I’m so grateful for being able to share your work here at Local. It’s like nothing we’ve been lucky enough to display.
What were your thoughts in deciding to post in these confusing times?
First of all, I am so grateful for the opportunity to post this series at my favorite coffee shop! So thank you! I think now is actually a great time to have this work on display. Life is going at a slower pace for many people, so I think art will be more appreciated now than when you're trying to get your coffee as fast as possible to catch the train!
You are by far one of the nicest people I have met since moving here to Montclair. Where does that come from?
I'm always nice to the person giving me caffeine and baked goods!
In our conversation, I was reminded how important it is to continue to support the arts. Musicians, actors, painters, illustrators, photographers...all still need to express themselves through their craft and encourage us to challenge what we know and believe. How have you used this time to continue your artistic journey?
I wasn't working at all during the first few months of quarantine, which was a very drastic change for me because I went from shooting 3 times a week and running a creative agency with my husband and business partner, Brian, to being a full time momma of my two boys - Liam who is 5 and Jesse who is 19 months.
In retrospect, I think stepping away from work as an artist is incredibly valuable. It allows you to step back, recalibrate and come back with a fresh perspective and renewed energy. I recently went back to shooting and it was amazing how differently it felt to absorb the space and create compositions that I might not have considered before. I hope all artists can use this time to look at their passion from an internal view, and then activate your work based on what you see.
Tell us specifically about this exhibit. What prompted the approach? Given its POV, what challenges were there in capturing this landscape?
This series is called Reflections from Above because the shots are all taken from the tops of glass skyscrapers in Manhattan. I "found" one of these reflections while on a shoot with Brian and from then on we were on a hunt to find more mind blowing reflections!
In order to achieve the symmetry we wanted, the camera had to be pointed straight down and the shot had to be taken hand-held (without a tripod). This required wrapping the camera strap several times around the wrist, setting a manual focus on the view, and then holding our breath so the camera wouldn't shake! We did all of these at the "golden hour", which is about 15 minutes after sunset, and we only have about a 10-minute window to capture the perfect light and color saturation. We hope to continue to find more of these views and keep the series going, which currently has about 10 images.
I like to think each new pass at something provides some level of learning or perhaps even personal growth. What did you learn in capturing these images?
We started doing this series at a time when all of our work was commissioned. This series reminds us that some of the best times we have as artists are the times when we are shooting for fun!
I also think these images say a lot about who I am as an artist. I absolutely LOVE color, and I love enhancing color in photoshop. I love shooting at twilight. I love the rush of shooting from the rooftop of a 90 story glass tower. And I love being the only judge of my work.
Brian says "It gave me a new perspective on New York City. Most of the time I'm walking around and I'm looking up, but rarely would I take the time to find a new way to see my everyday surroundings. This made me remember what I love about New York City, that it is constantly changing, evolving, renewing, and pushing the boundaries of what is fresh and exciting.
I look at these photos and can’t help but think about jumping from some spectacular height (hopefully sticking the James Bond landing). What do you think now after seeing them up?
I think I want them to be BIGGER! I had one client print one on plexiglass at 45"x65" and it looked spectacular.
What projects are you working on moving forward?
I'm shooting a lot of new developments right now as well as luxury real estate. As far as personal projects, I have plans to capture people in their homes during the Covid-19 era. If anyone's interested in having me capture them and their families at home, they can e-mail me at donna@donnadotan.com.
What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?
Brian drinks iced coffee all year round! I recently gave up caffeine unfortunately (but I promise to still be nice!)
Learn more about Donna and her beautiful view of our world here