my [JOE] blog: the dailies of a portrait & documentary photographer. who doesn't take pictures.

Donald Page: an interview

This is some text prior to the author information. You can change this text from the admin section of WP-Gravatar Joe is a photographer born and based in New Orleans. He specializes in portraiture and documentary projects. During the day he works for a cargo agency specializing in humanitarian aid and relief. Read more from this author

Donald in Burkina Faso with the Karangasso Vigue tribe.

I can recall a memory that took place somewhere around the age of six where Donald and I were at his house playing the original Batman on his NES.  This is how I used to remember Donald, but that's been a couple years, er, decades.

So, what's changed since then?  Just the scale of things, you might say.  But don't mistake my "just" for anything ordinary.  Now a days when the name Donald Page comes to mind, few people think of the NES days.  Most know him as a Photographer.  Some as a Pro MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Fighter.  Others still as a world traveler.  But it's safe to say that everyone knows him as an all-around nice guy.

Oh, and did I mention as an advanced Scuba diver?  Yeah, that too.

As you can see, Donald has no lack of ambition when it comes to chasing (or rather catching) his dreams.

I recently caught up with him via Big Brother v.2, that is, Facebook, and picked his brain for a bit.  The thrust of this post is to give a small insight into who Donald is on both the personal and professional level.

Some questions are the standard-interview-questions, like, "what are your hobbies and loves?"  He mentioned all of things you would expect from someone who is, as he puts it, "kind of an adrenaline junkie."  And those are, by no means, boring, but what truly caught my attention was the way he finished by talking about the love he has for his family, taking extra time to dote on his soon-to-be-five year old niece, Lauryn, who, as he says, is "the best kid I've ever met!"

Next, I asked who inspires him.  And before I talk about what he said, I'd like to lend a little clarity; questions like this can often leave open a wide range of possibilities.  Which is my euphemism for 'name dropping' and 'shameless self-promotion.'  You know, like the things I do.

Here's an excerpt from a recent blog post by Scott Kelby, who is, if you don't know, The Mr. Photoshop, and an incredible photographer to boot:

I also talked sports photographers Matt Lange and Don Page (the guys I shot the Louisiana Tech game with last week), into coming to New York for PPE, and we hung out the whole show and I introduced them to “the gang” who took them in like they were old friends. Both are really great guys, and I think they made a lot of new friends, too (Don, RC, and Brad wound up hanging out one night at Joey L’s house until way late along with Jeremy Cowart, Dustin Snipes, and company

Joey L?  Jeremy Cowart?!  Dustin Snipes.  Okay I don't know who Dustin Snipes is, but I looked him up, and he's amazing, too.  In case you haven't picked up on this yet, these aren't "normal" people.  These guys occupy the top 1% of commercial photography in the World.  ...or, it might be the top 2%, but either way, these are the guys who kick butt and don't have to take names.  Chuck Norris stuff.  That's right, I went there.  Note: In case Scott Kelby is reading this (smiling to myself as I type this), it doesn't count as name-dropping when Scott (we're also on a first name basis) does it, because he's one of those top 1%.

So, who inspires Donald Page?  Without ever mentioning all that stuff above, which I had to find on my own, he answers, "meet[ing] someone who truly excels at what they do."  He goes on, "I met a lady at Arby's named Trudy who inspired me once."  Even though this is a humorous antidote, the fundamentals are right on.  As any true artist will tell you, their inspirations often come not from an exclusive and narrow field of like-minded work, but instead from expressions of personality and principle.

Those who have chosen to excel at their craft, as Donald mentioned, have chosen to take it to a point of perfection that surpasses the technical aspects, landing it in a region that becomes a personal extension of one's self.  This is truly where the realm of art begins.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't ask about his marketing strategy. With the advent of Social Media firmly taking it's place in both our personal and business lives, many who five years ago had a comfortable formula for success, are having to rethink how they do business.  Donald says he has nothing formally in place by way of a strategy, only a focus on being transparent to those around him: "I've found that if you are nice to people, have a genuine interest in others, and you have good work, then you won't have to trick people into hiring you."

With a humility and work ethic founded in his Faith and family, he closes, "we all have a man behind the curtain."  It's with our friends' and loved-ones' help that we... are.

Check out his blog, and portfolio.  Facebook will forgive you for a few more minutes absence.  Trust me.  I checked.

Before you click, here are a few to whet your appetite!

About jOe

Joe is a photographer born and based in New Orleans. He specializes in portraiture and documentary projects. During the day he works for a cargo agency specializing in humanitarian aid and relief.