Rising Stars: Meet Mike McDougal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike McDougal.

Hi Mike, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My story is kind of all over the place, but with a camera in my hands. I first became interested in photography in my younger teens and would use my allowance to buy/develop film. Once I got my first job I bought a better camera and started working with abstracts, photographing my first portraits, and learning to take the time to slow down and see what was around me. I kept making photos throughout high school and even used some of my work to apply (and be accepted) to a design school in Florida. I opted to work full time instead of relocating to FL, which turned out for the best at the time.

Shortly after, I accepted a position with a company that planted me directly in the middle of the Southern California music scene and it wasn’t too long until I started bringing my camera along with me to shows. Getting press access to shows came easy with connections I had made and I was easily shooting live music 5 nights out of the week. I was published regularly, was booked by different labels and artists, and started to make a name for myself in the area. I had ambitions of leaving the west coast and bringing my work back home. I figured with the market not being as saturated and with the portfolio I had built that I could re-establish myself around Nashville and make a living off of doing what I love.

Though I booked some clients after moving back, it wasn’t as frequent as I needed, or what I was used to. Finding new artists to work with was more difficult so after some time, I gave up. I sold the majority of my camera gear and completely gave up. I missed Southern California, I missed the opportunities I had, and now all potential new opportunities will be missed. I was bitter. I was angry. I was depressed and going through one of the roughest patches of my life.

I didn’t start photographing again until my wife and I were on our honeymoon. We picked up a point-and-shoot camera to take photos on our trip and it made me realize how much I missed creating art. That’s when I learned that I didn’t have to make a living off of it (even though I’ll never stop trying) and no one even has to like it. I can create whatever art I want and not have to give a reason. This opened me up to photographing things outside of what I would normally do. I became fascinated with architecture, minimalism, abstract, & landscape. I searched for details and ways to capture them in my unique way.

Now that I’ve been back in Tennessee for 10 years, and photographing nonstop for 6 of them, I’ve created an enormous catalog of diverse imagery that is constantly growing and evolving. I’ll still never let go of the dream of doing this for a living but more importantly, I’ll never let myself stop creating again.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think any artist has ever had a smooth road, but that’s part of the learning process. It’s part of what makes us artists. I left countless opportunities to move across the country, only to let depression get in the way of me and my creativity which made me stop creating for a few years. I’ve been creating photographs again for a few years and I still learn something new every day.

I recently started working with music again and I’m dealing with imposter syndrome pretty bad. I’ve never been one to have the latest technology. Everything I photograph is done on one camera body and one lens, both of which are close to 20 years old. I was anxious photographing my first show in over 11 years but everything came back naturally and I was extremely happy with the results.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an award-winning photographer based in Murfreesboro, TN. I specialize in creating unique imagery but most of the time I just call it taking pictures. I spent 2008-2012 documenting Southern California’s vibrant music scene and had photographs published in SPIN, Alternative Press, and AMP Magazine and used for countless ads for clothing brands, record labels, and companies.

Now, I live in Murfreesboro and photograph a little bit of everything. Aside from my diverse portfolio, I find that my composition and use of color grading set me apart in my field. If given the opportunity, I can thrive with any subject matter and deliver a truly unique final product.

What were you like growing up?
I was a very shy kid with undiagnosed ADHD. Gentle and artistic while being loud and destructive.

Loving, but timid. I’ve always created art in some form but I remember trying to take my first “artistic” photos on a field trip in the 5th grade.

Pricing:

• Prints start at $25
• Sessions start at $100

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mikemcdougal.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mcdougalphoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcdougalphoto
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@graveyard_rat