Bob and Dawn Davis

I find inspiration everywhere, seeing moments and relationships between people, going to art museums and studying how the master painters used light, and the abundance of outstanding photography on the web. Influencers in my work have been photographers I’ve worked with John H. White at the Chicago Sun-Times, Annie Leibovitz, I feel she’s the best contemporary living portrait photographer and among my peers in the Canon Explorers of Light, Sue Bryce, she’s amazing with elegant simple style that draws me into her subjects. Charles Glatzer for wildlife and nature, his photographs capture not just the beauty but the personality and gesture of the animals and David Yarrow his wildlife and fashion work is compelling.

Honestly, every day I am grateful, my photographic career has allowed me to follow my natural curiosity about people, places, cultures, nature, and wildlife.  One of the best experiences for me was capturing the joy and excitement during Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball. This was a three-day celebration held by Oprah Winfrey honoring twenty-five African American women in art, entertainment, and civil rights. During the luncheon Oprah gifted the women diamond earrings, the joy and excitement was infectious. Without my camera I would never have witnessed this event. The photographs from this event have been shared and published in print, online and television media around the world.

The worst experience was when I was a staff photographer for the Chicago Sun-Times photographing violence in the city and having to document families’ grief while they planned loved ones’ funerals and memorials. I was there to bare witness and share with the readers who senseless violence touches us all.

Planning is key to capturing great moments, the more prepared I am the higher the quality of the photographs. I never want to chase the moment, instead being prepared for when the peak action is about to unfold. Weddings are three acts, the preparation, the ceremony, and the celebration. Knowing who the key people are and the who, what, where, when, and why is invaluable in capturing those once in a lifetime moments- one of my core beliefs is always be prepared.

Embrace the love of the craft and the artistry, shoot as much as possible and as many different subjects and genres of photography as possible. Read your camera manual and be able to adjust and change your settings in the dark. Lastly practice, practice, practice.