We recently had the chance to connect with Michelle Donovan and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I feel that people don’t understand there is a difference between someone who snaps a picture with a phone & a professional photographer. A professional photographer is someone who is trained in their field to know composition, color temperature & many other aspects and how each of those things relates to the other. I hear a lot “well fix it in post” and you can fix several things but getting it as close to perfect in camera is always a professional photographers first choice.
We, as professional photographers deserve to be paid as any other professional would. People pay their hairdresser, nail tech, mechanic, plumber, etc because of the expertise that they have in their field and the tools that they have to get the job done, professional photographers deserve the same respect & treatment.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Michelle Donovan and I am the proud owner of D91Photography. I find it hard to pinpoint a specific niche of photography because I love so many things about each niche. I am not the photographer that is huge on everything being perfectly posed because that is not typical of people’s lives. I like to capture my clients being more natural. So if I am working with a family I want to capture those special moments between the family members. Some of the most loved images are the ones captured when no one even realized I took the image. I love to have fun with my clients because a photo session should be fun not stressful.
It doesn’t matter if I am working with a family or a musician, your session will be customized to you. I believe every client is different and has different wants & needs so to best serve my client I have to make each session customized.
I am currently working on a series of custom art pieces of several different country music artist. Once it is completed I will be looking to have it displayed in an art gallery here in Nashville,TN. So follow me on socials to know when & where that gallery showing will be taking place.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
I would have to say my parents did. Both of my parents are super hard workers. My dad has a work ethic that is off the charts. Sometimes I wished he didn’t work as much as he did when I was growing and I learned a great lesson from that…work/family balance is super important. Due to my parents divorcing when I was young I watched my mom work hard to provide for me & my brother. Mom always did what ever she had to do to make sure we had what we needed. So I learned a very strong work ethic from both of my parents but I also learned that you have to make sure that you keep a healthy family/work balance. At the end of the day all the money in the bank doesn’t mean anything if your family is no longer with you to enjoy it.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
There have been many defining wounds in my life. They range from my parent’s divorce, to an abusive marriage, to being homeless, to losing my husband to MS and my own battle with heart issues & breast cancer. At the end of the day, the number one thing that has gotten me through and continues to get me through every trial & wound is my faith & belief in my savior Jesus Christ. My faith is what keeps me going. I will be real with ya’ll that faith doesn’t make the hurt & pain go away or keep bad things from happening but it does give you a peace. I can walk through the trials of life and know that good & bad things are gonna happen but my Lord has a plan for my life. My Lord walks with me everyday & sometimes he carries me. Some of my wounds I still have not fully healed from and I don’t know if I ever will. I do know that I look for the silver lining in every dark cloud and that combined with my faith is what carries me through this life.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Most definitely. I am the same person out in public that I am in private. In my opinion, it takes way to much work & added stress to be 2 different people. I want to be my authentic self no matter where I am.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I pray that when my time on this earth is over that people will remember me as a person that was kind, good and treated people with dignity & respect. I was raised with the belief that you should treat people like you would like to be treated. I sure hope that I am doing a good job at that. I hope people know that I love & care with every fiber of my soul. I want to leave a legacy in my career that people remember working with me was fun and they felt respected and empowered after our session. I want my legacy to be love, respect & value.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.D91Photography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/D91Photography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/D91Photography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D91Photography
