We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Riley McDougall. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Riley below.
Riley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Not one particular project comes to mind, but one of the industries I really love to create content for is non-profits. My niece was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia when she was just a baby. Witnessing her journey of chemo and living in the hospital at such a young age profoundly impacted me. I received a degree in Public Administration because I considered a career in the non-profit sector to help cancer foundations and other charities. However, once I discovered my passion for storytelling through photo and video, I decided to use that medium to help raise awareness instead. Since then, I’ve helped create photo and video content for organizations like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, First Tee Orange County, and many others.
What is very meaningful to me is to interview survivors and other people deeply affected by these organizations. I get to interview them and learn about their lives and share their stories. Then when I see my videos up on the big screen at the fundraising events and get to observe the reactions from the crowd. I see how they react to the video and I get a sense of fulfillment as it encourages patrons to donate more to these worthy causes. Knowing that my work had played a part in inspiring such generosity is a feeling that is hard to describe, but I am very proud.
Riley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Riley and I am a Photographer, Videographer, and Teacher in the Southern California area. I’ve been shooting for almost 10 years now. I don’t really have a conventional photographer’s story of someone who studied the subject in school Originally I never took any particular art classes or was interested in photography until a friend of mine lent me his old camera. I started playing with it and the more I used it, the more I wanted to learn and improve. I dove into countless YouTube videos desiring to learn as much as I could and experiment with new techniques of the craft. Eventually, it became my passion and led to the creation of my own photography and videography company, Final Flash Media.
Today, Final Flash Media offers a wide range of services for photo and video to capture life’s extraordinary moments: weddings, engagements, maternity, headshots, promos, and more. What helps me stand out in my work is that I like to help keep things implied with clients and collaborators. The process of wedding or event planning or having a shoot can be a seemingly impossible or overwhelming endeavor; however, I like to help provide streamlined and stress-free solutions to ensure that the client can focus on other things, knowing that their photo and video needs are in good hands.
I also love having a learner’s mindset and am dedicated to teaching others the tools of the trade. I love inviting others who are interested in photo and video to learn from me and join my team. I also am a high school Photography and Graphic Design Teacher. I love inspiring the next generation of content creators and learning from my students as much as they learn from me.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
There is a fear that most creative entrepreneurs, such as myself, have early on when starting their journey. It is the fear of the scarcity of work due to the competition. It is a very understandable fear when starting out because you want to be able to grow and provide for yourself and your family. Being overshadowed by more experienced creatives can easily dampen your entrepreneurial spirit and discourage you from moving forward. No matter how seasoned of a photographer you are, those thoughts can still creep in from time to time. But over the years I have had to change this mindset in thinking that I have to compete with other photographers or else I won’t get any work or bookings.
It’s easy to think that there isn’t enough to go around and that you have to get your own slice of the pie before someone else does. However, early on in my career, one of my mentors had opened my eyes to the simple yet profound truth when he said “There is enough food at the table for everyone.” He has built an incredible team of photographers to work with. Not only do we work together for his team, but we also are all available to each other for support when we need 2nd shooters or need someone to refer clients to when we’re unavailable. Our team is constantly looking out for each other and supporting each other.
From that, I have understood what he meant. There is enough work for everyone to thrive. I just have to look for it and help others as well. Embracing this generosity, I’ve discovered that by supporting other creative entrepreneurs such as myself, I am able to build a community that offers support and collaboration. It is a “win-win-win” (-Michael Scott) scenario because this mindset allows everyone to succeed by offering mutual support instead of cutthroat competition.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For myself, the most rewarding thing about being a creative entrepreneur is that every day presents a new opportunity for learning, growth, and fun. Every shoot is a chance to practice new techniques or perspectives I haven’t tried before. No matter how experienced I get, I like to approach every shoot with a mindset of curiosity because there is always room to learn new things. No two projects are ever the same. Every gig involves meeting brand-new people and I never know what’s in store. Anything can happen, especially during events and weddings.
As a teacher, I am also a perpetual student. I have learned more from my experience as a teacher than anything else. My students also bring fresh perspectives to their work. The hands-on projects they get to create allows them to explore paths on their own. Sometimes they come up with editing or lighting techniques that I never considered and it teaches me something too. Getting insight from them allows me to improve my lessons each year and become even better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.finalflashmedia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalflashmedia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finalflashmedia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileymcdougall/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwT-c7m7pKckx8NYQfo_9Nw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/final-flash-media-anaheim