We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Donald LeBeauf. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Donald below.
Hi Donald , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
To be completely transparent, I still struggle with it terribly!! I started this photography thing in November 2022 and I’ll be coming up on three years that I’ve been doing it. So, with that, I know I’m still really young in the game, with tons of things to learn and although I struggle with imposter syndrome, there’s an element of it that keeps me grounded; It keeps me from getting ahead of myself or an overly inflated head. I’ve been given some really good feedback about images I’ve taken by some trained professionals, but there’s something within that won’t let me relish in the compliments; at least for too long. So, to answer the question, I’m still exercising that demon.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I come from the small town of Ama, Louisiana, roughly 20 miles west of New Orleans and, as they say, “If you blink you may miss it!” March 2023, I retired from the U.S. Air Force after 21 years of active military service. Photography was never my intention, it found me. I purchased my first camera in December 2022 to try videoing my nephew’s wedding, but, because I was such a novice, I spent more time figuring out how to use the camera. I was so new that I didn’t know how to attach the lens to the body of the camera. It was pitiful!! Another thing is, I come from the days of handled camcorders to record video and I couldn’t wrap my head around using a 35mm camera to record video even though they’re more than capable of doing so. So, I challenged myself to learn the how to shoot in “manual” mode to try creating a decent still image. Discouragement set in early because I felt I spent good bit of money on the camera, but was producing sub-stellar images. Nonetheless, I stuck with it and within a few months, what I thought was going to be a hobby quickly grew into a demand I wasn’t expecting or prepared for. This is where my struggles with “imposter syndrome” makes its entrance. I’ve learned roughly 80% of what I know about photography via YouTube. Because I have no formal training, I frequently doubt my abilities and worth; not to mention the business savvy. With that doubt comes intense battles with insecurity, indecisiveness, devaluing the work I’ve put into learning the craft and many other mental and emotional perils. In spite of it all, I thoroughly love photography and you’d rarely see me without my camera. I love photography because it gives us the ability to put a pause on life, hold that moment and let us revisit that moment for as long as the photo exists.
My ultimate goal with photography is to become a professional. I’ve been told many times that I need to find a “niche” to build and focus on. While I understand the messaging, I have a hard time narrowing down what my niche would be. I guess I’m still in that exploration phase and/or I haven’t taken myself seriously enough to be considered a “photographer” to have one. Although, event and headshot photography are things I’ve done regularly, I enjoy other genres of photography (i.e. sports, macro and street photography, etc.) that I still consider as possibilities. So, I guess it’s safe to say that I’m still developing in the many facets of this craft.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most important quality, skill and/or area of knowledge that has and still carry me are: passion, determination and humbleness.
Passion because even in the midst of my insecurities and the many rejections I’ve encountered (which contribute to my insecurities), it doesn’t stop me from loving the craft and wanting to do more of it. I firmly believe that if I didn’t have a passion for photography, I would’ve sold every piece of equipment that I own by now. Passion keeps me in the fight and it creates this tunnel vision about what I’m wanting to do.
Determination, I feel, is driven by my passion. It’s gives me that extra boost to not only do what I’m passionate about, but it forces me to seek out the various ways to grow and expand my skill. I use the work of other photographers to push me to be better, dissecting their images to see how I can incorporate certain techniques, compositions, editing styles, etc. in my work. It also helps me override that feeling of not belonging in spaces where seasoned photographers are.
Humbleness: To remain humble is a quality that is an absolute must for me. It keeps me grounded and close to the days when I knew nothing about photography. It keeps me grateful that I’m able to do it and keeps me open to help others with their photography journey. I learned real early how competitive photography is and how so many would rather view you as competition versus a fellow cooperative. It’s really bizarre, and comical, how people ”gear check” you when you walk into an event spaces or they walk past you with an obscure expression, flashing their $12,000-plus set up. It’s as if it’s a warning shot letting me know I don’t belong in their space. These types of behaviors certainly reinforce my determination to remain humble; that I don’t perpetuate those behaviors when I walk into a space where I may be the one with the perceived better camera set-up. Instead, I greet fellow photographers, check on them during the events and encourage them to do amazing work. We’re all trying to do the same thing, capture the event in our own unique style and perspective. There’s a meme I read a few month back that parallels my life and subsequently my photography and it states, “Your smile is your logo. Your personality is your business card. And the way you make others feel is your trademark.” So, for me, remaining teachable, open to share and creating a welcoming environment is all part of what keeps me humble.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
This is a hard question to answer because there are so many people who believes in me and have encouraged me along the way. I am grateful to them and don’t want them to feel left out. As it pertains to success, it’s still a work in progress and none of the things I’ve done, or will do in the future, isn’t done without the help of others. As it pertains to my development there are two people that immediately comes to mind who have been the most instrumental in my development.
The first is Mr. Eldridge Short. He owns a franchise within The Sports Section (TSS) photography covering the D.C., Maryland, Virginia areas. We met during one of his photoshoots for my kid’s seasonal softball team pictures. I had just purchased my first camera and asked him if he’d be interested in taking me on as a project. He didn’t hesitate to say yes. He had me over to his home, showed me the basic settings his team uses and sent me home with some equipment to practice. Within a couple of weeks, he allowed me to work a few of his shoots, not as a stagehand or errand boy, but behind the camera. It was an extremely valuable experience because he introduced me to off-camera flash photography and light metering; two skills that I’ve come to realize aren’t widely known or utilized by a lot of photographers. He also introduced me to volume photography, how to manage the chaos and how to stay organized within the chaos. I’ve applied those lessons during volume headshot events I’ve done since. I owe a huge debt to him for taking a chance on me and allowing me the space to grow.
The second is Bill Lee. The only way I can describe our meeting is divinely orchestrated. I met him as I was leaving a local Starbucks and, as I walked past him, I noticed he was using the same photo editing software I had been learning. I introduced myself and we talked photography for a good two hours. We exchanged information and he’s been responsible for putting me in spaces that most seasoned photographers dream of. It’s because of him I’ve been able to photograph events such as: Gospel artist, Kirk Franklin’s Reunion Tour, The National Coalition for Black Civic Participation’s (NCBCP): Black Women’s Roundtable, the Power of the Ballot bus tour and Congressional Black Caucus to name a few. There is NO WAY I get into those spaces without him and I hope to grow enough to pay it forward. Again, another established photographer who didn’t hesitate to put my novice abilities to work. With these experiences I became more comfortable with the camera, navigating large spaces and photo editing. I’m extremely grateful to him because he provides an in-person example of how to move, engage and effectively capture moments. He validates me as a “photographer” even when I allow my insecurities to get the best of me and tell people “I’m just a guy with a camera”. He continually encourages me through the rejections from many of those pursued photography endeavors and gives guidance that helps me to be vigilant. Earlier I talked about how important humbleness is to me and, as I think about my meeting Bill, I realize how that he exercised that very quality and extended to me. I think about how such a known and established photographer could’ve easily waived me off and paid me no mind. Instead, he stopped working on the photos he was editing and invited conversation. I often wonder where would I be in my photography had I not met him.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dcalvinphotography.myportfolio.com
- Instagram: @dcalvinphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donald.lebeauf/
Image Credits
All images are my own.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
