January 30, 2017

Meet Justin Davidson of Justin Davidson Photography in North West Los Angeles

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Davidson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Justin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started shooting photography at age twelve (back when there was a thing called film, lol). Those days I used to develop and print in a darkroom. Now with the use of digital, most of my post-processing work is done behind a computer screen. There are times I still miss the smell of chemicals, but the time I save more than makes up for it. When I first moved to Los Angeles I was on the west side, but now having recently gotten married myself, I live in the valley. I work all around LA shooting engagement sessions on the beach, in the mountains, or anywhere that brings out the personalities of the couple. That’s what’s awesome about LA! We are just a hop, skip and a jump from just about any kind of environment. Same with weddings. We have so many venues that are incredible and I’m willing to travel all over, capturing those moments that will last a lifetime. One of my new favorite styles of photography is the Comic-style convention. They call it “cosplay” and being the huge nerd that I am, I’ve fallen in love shooting all these super creative people. I think the greatest lesson I’ve learned is that as a photographer it’s more about creating relationships with my clients, which allows me to provide a more enjoyable shooting experience, which results in a better photographic product.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think life is a smooth road. I think we all have struggled. Mine are no different. I suppose it’s the struggle that helps hone us and make us sharper. As an artist, I’ve found that setting yourself apart is the most difficult. There are so many people out there all doing a similar, if not the same, thing. For me, I see listing upon listing of photographers all clamoring to make a living doing what we love. As a newly-wed, I too had to shop for a photographer. Incredibly frustrating. You have a budget and want to get the most you can afford. I try and price myself competitively but still affordable for just about anyone. With that said I also try and give more back by including an engagement session and a super fast turnaround time, with extras available for those with a larger budget or items available at a future date. Overall it comes down to the right fit. Photography can be incredibly personal and the more comfortable someone is in front of me the better their photographs will be. Yes, I want someone to hire me, but what’s even more important is the feeling they have when they walk away. I like creating relationships. I want everyone to feel comfortable in front of my camera and I want them to keep coming back for more. Nothing makes me happier than shooting a stranger for a simple portrait session that down the road leads to an engagement shoot, then a wedding, and then with a little more time a maternity and infant shoot pops up, then family portraits, graduation, and the cycle repeats. It makes me laugh but we all have a family doctor, dentist, handyman. I’d love to be the “family photographer”. They would become my pseudo-family and I’d get to see everyone grow.

Justin Davidson Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What I think separates me is just that, me. My personality. My love and enthusiasm. Obviously, every photographer has their own “eye” for pictures and capturing them, but along with that comes the time involved in the actual capture. Photographing people is very personal and the more comfortable you are in front of the camera the better your pictures will be. I take my job of putting you at ease as seriously (and fun) as I can. My company, including my second shooters, all want you to walk away with a fantastic experience as well as wonderful photos. I don’t like to pigeonhole myself with just one type of photography, so I shoot just about anything that sounds fun, challenging, and beneficial to the world around me. I started with nature and landscape, which sadly I don’t have the time like I used to be able to shoot. Weddings, portraits, and infants (which is something new) is what I mainly do now. I also get hired for special events, parties, red carpets. I like to think of myself as the “go to” photographer. You need something captured, I’m here to help. Some of my most proud moments are seeing every new couple’s eyes when they get their pictures back, many times seeing tears of joy in their eyes from the moments we collaborated together on. That’s something I strongly believe in. We are a team and together we create the images and moments. Yes, I’m there pressing the shutter release, but you as the model or subject is also giving it your all so we can capture something incredible.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Proudest moment has yet to come. Always chasing. For me, every moment is precious and different. I can’t be prouder of one over the other. I’ve been the featured photographer on several articles in the cosplay community which makes me smile. One of my favorites was the Star Wars Bunnies group from Celebration VII. I’ve also spoken on photography panels promoting a positive self-image. I truly believe everyone has a wonderful uniqueness about them and together we get to collaborate to bring it to light. I’ve written a book about my journey in Zion National Park featuring photos taken from there highlighting my faith and how I came to terms from my own dark place. I’m proud of the relationships I have made over the years with photography clients. I had one client terrified of having her picture taken and now every time she poses in front of me she ROCKS IT! Her passion and self-confidence is incredible. All these things bring joy to my heart. I hope as I grown myself (always chasing) I can help others with their own struggle and bring smiles to those around me.

Pricing:

Most portrait sessions start at $325 for a two-hour session
Weddings start at $2450 (See my website for Collection details and what’s included)
Private Events/Red Carpets $350 for the first 2 hours, $150/hour after

Contact Info: