Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Donovan.
Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started taking pictures when my son played little league football and everyone loved the images I was getting. Shortly after getting started, I transitioned from a film camera to a digital camera and this was such a game-changer for me. For several years I was just the mom on the sidelines taking pictures until my husband got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. When this happened, I took a different look at my photography. I decided that I was going to need a backup plan if this MS got worse so I went back to school in 2013 and got my Associate Degree in Digital Photography. This gave me the skills and confidence to start branching out in my photography. I decided to put my daughter in front of my camera and her love for modeling was born while I got to experiment with different styles and techniques. We relocated to Nashville, TN in 2015 and I attended Nossi College of Art to finish my Bachelor’s in Commercial Photography. One of the best decisions of my life. While at Nossi I was able to try so many different types of photography and find the styles that best fit me. I graduated in Dec.2016 from Nossi and have not looked back. I have had the opportunity to photography many different artist, sporting events, nonprofit events and so much more. In Feb.2019 my precious husband lost his battle with MS. After this loss, it drove my passion even stronger to be there to capture those special moments for people. You can never get those moments back and we never know when a person may leave our life so we need to capture all the moments we can while that person is here with us. I want to be the photographer that captures moments that people display on the walls in their homes to experience on a daily basis not just on a social media site. I believe what I do is a work of art and deserves to be displayed as art.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey in photography has not always been an easy journey. I have struggled with family issues that have made me have to put it on the back burner and pick it back up later. The great thing is if it is a true passion for you the passion will never go away. I have struggled with feelings of “am I good enough” and “can I really make a living doing what I love”. I am still working to find my exact niche in the industry but I have no doubt that I am close to finding my place in the industry. The only way you ever lose is if you quit and quit is not in my vocabulary.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I would have to say that there are a few things that make me different. One of those being that I am more of what I would call a “natural” photographer. What I mean by that is, when I do a shoot with someone I will shoot while the person, family, child, etc. is interacting either in the element we are in or with the people they are with. I like to capture very natural expressions that happen organically. This is especially important when working with children. I feel this makes the images very natural and authentic. This allows me to get those beautiful big natural expressions a child will give. I love capturing the natural interactions between people. I have different games and things that I can play to guide things but still let them happen organically. The second thing that really sets me apart from other photographers is the custom compositions that I create. I have created custom compositions for different artist, high school football players, the high school football team, and several others. These pieces that I create are a one-of-a-kind composition that are custom made for each client. I take great pride in finding out what the client is wanting to express with this composition so that I can create that one-of-a-kind piece of art just for them.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I would have to say when I was around 6-7 years old, we had a ton of snow back in Indiana where I grew up. My brother, me, and friends from across the street made this huge snow slide in our backyard. It was 6-7 feet tall and my brother would water the slide down each night before we went in so it would be icy the next day. We had so much fun sliding down until a friend fell off the top and broke her arm. After that, we had to tear it down but it was so much fun until she got hurt.
Contact Info:
- Email: D91Photography@gmail.com
- Website: www.D91Photography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d91photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D91Photography
Peggy Graham, Jamestown Indiana
February 1, 2022 at 3:34 pm
I enjoyed this article so much. This was my first introduction to your magazine.
Jamie Blaydes
February 4, 2022 at 2:06 am
Michelle Donovan is my sister in law. She is such an AMAZING artist. She has a keen eye and truly is genuine in her field.
I truly am impressed with the quality of her work. The passion,love,and respect she puts in to every photo is just phenomenal.
Her photos are brilliant pieces of art.
If you need a photographer for any reason, you need look no further than this lady right here.
I promise you will not be disappointed.
Michelle photographed our wedding. I can not tell you how many compliments we received from friends and others regarding our photos.
The way Michelle sees her subjects or the objects… You will have to see her work for yourselves.
God bless you sis. We are blessed to have you behind the camera of our lives.
P.S. She does not know I commented on this. I do hope she sees this and knows how extremely proud of her we, her family, truly are.