Meet Donna Tabor of DHT Artistry in Cypress

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Tabor.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Donna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Back in 2002, I relocated to Houston from Chicago, IL with my now husband, James. Here I started working at Walgreens Drug Store in the photo lab. This was back before digital cameras were affordable and available for everyday use and definitely before smartphones had such great cameras. I processed so much 35mm film! I worked at one of the busiest stores in the Houston area for processing film, so I got a lot of experience just knowing how to process film and do small edits for my customers to enhance their photos. I was promoted to photo lab manager very quickly in the first few months and my love of pictures never stopped even after I stopped working that job 4 years later. Fast forward to 2007 and I started doing annual Christmas family photos and really looked forward to it every year.

In 2014, I had a bad experience with a professional photographer I hired to do our pictures and I said “that’s it!”, I’ll just do my own pictures next year. Well, the next year came and I ended up going to a department store photography studio and was unhappy with the cookie cutter poses I was tired of doing all the years prior. Once again, I was disappointed. So in 2016, I bought a DSLR camera and a tripod and self-taught myself the basics of how to use it. I did our annual Christmas photos that were not so cookie cutter and sent out our annual cards and the response was HUGE! I received so much feedback on how nice they were, that I started telling my friends that I wanted more practice so if they wanted some free pictures to let me know. Well in May 2017, I had my first client and the referrals and work just started coming in and DHT Artistry was born!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
That’s easy… NO! Cameras and equipment are very expensive and I was for sure not seeing a return on my investment initially. Then there is the juggling of your client’s schedules with yours. I’m married with 4 kids and since almost all of my shoots happen on the weekends, there is that guilty feeling that I’m gone too much and don’t spend the time at home that I once did. There have been late nights and early mornings editing to get clients their pictures on time as promised as well. The major struggle I have is making sure I meet my client’s expectations when so many variables can work against you. I work on-location mainly and the weather, sun, and amount of activity in the area can really work against you.

Recently, I was doing a shoot and did not know prior that it was classified as private property… BIG mistake! Then, I had an instance where I did a couple different photo shoots in a beautiful public garden and a new client wanted that same area only 1 month later… only to find out that a permit was required to shoot there and the security guard on duty had no problems letting us know and tried calling the police. I had to think quickly of an area close by where the client could still get some good shots as the time was ticking. I’ve learned a lot in such a short time.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about DHT Artistry – what should we know?
I currently specialize in lifestyle and portrait pictures. That will include your family photos, couples, graduates and beauty sessions. I am known for having reasonable prices without sacrificing the output. One thing that I do to set me apart from others is to let my clients know that they are not just booking a photo shoot, but that they are investing in themselves and building a collection. Photos are timeless and there is still that moment that everyone loves, which is looking at their family history through photos. No matter how many times I’ve been to the same persons home, I still find myself looking at the photos that they have displayed as if I’m visiting for the first time. I want my work to be worthy of being displayed. That’s what I think about during every shoot.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My husband and kids have been the biggest cheerleaders for me. My oldest, P.J., is 15 and he goes out and helps me quite often for a fraction of what I would pay an assistant. He’s even gotten really good behind the camera and will take promotional shots of me that I need. My family is very patient with me when it’s 10 pm on Friday night and I’m getting some new equipment ready for the next day and I ask them to take test shots! I have so many friends that have sent referrals my way and booked me themselves. I also have one friend, LaKitia Woodard who is the owner and life coach of A Sister’s Truth, really help me with some of my personal struggles when I get discouraged. When I wanted to do a business launch last October, the turnout and support from friends was so humbling and I could not have done it without the strength of my husband James, sister Colette and best friend, Jamila. Colette and Jamila both traveled from the west coast just to help me set up when the pressure was on and to make the moment that much more special. I’ve also learned to utilize Instagram to get in touch and follow some local seasoned photographers, to which I’m so inspired by their work and view them as indirect mentors.

Pricing:

• Lifestyle and Portrait Collection: $150 per hour which includes 4 photoshop edits
• Events and Campaign Collection: starting at $200 per hour and fully customizable

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dhtartistry.com
• Phone: 832-593-5966
• Email: donnatabor@dhtartistry.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/dhtartistry
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dhtartistry

Image Credit:
Donna Tabor – DHT Artistry

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