Meet Geoffrey Donne

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Geoffrey Donne. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Geoffrey , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Being of service to others, moving others, connecting with others… these have always been my most foundational desires. When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I participated in a school play, and having all those people watching my every move, listening to every word, and then reacting emotionally to what I said and did, was a profound event for me. I felt seen, heard, and connected to everyone else. I also felt… I suppose “special” is the most fundamental term, however reductionist. I think we all want to feel those things, as human beings. To feel important to others, and essentially, to ourselves, is a human hunger, a need that once we feel even the smallest sense of fulfillment of, we begin to develop self-esteem.

Once I found my most natural skills were essentially based upon empathy, intuition, forming rapid connections with others, I fell in love with storytelling as a way to wield those powers effectively, creatively, and meaningfully. Weather as an actor, a writer, a director, a film & television cameraman, or as I do now, as a portrait photographer, my purpose has remained the same: to move others, to connect on some primal or primordial level that engages both mind and spirit, and leave them with a memorable experience.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have one of most incredible jobs… empowering people to share their most personal traits, qualities, strengths, vulnerabilities… through the creation of remarkable portraiture.

I have created photographs with many people who firmly believed they were not photogenic, that they were unattractive, or that they “just can’t take a good picture.” Sometimes that belief is deeply held, often for many years. On numerous occasions, after building trust and rapport, and putting my subject at ease, I have begun our portrait session with a single shot, just one click of the shutter. I then turned the laptop computer tethered to my camera towards them so they could see the image, and watched tears well up in their eyes. It is a profound moment to share with another person: the moment they begin to learn something about themselves that they did not know… that they are in fact, beautiful, handsome, however they felt moments before about their own image, shifts perceptibly, powerfully, and enduringly. That is a remarkable way to earn a living, and it’s never the same for any session, but always profoundly gratifying.

What’s so special about what I do? I take the time and effort to build rapport, confidence and trust before there’s ever a camera involved, then capture images that are empowered with authenticity and personal connection, conveying a powerful sense of who is actually in the portrait. Most people have a “thing” they do when someone points a camera at them… a face or pose they hit that they imagine to be flattering, and usually, it is entirely a false construct, a trick essentially, that at once protects them from being seen, and satisfies the demand the lens being pointed at them.

My mission is to journey beyond that mask, that “inauthentic cover,” and actually capture the essence of the human being I am photographing, some part of what is special unique and appealing about them. The art part is using my camera to go deeper than just the surface, capturing their inner appeal and hidden qualities. You likely know the old trope about Native Americans in the 1800’s who had never seen a camera in their lives, believing having their picture taken was literally “stealing their soul.” Obviously that is not true, but there is perhaps a small hint of accuracy contained therein… a great portrait can reflect something far deeper than mere physical surface.

Empathy is where my craft begins. I use active listening, along with many other approaches, but mostly I use my love of people to create an atmosphere of ease and comfort, in what is intrinsically a challenging and somewhat uncomfortable process for most people. It may seem like a rather common process, taking someone’s picture, particularly in the age of endless selfies and A.I. Nearly everyone has a decent camera in their phone, and millions of people own high quality digital cameras and photography gear. Here’s the caveat… most people have a word processor on their computer too, but that doesn’t mean they can write a great novel or screenplay that will capture the human imagination, sometimes heart, and last beyond their lifetime. That is the power of a tool in the right hands, to travel beyond the commonplace and ordinary.

A father and mother recently hired me to photograph their young adult daughter. She wanted pictures for her dating profile, and a professional portrait for her newly chosen career, she had recently graduated from University. I invited them all to my home studio, and spent several hours with them, NOT talking about her portrait session, but getting to know her. Introverted, painfully shy, and quite bright and lovely, she began our meeting quite uncomfortable. She was however, a cat lover, and my two furry felines eventually made an appearance. She couldn’t help herself, in a minute, she was down on the floor, making friends. The ice was broken, and I felt the room warm and ease.

She opened up, and began to talk about what she hoped for, not just in the images we were going to create, but in her life. During a phone call a few days later, I learned what her parents really were hoping in our session, and it was far more than simply a few lovely portraits. While their daughter was highly intelligent, she was lacking in self-confidence, self-esteem. She had not defined her personal style at all, so her closet was really only was sweats and jeans, a couple of nice dresses for Sunday church, hair almost always pushed back in a pony-tail, and often as not, eyes down on the floor. What mom and dad wanted was for me to help her discover herself, just a tiny bit, what they wanted for her, was to begin the transformation into her authentic self though our creative process.

That is exactly what we did, and after a half-day shopping trip, watching her discover what she wanted to be photographed in, how she wanted to be portrayed, I knew we were going to have a remarkable shoot. In front of my lens, she blossomed to life, and after seeing the first few images, I had the great pleasure of witnessing her bloom before my lens. With each change of wardrobe, and moving from room to room, with different music of her choosing playing, her confidence and self-possession grew. The resulting images were some of my favorite that I have captured, because I was serving her in the purest way, honoring her deeply personal growth that she had clearly been ready for, but did not have a ritual, a process, to self-actualize.

Part of how I accomplish what I do is by utilizing my skills as a storyteller, an actor, director, a cinematographer, and to ask questions that produce an authentic, emotional response, along with a physical one, and most importantly, an genuine one. I then bring all the elements of story-craft to bare, lighting, backgrounds, music, wardrobe, hair and makeup, in my creative process.

I recently had a corporate client, an insurance professional, in my Studio, looking to create images that would enhance his business. People have many criteria for hiring someone to do anything, but trust and relatability come high on the list. Feeling connection and simply “I like him or her” can often be enough to tip someone’s decision making process in your favor. He is a very charismatic, likable guy, but he was offering up his “I’m taking a picture” face, with every click of the shutter.

I knew he had two young children, so I lowered the camera and asked him… Say you’re in your office right now, and your two children are playing on the floor, right in front of you. Laughing, carefree, there they are. Can you see them? I pressed the shutter. “CLICK.” It’s unlike any of the frames which came before, and it’s a portrait that will immediately be an earner for him. Why? Because people looking for insurance are looking for REASSURANCE, that someone has your back, that everything will really be okay. That’s what a child also looks for, though obviously in very different ways, but the camera cannot tell the difference. In that one image, he showed up fully, authentically, and that picture has a superpower in it, that no amount of simply posing him and taking a picture, can replicate.

Whether my clients are hoping to elevate their personal or corporate brand, capture the attention of a Hollywood Casting Director, find the love of their life, or create a once-in-a-lifetime elegant portrait that will be displayed in their home above the mantle for years, then be handed down through generations, I create images that amplify and empower my subject, so people authentically pay attention.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Storytelling skills, the ability to empathize, form genuine connections with another human being, and a strong visual artistic sensibility were the foundational skills that have powered my career path as a portrait photographer. Then came the need to master the technical aspects of photography, which is another requisite journey entirely. I have always been a student of human nature and behavior, and have worked to be genuinely interested, rather than trying to be interesting. Were I to change anything about laying the foundation of my efforts, stronger business and marketing knowledge would have been at the top of my “to do” list. There are so many superb artists who cannot sustainably and profitably build and operate a successful business, in part because they are solo-preneurs. It is nowhere near enough to be highly talented, if you cannot monetize and build a lasting brand that captures public eyes, you are in for a very short flight indeed.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I recently relocated with my family and business to Atlanta, Georgia. This is, in many ways, starting all over from scratch, after building a successful Los Angeles based portrait photography business. My wife was a long-time Georgian, the first female firefighter in Carroll County, Georgia, and has some close friends and family here, so I’m starting there to build a network and market the most effective way… in person.

It remains however, a daunting task, particularly at 58 years old. What do I plan to do?
Hustle my way to the top. My photography is award-winning, nationally published, and at a very high professional standard, and I have a long track record of starting over as needed. The strategy is to put my focus on the business administration, joining the best in-person networking groups, here in Georgia that is called Powercore. ‘

Weekly meetings at the crack of dawn, with fellow entrepreneurs, getting to know one another’s businesses and making direct referrals of potential clients. That is in addition to new SEO for my website, geoffreydonnephotography.com, and searching out what I call “force multipliers, individuals who have a rich personal social network of friends and colleagues who fit my target client network… affluent, middle aged folks who recognize the value of superb photography, whether for personal branding, career advancement, dating apps, or simply family legacy building. There is no shortcut, no “quick fix,” it’s a long game, and it demands sacrifice, singular focus and discipline, and creativity to expedite the process as much as possible.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
All images, Geoffrey Donne Photography

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