16 responses to “Who Am I?”

1. these kinds of posts ALWAYS make me introspective. so, i for one am glad you addressed that… just for me. 🙂 or so i can think. hee hee.

   i have been asking myself the same question a lot lately… for years in actuality, but a lot lately. i guess the longer i feel like i’m in a place to ask it, the more frequent the question gets phrased. ever want to just SCREAM – WHO THE HECK AM I??? well, I DO. 🙂

   i’m going to be thinking about this post more… trying to think about who HE is. after all, the answer to that questions changes EVERYTHING – even me. who HE is gives me a better glimpse of purpose… yet my questions will continue for now… ever TRYING to rest. silly huh?

   as to photography. what do i want? what you have. when i hire someone what am i looking for? EXACTLY the kind of work you do… all of it… grungy, bright color, black and white, urban, outdoorsy, photojournalistic, relationship in imagery. ALL of it.

   what do i want it for? slideshows, coffee table books, memories. yup, memories for sure. for ‘somedays.’

   the color in these pictures above could make me repaint a room to match the picture. i want to decorate more on the artsy side so maybe that isn’t strange for me but would be for someone else. if the picture is that deep and draws me in and the color revives me, then why not have a room dedicated to embracing that feeling? 🙂 so what if i need to change it a year later. 😉

   i admit i am often surprised when i see the average portrait from the typical studio. with so many great options out there (with digital photography in general) i find myself wondering how those studios stay in business with the typical family portrait. not that classic doesn’t have it’s place. i’ve just moved out of that one. i see the work of great photographers (like you, for example) and wonder what does anyone see in anything else? now, that’s not bashing the studio photographers or those who love that style – but you asked what IIIII want and what IIIII think (and yes, that of all your other readers too).

   so, what IIIII want is to see on ‘film’ the light of personalities coming out in the photos. i want the question to make the viewer think “who IS that?” (see your theme running back to your subjects, not just to the photographer – the question gets asked on both sides of the lense). i want it to be clear that when you took photographs of my family that you not only asked yourself “who am i?” but “who ARE they?” and for the end result to capture an angle, a facet of who we actually are… that we can look at the photos and whether we have words to describe it or not, we can say, THAT IS SOOOO US!

   there is something about seeing yourself in a picture that moves your heart that helps you to discover something of who you are… remember my relative whose picture you took and when she looked later she said, “wow, i didn’t know i was that pretty!” it was so innocent and so pleased all at once… a confidence booster… a moment of discovery.

   i want my family photos to do so much more than just capture what we looked like… i want it to capture and display and CREATE a moment of discovery.

   wow, now whose chatty. 😉

2. oh – one more thing – i like how the look of the grunge in the above pics looks like a textured wall. makes it rest inside the picture more – like it belongs – more than just a grunged up layer – more inside the image.

3. My goodness Doni! So many things all in night! This blog made me laugh and cry all at the same time. You always have a way of planting a seed in me that makes me really think about things.

   Now for the photos. I love urban/grunge so # 3 and 5 are the styles I would go for. White couch in my house???? The mere thought makes me fall over laughing! I love a coffee table book but alas…since there are always kids of every size here, I have no coffee table. I love vibrant colors and at the same time want to capture my family exactly as they are today. That for ME means, dirty faces, clothes, hair a mess and smiling and so happy to just be.

4. I am NOT artistic at all! I don’t even understand half of what is said about photography, etc – lol. BUT I LOVE your pictures!! They are attractive in color and design and they show the “kids” not the background, etc. I haven’t taken my kids to a studio in a few years, but 1 thing I don’t like about studio pics is that all they really do is place some props and snap a few shots. Your pictures have beautiful colors, they are enticing to look at, and MOST of all – they show the kids in wonderful ways. If I lived closer to you, I would DEFINATELY bring my kids to you and just say “do what you want” because I love all of your pictures. I do like the urban and grunge ones (I think that is the ones I like) 🙂
   As for the “who am I”, I am in the middle of that reflection as well. My core beliefs remain the same, I hope I am growing in my walk with the Father, and yet, I see Him molding me and making me into a different vessel to serve Him in different ways. I guess different things, for different times in my life. My desires of what I want to do to serve Him, and how I want to serve Him are changing.

5. If I hired a photographer 1) it would mean I’ve done my homework on you. Each photographer has a certain style about them. 2) I would want you to just do what YOU do, to think outside MY box, capture my family,the moment,the love. I’d like to think I would prefer a certain style but in the end it’s the people in the picture that will determine which one I like and buy and then I’d find the perfect hanging spot in the house for it. Sometimes I don’t know what I like until I see ‘it’. BTW I love it all..grunge,traditional,outdoor, props … etc.. 🙂

6. Hi Doni. As for what I want in photos, I just want to capture my kids as they are. In anyway shape or form. I love all the different styles and would like photos on my wall, in a book on the mantel ect. I love all the color and would place them on my walls even if I had to repaint the walls. I feel like I want photos to remember just who they were at that point and time. I think the different styles are awesome and show a little something different with the subject in each style. So in a short answer I would like a photographer who thinks outside the box. I would hire them and let them do their thing. The thing I dislike about the studios is that they usually photgraph everyone the same. Same poses, same props ect. They usually dont change anything to suit your kid or adjust to capture the true them. For example they always want them smiling and staring at the camera or they wont even take the photo. Sometimes the best photos are of them just doing what they want to. I think you do an amazing job of doing what you enjoy and I think your photography reflects that.

   Wow the chattyness must be contagious! =)

7. I beleive that you have changed how I view photography along the way! I want it all, I want nothing boring and nothing at all that I woudl find in a simple studio. I am not satisfied with that in the least and want more! I want personality, life and amazement! You are doing just that and it is the best thing I have seen in a long time! Thank you for sharing your gift with us! I look forward to each of your posts to see what you have created with your photogrpahy! I am still getting it all figured out just taking the pictures, the processing…that is a gift I do not pocess yet, but hope to some day do a glimmer of what you have already accomplished. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! Go for it!!!

8. Ha! Great post. I meant that comment about the image looking great hung in a bright, clean modern living room to be a compliment. I hope you realized that.

   I think what so many of the commenters above are saying is that they want imges that capture their childrens’ individual spirits and personalities. Soulful images. Images that tell a story about the subject (and that tell a story about the photographer, too) Images that are a frozen moment in time of our children that remind us of who they *were* at that precise moment not just the way they looked.

   My suggestion is that all those things that we all love about people photography actually have nothing to do with whether there is a bright hot pink background or something else. (Or a cute sweater and matching hat <- jab at myself) Cheryl Jacobs wrote on her blog a few years ago “style is a voice, not a prop or an action” Or a background or a hooded sweater. Aesthetics are important in visual art to be sure. And different people have different tastes. That’s great. And I think as visual artists we get excited and focused on the aesthetics of the images sometimes (especially when we shoot our own kids – there’s only so many ways to pose a 6 month old sitter) But I think what speaks to people most about your work is the way you “see” their children and the way you capture that in the photograph.

   FWIW I have seen cookie cutter studio images of kids sitting on white wicker benches and I have also seen cookie cutter images of kids in alleyways and in front of graffitti walls. There is nothing cookie cutter about your work. That is what I love the most about it.

   I see your voice in these images of Tori. That is what speaks to me about them. I love the look of the bright background. It’s great. It’s vibrant and exciting and happy. But if all it was was a picture of a cute baby sitting in front of a bright pink background I think it would be kind of boring. Add in the expression and the sparkle in the eye and the eye contact that draws you in and it’s a great image. That’s what I like about it, anyway.

   I wrote this in installments so I may have repeated myself. I actually have more thoughts (can you believe that?) but I will probably stew on them for awhile as I put the baby down for his nap.

9. If I hired a photographer, I would want ALL of that. Because the reality of it is, I don???t know what I want. It is as difficult and as simple as that. Parents get lost in the everyday ups and downs of life that the smiles, the frowns, the mischief, the dreamy looks of their kids are remembered for just a moment and once it is gone we try to recapture it in our memory, but it is never the same. With your gift, you can bring that memory to life and preserve it forever.

   I had a photographer come into my house to take Braydens two year pictures. I think I posted them on Grace. I would be more that happy to share what made that experience one of the best that I have ever had and why I recommend her to so many people.
   (That is until you get this business of yours up and running!)

   Much love,

   Sarah

   PS – I realize that providing ALL of that to each and every customer is not possible, for both your time and profit, but in the proofs that you provide you can show a little bit of the traditional and some of the specialty side of your photography. That variety will keep people coming back.

10. Evidently I am one of the senior readers of this blog so I would like to offer something too. I would like to offer a suggestion as to what you WILL want in the future…when your little one is getting married and they ask you for pictures for a slide show. You will NOT use the studio pictures, they do not tell a story. You will want the picture that will carry you down memory lane, the one that you will hold next to you heart and grieve a little that you cannot have that moment in time back and rejoice a little in the memory of it. The post of Heidi holding Seth this week probably falls in that catagory. Only Heidi can say for sure. I am in the process of putting 3 generations of family pictures into digital format. Some pictures of my parents and grandparents are just pictures. There are a few that carry me back for a wonderful visit. Those are the priceless ones…and none of them were studio pictures. My advice in this digital age: Keep shooting from every angle in every medium you can. You will capture that moment forever. You will know it when you see it. I have been looking at other potographers on the web and it is my conclusion that Doni has a rare gift and eye for seeing what others miss blending. I will post pics on my blog later. She won’t do it becasue the pictures will not rise to her standards. If you have the chance and finances you will love what she can do but if not, use her eye and work to motivate yourself do do what you can do. Keep shooting. It doesn’t cost to delete. I have a speed setting on my camera that takes 4 pictures in a second. I love it for shooting the grandkids. Usually only one is very good, but sometimes I get a heat stopper/memory maker.

11. I want to have family portrait to hang, and then pics of the kids up all over the house. I want my playroom to be filled with all kinds of pictures of the kids. In my living room I am hanging a picture of each of the kids both at 6 months. Karsyn’s has been in my living room for 2 years now and stop and look at it daily just to remember my baby who is now such a big girl. I need a lot of wall spaece because I don’t think that I will ever take them down! To the point I want it all and I am just so lucky that my sissy wants it all too!!

12. I agree with all of the above posts! what do the customers want?: an easy, effortless experience for them and some great photos of the family/kids. people want you to make them look better than they think they can look–obviously, you’ve got that part down! but what else do they want? i can tell you from working with customers for so long that THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY WANT! the customer is NOT always right and even if they think they know what they want, they don’t express it correctly or in a way you can understand (i.e. our “lingo”!). so they may say they want color, but they really want browns and grays. how do you work with this knowledge?: show them some of your work (make a portfolio of printed images in a book or album, make a slideshow, something for them to see what you’ve done and what your style is–don’t worry too much about what YOUR style is, it flows on it’s own and shows through in everything you do–do what makes you happy!–one of my personal mottos!) and ask them what they like and don’t necessarily like. then shoot it ALL, with a focus on what they liked best. last year, we made up little books (mini portfolios) in the studio for the seniors to choose a style they wanted to be photographed in (urban, traditional, pretty, etc.), then the photographers shot in that style. i don’t know how well that worked out (especially since the parents are usually looking for something totally different than the kids!) but i think it gave the photographers a starting point to jump off from. like you said, you can always change a background or color after you shoot it–the most important thing is the expression on the faces of the people you are photographing. i totally agree with the “capture the moment” and “memory” themes that the above people mentioned. it doesn’t really matter what the finished product is (print, wall hanging, book, dvd) if the pictures are extraordinary–they can fit into any medium. and no matter what anybody says, your pictures ROCK! i looove reading your blog every day or two and sharing it with my friends and colleagues. your digital/computer skills also ROCK and as we know, you can fix almost anything in Photoshop!
    Doni, keep up the good work! if you always put your best effort into each photo shoot, you’ll never have to worry about disappointing the parents, kids, family, us, or even Jesus! (some day when i have kids, i’ll have to visit AZ every 6 months or so so you can photograph them!)
    much love, ~meg

13. another thing i just thought of: we are constantly asking ourselves and being asked “what makes us great”? maybe you should focus on that versus “who am i as a photographer?” because whether you like it–or planned it–or not, you already have a style and a theme/motto in your photography. maybe by focusing on what makes you different/great, you can express that to prospective clients. for example, “i will come to your home and take pictures of your child in their comfort zone/environment” or “i really want to capture who your child is RIGHT NOW.” just something else to think about!

14. you do clearly have a ‘doni look’ to your photos even though the styles can be as diverse as the colors of eye shadow we wore in high school. 😉 🙂 people who hire you know your talent and want what you can do. of course, not allowing them to be TOO specific in their requests is a key (ie – i want my daughter looking exactly like tori in that picture above)… nope, that’s tori, not little caroline or jessica or whomever. 🙂 )

    papaz was right about my picture you painted with seth… it captured artistry that i love, made me look better 😉 and captured the sweetness of my sleeping boy – WITH HIS KISSY LIPS! it captured special memories of my first visit to bring my baby boy to my sister’s house… i remember his crying, the nursing breaks, the fall leaves, seth lying on the floor in his puppy costume while tanner watched tv in a bean bag… it brings back FRESH memories. at the same time, the picture is timeless because i remember life before Seth and realize how fulfilling it is to have him… and then i also look ahead… the photo is so daydreamy – wondering who seth will become… triggering dreams of a lullaby album and making me more determined than ever NOT to give up on the dream because THIS is THE album cover without a doubt. timeless…

15. Wow – this was a reflective, seeking, deep post! Oh to go back almost 30 years and have you as my photographer. How I remember the S T R E S S of taking the babies to the studios and trying to get them to sit still, smile…we all would leave frustrated, crying (me – not the kids Tee! Hee!) and then having to wait a few weeks, go back and choose pictures and not being able to afford them all (when that is what I really wanted because I knew they were just going to throw the rest away and I couldn’t bear the thought!!!!) Really when I look back I agree with Papa Z (my big brother) that the pictures I treasure really aren’t from those Sears photo shoots (though they make me smile at the frustrations of getting them) but in the little memories we “captured” by accident with the everyday pics. That’s where you shine because you really desire to “capture” your subjects and then you represent them well and tell a story by your “props” and colors and backgrounds and styles. So once again, oh to go back and have you as my photographer!!!

    P.S. You worry too much! You really must see this as the gift God has given you. Just do YOUR thing. We don’t know what “style” we want and all the details…we want to see how you CAPTURE

16. P.S. Who Am I by Casting Crown’s is one of my all time favorites of theirs! I listen to it frequently and it humbles and amazes me every time…the “God of all creation” does what????? Loves me with an everlasting love even when I at times have trouble loving myself?! Amazing! That’s what my pastor keeps hitting home to me – RELATIONSHIP! Can you believe it? That’s what God wants with me, and not only that but He promises to keep me under his wings, snuggly protected like a mother hen and lavish love on me as we stand under His umbrella watching the beautiful rain fall all around us as it cleanses and beautifies everything I see – WOW! One of my new favorites is Mercy Me’s “Alright.” Just dance with God, amazing!!!!