Meet Michelle Donovan

We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Donovan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I learned from a young age that you have to find purpose & the silver lining in every situation. I’m not saying that’s always easy but to keep your sanity & mental health in check it’s necessary. My purpose within my photography business came initially when my children were little. We found out my husband had multiple sclerosis when our daughter was 6 months old. I knew the path that this disease could take so I was intentional on taking photos of everything we did. The only problem was that they were typically only printed to a 4×6 size or on my phone. We never had professional pictures taken as a family. So the largest picture in our home was only an 11×14. Then when my husband’s disease started to progress I knew that I had to develop my skills to have a career that gave me total flexibility. My purpose became super strong after my husband passed away and I realized I never got those professional pictures taken of our family and I could not fix it now. This realization is what drives me to make sure everyone has that custom photo session of their family and then I create that custom artwork for their walls. I never want another family to have to realize they do not have beautiful custom wall art of their loved ones after a loved one has passed. Children need this artwork in the home because it helps them with feeling included and loved. There are studies that show children’s mental health, self worth & self confidence is better when there is artwork hanging in the home of the family together because it gives them a sense of belonging. So my life experiences & losses have fueled my passion & purpose.

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 am a widow & mother of 2 adult children. My photography career started as just a hobby to document our lives and the events my children were in. It has evolved into a career and a passion. For many years my photography was a hobby that I would take pictures for a friend here and there but nothing I would call a career or passion. As my children grew I started taking my photography a little more seriously. In 2013 I graduated with an Associate Degree in Digital Photography & then in 2016 I graduated from Nossi College of Art & Design with my Bachelors Degree in Commercial Photography. As I have transitioned from hobby to a career I have learned so much. I have learned that my photography career can take me anyplace I want to go if I am willing to put in the work & keep going. People ask me what my niche is and my response is anything but weddings and nudes. I have done a few weddings for friends but it’s not the market I want to specialize in. I love working with musicians, athletes, pets & families. I have a huge passion for creating custom art for my clients. These are one of a kind pieces that you can’t get anywhere else.
Things that are coming up: be on the lookout for a custom series of country music artists featuring Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean, Luke Combs and a few others. Plus I have some really fun custom sessions that I will be launching in the coming months. Come follow me on my socials so you don’t miss when my country artist series launches & my custom sessions are announced because they there will be a limited number of spots available.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

  1. Never stop learning and know that you can always get better.
  2. Don’t ever compare yourself to someone else because it will eat you alive and destroy your self worth & self confidence.
  3. Never stop dreaming!! Like Lainey Wilson said ” If you’regonna be a dreamer, you better be a doer”.

My greatest advice is if you are going to make your photography business a career, treat it like one. Make sure you put your systems in place from the beginning. This means all the business systems to keep track of your spending & income. It’s much easier to put it in place from the beginning and make good habits than to have to fix bad habits. Plus don’t forget the 3 things I listed above. I was told if you treat your business like a business it will pay you like a business and your friends and family will as well.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is someone who values artwork and is not afraid to invest in it. The photography artwork that I create is an investment in your family, your career or your future. I create my artwork to be enjoyed and treasured for generations to come. So really the main characteristic that makes someone an ideal client for me is someone that values artwork. This can be artwork for someone’s home, a high school senior, branding for a business or social media content for an artist or business.

Contact Info:

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