Former teacher turns passion into profession
With the click of a button, Ryan Donaldson captures moments in time.
“Photography has been a passion of mine since I was a small child,” Donaldson said. “Being a third-generation photographer, I spent many hours behind the lens of a camera from a young age. I have been practicing my passion since then, always looking for the perfect shot.”
The Gibraltar resident owns and operates Ryan Donaldson Photography, 125 S. Monroe St., in downtown Monroe. The full-service studio specializes in senior, sports, and business portraits.
Donaldson went to Eastern Michigan University for art education where he took several studio art classes including photography. Although he said most of what he has learned has been self-taught or through experience.
In 2010, he started his photography company while working as a high school art teacher.
“I was a school teacher for eight years and did photography as a side hustle,” he said. “After a couple of years, it started expanding pretty quickly and I decided to turn my hobby into my job and step back from teaching. My studio started out at my house but quickly realized I needed more space and a better setup. It just so happened that the space in Monroe opened up and we began renovation on it. It took about six months to redo the interior. In 2018, we had the front of the building redone.”
Donaldson’s studio is open by appointment. Photo shoots are scheduled on location or at the studio. Summer and fall are his busiest time of year. From August through early November, most days of the week are booked with fall sports, senior and family portraits.
He said there a few reasons his work is different from others in the same business.
“First, I have years of experience and thousands of hours of work put into my craft. I approach my portraits from an artistic standpoint when taking the photos and editing them. Secondly, I am willing to go above and beyond to ensure we are getting the look my client wants with their portraits. I will search for the perfect location, so they get exactly the photographs they have envisioned,” he said. “Lastly, I believe my communication and customer service are fantastic. When you contact me I will respond quickly and make sure you are taken care of.”
Like many businesses, Donaldson was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. His studio was closed most of the spring of 2020 and he was forced to change the way he works. He now spends more time compositing images and editing.
“COVID has changed the landscape a lot, and I have had to make adjustments like anyone else,” he said. “I have really had to change how I shoot team sports photos. For example, before COVID we would shoot them as groups, now I shoot them individually and composite them together into groups. It’s a lot more work, but what needs to be done to keep customers happy.”
Donaldson said he spends most of his time shooting on location, a more popular choice with clients rather than shooting portraits in a studio. He admits the photography business has changed over the years.
“There is far more competition in recent years. There are probably hundreds of people that call themselves photographers locally,” Donaldson said. “Cameras have become better and cheaper which allows more people to have them. I encourage the competition. It just means I have to always be stepping up my game and improving.”
Donaldson likes living life by his rules and doing something he loves.
“I spend a lot of time working, but it usually doesn’t feel like work. Owning your own business has its challenges, but I feel the rewards are far more abundant,” he added. “The biggest advantage for me is being able to spend my time as I would like to. I like having the flexibility of making my own schedule.”
Lisa Vidaurri Bowling is a contributor to The Monroe News.
Ryan Donaldson Photography
Location: 125 S. Monroe St.
Owner: Ryan Donaldson of Gibraltar
Business started: 2010
Services: Full-service studio specializes in senior, sports, and business portraits. Photo shoots are scheduled on location or at the studio.
Hours: Open by appointment
Website: https://www.ryandphoto.com/