Don Davies is a proud member of the Photologo Community, specialised in portrait photography. He is currently based in Manila, Philippines. Although photography is not his main job, he’s been taking pictures for decades as it feels it relieves the stress of everyday life. “I love sharing my passion”, he says, “and it is nice to belong to such an inspiring community of people as the Photologo Community.

His youngest daughter was his first inspiration

"I have been doing photography in the film days but only really got serious when I got a digital camera and my youngest daughter started doing ballet. I would shoot the portrait shots for the ballet schools recital program. This was when I knew I wanted to focus on portrait photography."

Is there a specific project you are proud of?

There are several projects that I am proud of but the one that comes to mind is the one I did which is a Victorian themed shoot. I had previously done a shoot with this designer and I was talking with her about the idea of doing a Victorian-themed shoot because there is this studio that has a lovely set that will be perfect for this shoot. On the day of the shoot the designer brought 6-8 gowns and we only had 3 hours to do the shoot because the studio was strict on time. In the end I was happy and proud of the shoot and I was able to put my ideas into photographs.

5 Actionable tips for our audience to take better portraits.

1. Choose a specific genre that you love and work on being good in that genre. Do not try to be good at everything.
2. Shoot, shoot, shoot. The only way that you will get better is if you keep shooting.
3. Don’t be afraid to use lights be it flash, strobes, continuous, or ambient. Light is your friend, and you just need to learn to control it and you will get great shots.
4. Don’t be afraid to experiment and be creative.
5. Don’t be negative when other people comment or critique your photos. If you don’t like what they say then just put it aside. Sometimes there will be someone who will make a good point and it could mean the difference in improving your photos.

How did you progress over time? What do you feel has been your most improved quality? 

Photography is a continuous learning process. Just because you know how to shoot, you know how to use lights, you can create nice photos, that does not mean that you should stop learning. I attend a lot of workshops and try to learn as much as I can. I try and shoot every weekend with different people and try to learn from them.

I feel that my most improved quality is patience. When I was starting out in photography I would just shoot, shoot, and shoot and just think I can fix that in post-processing. Now I am more patient, making sure that everything is set properly, the light is in the right position, the hair and makeup is flawless. All these are important if you want to have the perfect shot.

How did you develop your style and what's the importance of your Photologo in posting your pics online?

I developed my style by doing a lot of shoots and attending workshops. Continuous learning is an important part of any photographer, it helps you develop and grow. I feel that my photos have not yet reached a point that when anyone looks at it, they immediately know it’s a photo taken by me. With my Photologo I can put my mark on my photo that identifies me to whoever is looking at my photo, and now they know that this is my photo. I choose to sign my photos because I want to have a brand that is easily recognizable. I want my photos to have an identity.

Why Photologo? How did you discover about Photologo?

In the past I tried different logos, but I was never satisfied. I would change logos every so often because it just did not feel visually appealing to be on my photo. However, when I got my Photologo, I now have the confidence of putting it on my photos because I know that it does not distract the viewer from what the photo is conveying and at the same time it is visually appealing.

I discovered Photologo through facebook. I then checked out the website and saw that what they are offering is nice and affordable. I saw the different styles that are available and was impressed with the quality.

Any final advice

If photography is your passion, then pursue it, do not let anything or anyone stop you from doing what you love. You will not be able to please everyone but as long as you are happy with what you have done and accomplished then that should be enough. Be proud of what you do and have accomplished, and one way of showing that is by putting your signature on your work, by putting a Photologo.

Don’s links:

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30414102@N00

500px: https://500px.com/donjdavies

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/don.j.davies