]

Great interview, Kyle. Kyler makes a lot of sense. So refreshing.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks, Tim. Glad you enjoyed this one.

[@jccarty1477]

As someone who's working on a book right now, just make one...for you. For the joy, for the experience, for the sake of it. I love making them. Just do it.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Yep. Such a different experience than viewing on a screen.

[@thommysaraceno2862]

So much of the finance conversation sounds like independent music making. Same types of challenges and pitfalls that can take a ton of mistakes to learn. Love the behind the scenes - Thanks for doing this.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Cheers, Thomas. Glad you enjoyed this convo!

[@cchastain7]

This is perfect timing as I'm looking into putting some of my own work together! Thank you for the great content

[@KyleMcDougall]

Cheers, Chris. Hope you enjoy it!

[@ParadoxycOnline]

I love Kyler's work, I've been following him for a while so it's cool to see him on here.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks for watching.

[@Fokus_1977]

I am going to publish a book at some stage but I’m not ready yet. It needs to be from a place of passion and not just a book to bang out there. This was a very interesting podcast and thank you Kyle .

[@iamdesertpaul]

What a way to end the year. Thanks for this Kyle!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks, Paul!

[@JeffreyFilman]

Thank you to both you and Kyler for taking the time to do this. There was a ton of valuable information shared and I truly appreciate the two of you for that. I've been working slowly on two long-term projects for the past year and this helped me realize which one would truly suit being put towards becoming a publication and keeping the other one as a portfolio piece or something just to add onto until I feel otherwise. Again, always appreciate your insight on things and I wish you all the best and happy holidays!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks for checking it out, Jeffrey! Glad you enjoyed this one and got some value from it. Happy holidays to you as well.

[@wolz71]

I'm so glad you put out this video. So helpful for someone like me who just started working on projects. Merry Christmas Kyle!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks! Merry Christmas to you too.

[@mikefreelandphoto]

I’ve been hoping for another interview with Kyler! Everything that you covered in this interview is exactly what I needed to hear as I am starting to prepare for my first photobook. Thanks for the advice!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Cheers, Mike. Happy to hear you enjoyed this one!

[@BryanBirks]

Can’t wait to sit down and go through this. Definitely something I need to learn about for any future books. Have a great rest of 2020. Thanks for all the work this year 🤘🏻

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks Bryan! Hope you enjoy this one. Looking forward to seeing what you create in the new year! 🍻

[@sampinto8955]

Kyle, this video was really great, I listen to the podcast regularly but something about talking through the creative process and referencing the book and just through your experiences was very inspiring!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks Sam! Glad you enjoyed this one.

[@DMorrissey1313]

Thank you so much for doing this, Kyle! Love listening to the conversations between the two of you. Between this and the podcast with Kyler from before it has given me so much to think about. Unfortunately didn't get a copy of any of his work but I will be on the ready with his next release.

[@erikleypoldt8275]

Great work, and great to showcase other photographers thought process and ideas. Keep em coming.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks, Erik. Glad you enjoyed!

[@Overexposed1]

Amazing video. Exactly what I was looking for.

[@culleysmith]

What great timing, I was just considering putting together a photo book myself on a series I'm doing in and around my hometown. You may have gotten into this in the video and I just missed it (or maybe some of your other videos). I'd certainly welcome some technical info on how you prepare images for print in a book. I'm sure it's different for each editor (Lightroom/Photoshop/Capture One), but I plan on going from medium format film -> flatbed scanner -> editing software. Struggling to find a good resource on what considerations one would make when preparing scanned film images for publishing in a book.

[@KyleMcDougall]

My experience is with prints, not for a book, but a lot of the same principles would apply. We didn't get into it in this, but it's something that I'll definitely keep in mind for a future episode.

[@lewismoore9n3]

Brilliant episode. I'm looking to design publish my second photobook. Great advice to hear. Also looking forward to listening to the podcast too 🙌 Merry Christmas! 🎄

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks Lewis!

[@andrewf.7813]

Wow a long episode! Going to sit down with a cuppa and some biscuits and enjoy it all,..lovely

[@KyleMcDougall]

Cheers Andrew. Hope you enjoy!

[@andrewf.7813]

@@KyleMcDougall Merry Christmas!

[@quintongordon1477]

Great interview, realistic and relevant information on making and publishing photobooks!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@owainshaw]

Thanks for the Christmas present, Kyle! Happy holidays to you. Great interview, really informative. Kyler's insight into book making, publishing and the industry around it is really insightful. There is a lot of mystery, and an element of smoke and mirrors around how it all works. I self-published a couple of Zines this year and it was really nice to see my work in a physical form, but I think it's good to remember what Kyler said that it doesn't need to be a book. I would love to do a book but the two projects I put out weren't complete enough to warrant a book. I was happy enough with the work I had produced and did want to give them a physical form, but neither warranted a book. I learned a lot from the experience and about what was missing from the work I had produced, and things I need to do to improve my work going forward. The book might happen one day. It might not. The important thing is to be making work and I have an idea taking shape that I'm excited to start working on. The work needs to come first, anything else comes afterwards. All the best with your book making process. It's definitely something I'll be interested to see come together. Stay safe and well, and best wishes for a happy and creative 2021.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Thanks so much! And yes, you couldn’t be more right, it’s definitely all about making the work!

[@owainshaw]

@@KyleMcDougall You're very welcome. Thanks again, and to Kyler too, for a great video. And yeah, ultimately, if you want to make the book, you've got to make the work first. First step for me is to make some work that's worth making into a book - I haven't done that yet.

[@michaelsmdk]

Awesome video! sooooo helpful. You give an insight into this world and it so important for people that what to publish a book. Thank you!

[@KyleMcDougall]

Glad it was helpful!

[@StephenDesRoches]

Books can be complicated but the end rewards are worth it. If anything, it's the ultimate business card.

[@KyleMcDougall]

I'd agree. Happy holidays, Stephen.

[@josephransomclaire]

This is so helpful. Thank you!

[@KyleMcDougall]

You’re welcome.

[@wandawanda5962]

incredibly nice video, well needed in todays landscape of everything going by way too fast. thanks

[@KyleMcDougall]

Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers.

[@peterlukac8458]

Very informative video! And it really helped me. I have many ideas for projects, and I am kinda strugglling to stick just to one theme, and work on it seriously, so there were some really useful tips. Besides that, this video is so complex and informative, that it might had been part of a paid mentoring course, I really appreciate that it's just a free video you two had done in you free time. Anyway, Kyle, maybe you had mentioned it elsewhere, but do you plan to make your own photobook, too?

[@terrywbreedlove]

11:20 just love this image

[@gottanikoncamera]

His advice on sequencing would have been more helpful if he’d covered some of his actual sequencing methods, how you find images to pair together, etc. Because you gotta have a working doc before you start asking people for help. Or at least, I would want to. Perhaps something you yourself could cover in a future video, Kyle?

[@isidropedals]

Hey Kyle, any idea who that Barcelona night project photographer is?

[@JayGrapherTh]

instead of a book, could try to create a zine that I feel is being shown more online?? so is if a work isnt big enough then making it to be a zine is worth while? or is zine as a definition something different?

[@muhamadakmal7097]

Thank you for making this podcast! I kinda stuck at the moment, I don't have any project before but keen to start a photo project and don't know where to start. Masterclass is one of the best way but to join that I still need a body of work to start with. Yeah it's true that overcomplicate a simple thing is what I always did. Looking forward for more podcast like this! from Malaysia

[@carlomac]

Hi @Kyle McDougall, I notice on another video when you showed your printing process you were using a Canon Pro 10 series printer. I want to buy a printer too but thought I would ask you if you were happy with that printer? Does it print big enough for what you need and are you happy with the colours? Does it demand constant use so it doesn't clog up? Thanks in advance, love your channel!

[@phiswe]

No mention of self-publishing? There are so many options for self-publishing nowadays, and as photographers, we’re fortunate and spoiled to have that option too today compared to how it used to be.

[@mp3remix171]

What an amazing guy! Gave him a follow on instagram, and might research how to ship some of his books over to sweden!

[@george_edward_]

Much love man

[@reidhaithcock]

If you haven't yet, check out Sasha Wolf's podcast based that book, PhotoWork. She's the author and approaches the conversations much the same way, talking about making work and living in the photo world.

[@KyleMcDougall]

I never knew it existed until recently. Thanks for the suggestion. Definitely going to check it out!

[@victorgamarra64]

Hello! Interesting video. Can somebody make a photobook using two different formats? Let’s say for example, photos with 3:2 and 6:6 in the same book? I am trying to start a road trip project but i don’t know if i can use my yashica 124 and my canon ae1 for the same project. Thank you.

[@victorgamarra64]

I don’t know if the answer is in the minute 45.

[@KyleMcDougall]

Hey Victor, the decision is up to you. You can really do whatever you want.

[@cold.p1zza]

What book is that by Alec Soth??

[@KyleMcDougall]

It’s a book by Aperture called ‘Photo Work’. Not by Alec, just has him in it.

[@larson0014]

Step 1: have friends

[@justabikeride6653]

Old Tjikko is actually considered the worlds oldest tree. About 9000 years old.

[@mikeortega6072]

Great information, but was startled and could not get Fidel Castro out of my head. ☑️

[@KyleMcDougall]

People keep telling me that whenever I wear that green hat...

[@DinoJagger]

...i made a photobook called Heatwave and turned a very nice profit off of it... is that rare??

[@chumleyk]

* cough* Taschen *cough * Phaidon *cough *