Culture Shift with Donia Wedding Arts | Architecture, Engineering, and Luxury Photography

Culture Shift host Duda Penteado sits down with Donia, the incredible talent behind Donia Wedding Arts, for an inspiring conversation about blending technical engineering with pure artistic creativity.

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In this episode Donia shares her journey from being a little girl who custom made art for her family overseas to earning degrees in architecture and engineering. She reveals how picking up a camera to pay for her masters degree at NYU completely changed her life path. Donia discusses the heavy process of finding her true aesthetic, learning to blend her architectural background with human emotion, and the profound realization she had while shooting an engagement at the TWA Hotel. 

This episode covers: • How childhood creativity shapes our future careers • Navigating family expectations when art is viewed as just a hobby  • The transition from civil engineering and architecture into professional photography • Finding the perfect aesthetic and trusting your artistic vision • The viral TWA Hotel engagement shoot that defined Donias signature style • Why you should never try to be the jack of all trades • The importance of studying your subjects rather than just copying trendy poses • Why tracking the original source of inspiration in museums matters for new artists  

Watch, subscribe, and stay connected for more conversations with creatives, artists, founders, and culture builders.

#CultureShift #DoniaWeddingArts #PhotographyPodcast #CreativeJourney #ArtAndArchitecture #WeddingPhotography

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome back to Culture Shift with Dura Pensado the Archivist. This is a space here that we talked about intersections of art, culture, community, technology, education. We wanna know what's going on today. And I have a special guest today with me, right here in the studio, and her name is Dania, and we're gonna talk about how you open your business, but she's an amazing photographer, and we're gonna explore a lot of that angle today. So welcome.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

Thank you, Duda. Thank you for that um warm welcome. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Yes, it's awesome. So um let me think about it. You know, we we when we think about becoming an artist, right? A photographer is an artist, right? Yes. Um when did it start for you? It did that start when you were like a little girl. What was the spark of this thing?

SPEAKER_03 1:05

Yeah, so I always had like this love for art ever since I was a little girl. So you hit the nail on the head. Um, whenever I would visit, you know, family overseas, I would always give them the gift of art. So I would sit and custom make art for every single person in the family. Um, and then when I get there, I would hand it out to them. So my art did start when I was younger. Um, and then in school, my favorite classes were always anything that was art-based, anything that was architecture based. I never really liked anything that wasn't art, um, like had an art foundation to it. And then when I went in college, I wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Let's take that. So, when you let me see if I get this. When you because when I was a kid, my mother tells me then I was attracted to crayons and callers, and I'm playing with cray uh clay, you know, stuff like that. So there were signs of things, the way I was looking, uh things I were looking at, and also um things she told me when I was around art, I would spend hours and hours doing that. How was that for you? What was the thing? You like yeah, you like movies, you like to look at art. Yeah, you know, what was happening with you as a little girl? And what age do you think that would start happening?

SPEAKER_03 2:23

I like to draw a lot. I used to love to draw, paint a lot. Um, that was probably like maybe when I was like in kindergarten, first grade. And I I know, like, you know, you're probably thinking when you're in kindergarten first grade, that's usually what people like kids of that age drift to. But that kind of just stuck with me throughout my life. Like my I remember distinctly, coloring books were my favorite thing. Um, my rides to school consisted of me sitting in the back, coloring something, drawing something. I would like print something at from the, you know, from the computer and try to draw something similar to it. I would take like a picture of like an object and try to draw something similar to it. I would ask my parents for art courses. But of course, like I come from a cultural background where art isn't really, you know, what why are you focusing so much on art? Focus more on numbers, like engineering, being a classic.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Yeah, you're just going to the next question because some parents embrace that. That's the history of every other family. Some parents, you'll give you a little bit of that, let them have fun, and I we need to move on.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

But for us and and for artists, no matter what kind of artists they become, they start spending a lot of time. Most of the time when I'm talking to them as a kid, you see those signs. So, what was happening? First, they like empower you a little bit, and they were like, Enough, let's go on to something else.

SPEAKER_03 3:53

I think they felt like it was more of like a hobby, something on the side, and they kind of wanted me to focus on other things. But I I I don't know, I loved art. It was just something relaxing for me. I found myself in it, and growing up, it was just something I always constantly drifted towards. I just love creativity. Um, and and I found myself doing the same thing in high school, and I found myself doing the same thing in college.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

So before we get to college, um we know we love drawings and coloring, and that was the natural instinct. Um as you're getting older going to high school, would you explore like theater or movies or photography? I know today they have very, I don't know, your time and my time didn't have a lot of that, but today they have a lot of programs and gifts like teenagers in in in high school, they can do photography, you know, they can do film, have a lot of that. Uh how what what it happens to you when you were at the high school level?

SPEAKER_03 4:58

Um, I don't think I I ever thought about going into theater or acting or any of that. I don't think that was like something that was of interest to me. I still stuck to like the pen and paper and painting and having a canvas and stuff like the behind-the-scenes stuff. Um funny enough, photography was not on my mind. It was not something I considered. Um, I think it's because at the time that we we might have had photography courses in school, but I was just not focusing on it. So I still stuck to the whole coloring, drawing, painting aspect of the art. Um, so photography itself was not something on my mind in high school yet.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Cool.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

And then you went through high school, I'm assuming you kept making art, you know, sort of behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_03 5:48

And also to add, I think a part of it was because we had at that time, I didn't have it. So like a flip phone, you couldn't really do much with the camera. So, you know, it was so I couldn't really experiment much. And uh experimenting with photography came when the iPhone became a thing.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Yeah, that came later. We're gonna get into technology. So, yeah, that's important what you mentioned because when I started studying, um, I had to learn everything the traditional way. Yeah. Remember, today you had the iPhone, you can film, you could do this, you can even make art with you have the right app, you know. Yeah, there's uh a lot of different things you can do, but um back then you really needed to study the traditional ways. Yes, they were more expensive, they took more time.

SPEAKER_03 6:36

Yeah, you know, we needed to and I couldn't afford any of that, yeah. So it wasn't even an option.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

I see. But then you you go through high school, yeah, and then after high school, I'm sure your parents and people, what you're gonna be in life and what you're gonna study. Yeah, talk to me about what happened the next step. You mentioned then you study engineering architecture. Yeah, explain to me a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_03 7:03

Yeah, so I actually went to NJIT and I studied um, I went in as a civil engineer. Uh, I did not like the first semester of it. It was too many numbers. It wasn't my thing. Didn't have an ounce of creativity in it. I felt like it was too dry for me and I couldn't continue with it. Um, so I did what was the exact opposite of everybody, what they were doing. So typically people transfer out of architecture and go into engineering. I did the opposite. I went from civil engineering into architecture school. So everybody thought I was crazy. Um, but I went in and I loved it. You know, uh I don't know if they still do that now, but the first semester you do a lot of like hand drawing, and I was just like in love with it. And I felt like you guys. Yeah, it's a newer.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

I actually gave a lecture there at one point. I gave a lecture on um uh creative placemaking, a special workshop they were doing there.

SPEAKER_03 8:00

You were probably in the interior design building, yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

I'll probably there, and it was about public art. Yes, uh, but the this is like super cool. So I I didn't know. I actually also participated in an exhibition, I have a gallery there.

SPEAKER_04 8:15

Oh nice a few years ago.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

I participated in a Goofy exhibition, I would say 15 years ago. I I don't remember.

SPEAKER_03 8:22

Maybe it was when I was there.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

Maybe you were a student there. Oh my god, yes, that's possible.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

I graduated in 2017.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Oh, yes, I love that school. That school is a great reputation, yeah. And and so I had no idea they were doing drawing classes inside. I use the stack and engineering. I I found that strange when they invite me to be in an exhibition in the gallery. I'm like, wow, I didn't know they have a gallery here. They do, they do, and it's a great gallery, actually.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Yeah, yeah, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

So so tell me more. So you shift, and now we're in architecture.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

Yes. So then, like I said, everybody thought I was crazy going into architecture school because it's a much more rigorous program. It's five years, studios are long and hard, the critiquing is very hard. Um, you're putting more money out of your pocket to get a specific computer, to get more like canvases, etc., etc. But, anyways, I went through with it, loved the first semester. I felt like I was like home there. I loved what I was doing, and I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna push through this program. Um, and I I studied architecture. And then midway I picked up an engineering degree. Um, and that was just to balance like kind of like things out. I guess I had I was taking like on 18 to 20 credits a semester. So I had a few free credits at the end of the year, and I was like, why not take on some engineering? So I got bachelors of in engineering as well. Um, but I I I loved it. And I and the bachelor's of engineering didn't really bother me because I had already, I feel like because I already did what I wanted in the creativity realm. So I kind of took what I did in architecture school and kind of applied it to what I was doing in engineering school. And then I felt like I was a little bit more balanced as opposed to just doing engineering.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

So were you really good with numbers as well?

SPEAKER_03 10:15

No, I still am not. I don't like numbers.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

How you get through engineering school?

SPEAKER_03 10:20

I know, because I I I'm just very I'm good when it comes to studying, but I I did I like it? No, it was very forced. It was very forced. I felt like I was forced to do it. But when I when I draw, when I create, I don't feel like I'm forced. It comes naturally to me and I'm happy. I could be up pulling all nighters and I'm I'm still happy about it.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

You know, I I love what you're saying because most of the artists that I know, and that was my case. My father was a sort of famous mathematician professor economics in Brazil, in my country, in Sao Paulo. And I was like, I don't, I don't have this numbers thing inside of me. I I just didn't, I wasn't born with the thing in my DNA. Yes, and and I struggle with the math, and I was never interested, was never something easy. And art was always something easy for me. Yes. I spent a lot of hours. So you know, later on, I study a lot of different things and study the brain, and obviously the creativity, the the ideal space, and subconscious, and all those layers there on the right side of the brain, and the math and the logic is the left side of the brain. So I realized then the other side of the brain for me was much more active, yes, when though they interconnected, and and I find most of artists that's always super curious. Engineering, engineering, photographer. Well, yeah, I would say photography has this very technical element. Yes, maybe there's something there that helped you.

SPEAKER_03 11:55

Yes, yes, yes. So um the technical element of it is you kind of have to know ratios, you kind of have to know colors, you kind of have to know um how to to make sure that the grid is balanced, you it um you you just have to understand like that technical aspect of it. But I don't think I focus so much on the technical aspect of it. Um I I feel like I focus more on the artistic aspect of it, and then the technical aspect just kind of flows with it. Um, to be honest. The technical aspect of things, um, how do I connect it to the engineering? I'm just wondering.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Uh maybe you don't know to today, but is there somewhere?

SPEAKER_03 12:44

It could be, it could be.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

I mean, I think I think maybe maybe help you to create processes.

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Oh, yes. So, like that's definitely like because I have also have my master's from NYU.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Oh my god, you're well accomplished.

SPEAKER_03 12:59

Yes. So I guess somewhat um, so so the engineering aspect I guess came from my more so from my master's than my undergrad. And what I would say is um photography itself has a lot of people management and a lot of planning. So I guess if you would consider that the technical aspect of it, uh that I would say yes, that's the technical aspect.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Yeah, and and I and I I love that because I think a lot of people don't think about all the say, I'm gonna use the word the engineering behind all the planning behind.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

And that there's a lot of it, there's technology involved, there are people, yes, there are crews, there are budgets, and and somehow there's this myth artist just kind of appears. Yes, Picasso made a brushstroke, oh my god, but there's an entire process to out say to get to the final brushstroke, yes, right? And I speak in poetically now, but everything has a big process, and artists with time, the more they try things, the more they perfect the system. Yes, and and and that that's what I call the engineering, right? Of something. Yeah, it not not just technical, technically, uh, it's just like the process. How you downpack the the impot the entire process, then maybe it's perfect for you, and that formula does not work for the other person.

SPEAKER_03 14:26

Yes, I would say like uh if I was to talk about like the wedding photography when it first started versus now.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Wait, wait, wait, we're gonna get there. Okay I I have one, so let's just go back to this. So you went and you got two diplomas, a master's degree, and then you like, wow, you accomplished all of that. Now let's go for the big lip here. You did all of that, and apparently, if I'm wrong, correct me, you did not get the engineering job, you didn't have the architectural job. Some way through the path, you like bump into photography.

SPEAKER_03 15:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Let's talk about how that happened.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

Yeah, so actually, when I graduated from my undergrad, I did land an engineering job, and I and I still am working an engineering job.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Oh, okay. So you still did something on.

SPEAKER_03 15:20

Yes, essentially, I still do both um full-time. Um and then when I was working on my master's, so we all know NYU poly is very expensive. So I had to figure out a way to make money on the on the side. I I was still working full-time, but I needed extra an extra cash flow. Um, so my friend, a really close friend of mine, she was she suggested, why don't you do photography? You love it so much. Where how did she know I loved it so much? I had an iPhone. That's the question.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

Yeah, how did you know? How you know you love photography? What happened?

SPEAKER_03 15:56

Yeah, so I basically had an iPhone at the time, and I would do a lot of architectural photography. Um I got into the first thing I got into is architectural photography.

SPEAKER_00 16:07

So you're walking around New York City with the camera, getting the angles, just the iPhone.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

I didn't have a camera yet.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

Just the iPhone, walking around, getting getting certain angles, even when I was interning. So the first time I held a camera to backtrack was when I was interning at this engineering firm. And um the one of the my the um my co-workers saw that I was very interested in photography. So he gave me a canon and he was like, here, go take architectural photos with this camera. And I was like, sure, okay. And I took the camera and I started shooting first time with the uh with the Canon, just architectural construction stuff. And that was the first time I ever held a camera. And then I said, Wow, I really like this more than the iPhone. And then I took that with me, continued doing it outside of work, not with the camera, just the iPhone. Then I would go to my friend who suggested I do photography to her children's uh birthday parties, and I would shoot on the iPhone and I would get certain angles, and she's like, You have an eye for it. So she was like, Why don't you do this for like, you know, to make cash? And I was like, Oh, you're so funny. Who's gonna pay me to take photos? So she was like, just try it. What are you gonna lose?

SPEAKER_00 17:24

Just how old were you when that happened?

SPEAKER_03 17:26

Oh my gosh. I was probably hmm, I'm gonna say like 22, 23, 22, 23.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

Around there.

SPEAKER_03 17:34

Around there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

And then did you believe it? Like you're like, oh, like you're in this process of discovering yourself right there, right?

SPEAKER_03 17:43

I was still, yeah, because I was like, who's gonna hire me? Who's gonna who's gonna pay me? Is this even a thing? How are people gonna hear about me? I'm gonna put all this money that I don't have into a camera, and then we're just gonna sit here and wait for work to come. So, anyways, I would like I I went out, I listened to her, bought a camera for like almost 4K. I only had 6K in my account.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

So And that was back then when you're 22, 23. Yeah, 4K was a lot of money. We'll say, I don't know, maybe we we like to say America, there's inflation, but there is inflation. Maybe 7,000 today, 8,000, probably something around there.

SPEAKER_03 18:23

And mind you, I was doing my master's, so like I was paying for my master's.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

That was very courageous.

SPEAKER_03 18:28

So it was like, okay, and I remember sitting there, and I'm like, oh my gosh, like I bought this camera I that I barely know how to use, and I have to make this money back. And she was like, go make it back, go make it back. Anyways, I started shooting for free for a few of my friends for free. And I was like, I need a portfolio, let me shoot a bridal shower here, let me shoot like uh um a maternity thing here. And then one little by little would start to post, and little by little people would inquire, and little by little um I would get work to come in, and and work started coming in. Then I met other photographers, I met other videographers, I became part of a community, and I started networking more, and then little by little I started building what I had, so I started shooting smaller things.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Wait, wait, just a second there, because I think you touched something very important.

SPEAKER_03 19:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Uh you're talking in a very natural way about the process, right? And a lot of people sometimes see later on, oh my god, you're so lucky. You got this chance. But what people don't know is like the real story. Then you took your own money, you bought the camera, and now you're going around shooting some scenes or whatever for free. And you probably spend six months, a year shooting for free. Yeah, so you you not only invest money, now you invest in time and continuous money to be able to create a portfolio. And and and I think today we live in this society then instant gratification, and it's like uh it's a click away, yeah, you know, and and you think like things are gonna happen like that. In reality, don't.

SPEAKER_02 20:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

You know, and and and so you you you spend a year, you put money, time, and money again, yeah. And then at one point boom, something happened.

SPEAKER_03 20:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

And what happened?

SPEAKER_03 20:28

Well, to just to go a little back, part of that process also was trying to figure out my aesthetic.

SPEAKER_04 20:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 20:35

So trying to figure out what what color my pictures are going to be, what what you know, every everything I I didn't know. So that was hard in itself. One client would like one aesthetic, another client would like another aesthetic, and I didn't have an aesthetic. So trying to figure out an aesthetic was something hard for me itself, and that was part of the process as well, until I finally found an aesthetic. And that one, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:59

And that took what a year, a year and a half. I think that's important because one was um, I was talking about investment, but you brought a very second important point, which is finding style, aesthetic, yes, uh, uh, a way of uh expressing yourself, right? Yes. So how does that how long does that take? Takes a while to find because I I I mean those things are together, but not exactly, because maybe you learn how to use the camera, you create a portfolio, and maybe people start hiring you. Yes, and to the process of hiring you, you still find in yourself, right? Yes. So was it year investing? No, and then to get you going with the basic portfolio?

unknown 21:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Year or year and a half, what was?

SPEAKER_03 21:48

Probably like a year and a half to get going with the basic portfolio, and that's still like me trying to figure out what my aesthetic and my style is.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

And then stat aesthetic and style two different things. Uh I I I I I no I get it, but but another year, year and a half.

SPEAKER_03 22:05

Uh no you say that. I think I found my aesthetic and my style probably three three and a half years later.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Talk a little bit about that now. Aesthetic and style.

SPEAKER_03 22:19

I think um, because I started shooting cer a certain culture at first, and they expected a certain style and certain aesthetic. And I was kind of like stuck. And I was like, do I stick with this or do I do something that works for everybody? Do I stick with this or do I do something that works for everybody? And in that process, when I started wanting to branch out to different clients, I wanted to be multicultural. I didn't want to stick to one culture. That's when I was like, okay, this is the aesthetic that I need to stick with. And this is the style that I want to be known for. And once I sat, tried it, took a look at it, started applying the style, little by little, every single shoot I did started applying that style, started, started applying that aesthetic. I fell more and more in love with it. And I, and at that point, I knew that if someone came and told me I don't like your style, I don't like your aesthetic, I was okay with it because I loved it. And if you love it, you could book me. If you don't, I'm sorry, you don't have to. But before, I would be like, oh, you don't like it? Oh, maybe I could change it. Oh, you don't like the oh, maybe, you know what, maybe I'll adjust this. But I feel like I had reached a point where it's like, I really love this now. This is what I like, and now I have to work on making it perfect each and every time. Like it's not done yet, but I'm on the route of like this is a style I want to go for, and I want to perfect it every single time I shoot.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

So that's awesome. I think what you're talking now is amazing because first with initial investment, but now in the process of you say extra two or three years, right? Yeah, you're developing, but one point you found Donya found Donya.

SPEAKER_02 24:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:06

Right? Yeah. And and it and that moment that is expresses in a way of presenting and style and expression. Yeah. And you're like, hmm, I'm comfortable with myself.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

And now what we're gonna do here, um, I think you brought some photos, right?

SPEAKER_01 24:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

Um, I'm gonna ask the production uh to put that it's those photos with the TW with architecture, right?

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

Um, can we put those photos there? And um tell me a little bit about what happened there. Why is this defining moment for Donya finding Donia?

SPEAKER_03 24:47

Um, so they were a couple of mine, they were getting married. This was their engagement shirt. Um the the the the this is TWA Hotel. It was uh built designed by an architect called Arrow Saranin. I might be pronouncing his name wrong, but um, I just loved in architecture school, I never liked anything boxy. I liked everything curves. Curves were my were my thing. I loved it. Even in my designs, curves were my thing. I was known as the little Zaha Hadid.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

Wow, cool. Yeah. You kind of have like the air of Zaha Hadid. I actually love her architecture.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

Yeah, there's a Zaha Hadid element in there.

SPEAKER_03 25:28

Yeah. So when I saw this location, I felt like it was perfect for this bride and groom. So the bride is actually an interior designer, and she actually graduated from NJIT as well. Um, and I just felt like it was just perfect for her, and she had the style for it. And we planned the outfits, we planned the hair, we planned everything down to what she was gonna hold in her hand, and it was just perfect for her. And then when we went there and we started shooting with the props and everything, I felt everything coming together. I felt very happy when I was shooting because I felt like that me mixing her and her groom with the architecture there, it just flowed really nicely with the light. And that was when I was like, wow, I really finally made that connection between what I studied versus what I taught myself. And now I'm applying everything all together, and that was like my aha moment. And I was like, okay, it's it's only gonna go up from here. I look back at the photo shoot, and this is probably one of my favorite um engagement shoots I've ever done. Um it actually went viral too, and it was copied many times, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:37

Um, we're gonna talk, we're gonna talk about that, but uh keep keep playing the odd one. So um it's very interesting. I think that moment, consciously or unconsciously, yeah, you're like embracing architecture and composition with their personalities, with personalities, you know, and that you you here is the Donya who study architecture, and here is Danya who is the little girl who loves painting, drawing. Here's Danya creating an entire process to explore all of these elements to you're gonna make me emotional, yeah, yeah. So so I I I get it, it it makes totally sense. Yeah, the photographer with the passion architecture, art composition. This is cool. Wow, yeah. Okay, now my next question is I know in the process of working with mentors, we could talk a little bit about that. Everybody has a mentor so far. I understand them. This one friend or somebody work with you. No, you really have this talent photographer, pursue, pursue. And I think this is important to say every professional, but artists sometimes they need so much more encouragement because you sort of venture in something, then sometimes there's no really a process behind that. People say you're crazy to be an artist or a photographer, why are you gonna do that? You know, so there's so much more uncertainty in I guess in this area, but um um I know I asked you, Jace, to select the bulk of a code, you select the quote. Yeah, talk to me about that particular quote. I found that very interesting. Tell us what the code is and what happened with that.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

Yeah, um, so my favorite code is to the most important thing is to keep the most important thing as the most important thing.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

I never heard that one. I read that like three times. I was like, wow, this is this is like really interesting. It's getting to the point.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Yeah, yeah. Here it is. It's like basically whatever is most important to you right now has to stay as the most important thing until another important thing comes along, and that becomes the important thing. So if photography is you want to become one of the best at photography, then that has to be the most important thing for you until you achieve that goal. Even if it's at 85%, 90%, whatever, because you're never gonna really fully achieve anything, right? When it's in the arts, like you're always constantly setting the bar higher for yourself until you achieve a certain point, and then something else becomes a more important thing. You can't focus on a hundred things at a time and become you can't be the jack of all trades. Like, if you're gonna be the jack of all trades, you're not gonna get anywhere. You have to focus on the one thing that you really want to get done, and then keep something else as secondary and something else as a third, but keep the most important thing as the most important thing. Whether it's a thing, that thing could be a person, an item, an object, a thought, a process, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_00 29:48

I I like that code, and it makes me think about many times I deal with different kinds of artists, and there's a very big distinction of artists and people who set goals and accomplish the goals. And many times I talk to artists who has these ideas all the time.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:08

And when I'm mentoring uh new students, I go to then. Well, those ideas are great, but what are the steps you're taking to accomplish? Yes, right? Yeah, so I think that's very important. Ideas obviously the first thing on everything, yeah. But if you can accomplish the 10 ideas, can you accomplish three, two, yes, five, or then? And what's the process that is gonna take it? Yeah, I think it's a very important.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

Because maybe when you accomplish the first three, it'll change what you're gonna do for the next seven, you know?

SPEAKER_00 30:40

Yes, that that's awesome. So say that again. What's the the quote?

SPEAKER_03 30:45

The quote, the quote. The most important thing is to keep the most important thing as the most important thing.

SPEAKER_00 30:51

Did you guys get out there? Keep the most important thing, the most important thing. This is about process. I love it. And somehow it connects to your engineering part, I feel right now. You're like, yeah, that makes sense. That it kind of blew my mind. Yeah, I'm like, this is a very like sort of technical quote.

SPEAKER_03 31:11

Yeah, it's kind of like what are we troubleshooting first?

SPEAKER_00 31:13

Yeah, and and it feels to me, then you you're very aware of that. And and and and maybe that's why you accomplish success in a short period of time. Quite probably. Because you because you're like, I'm gonna go to the process and I'm gonna understand what's the first thing, what's the second thing, the third thing to do, so I can get five, ten, twenty things done. Right.

SPEAKER_03 31:37

Very type A.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 31:40

I can't just be surprised by something. I have to know what I'm doing next and what's happening in the following. I can't like book my flight the night before. I have to book my flight two weeks in advance, you know what I mean? I'm not uh yeah, I'm uh just type I'm a type A person, and it drives me crazy when um I I I don't have organization in my life. So I think that just kind of goes hand in hand with that.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

Yeah, what's the most important thing? But but I I agree with you. Planning is a such a key thing to to to uh deal with budgets and and yes, maximize your time in a proper way.

SPEAKER_03 32:20

Yeah, because you're gonna pay more if you do things last minute.

SPEAKER_00 32:23

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:24

You're gonna pay a lot more.

SPEAKER_00 32:26

I think there's a big lesson for artists or people want to be artists because a lot of the schools and people always thinking about oh, who has the next created great idea? Yes, but great ideas with process, yes, and and and really think about the reality or implementing something, yeah. It just never gets accomplished, it never gets concrete. Yeah, so I think this is I I like your quote. Yes, awesome.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

Um, what I wanted to talk to you is um let's move on. So at so at some point here you decide to open your company, create a name, yeah. And I'm assuming you already had your style ready.

SPEAKER_03 33:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

Right? Like I'm ready for this.

SPEAKER_03 33:15

Yeah, I actually started when I first started the company name was Donia Photography. Then the name shifted a few years after to Donia Wedding Arts.

SPEAKER_00 33:25

Okay, Donia. I think now um uh we're getting to what really our photography became about. Yeah. Because after this entire process, uh now we begin to tell me that you specialized in in a wedding. Yes. But I think what really behind this idea of weddings and events is probably uh interest in people, right? But before you answer that, let's you you like you wanna drink something topo chico sparkling water? Yeah, Lady Bird sparkling water is my favorite one. Yeah, they have a lot of different ones. I hope you enjoy. I'm gonna have one E, you know.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

This is really good. It's like a healthier version of everything else carbonated. I like I like seltzer water. This is probably this is one probably tops on.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

Okay, so I think now in a crucial moment, how Donia is becoming Donia, right? And um, so you gave a name to a company, I'm assuming that now you really know the need to what you want to do. Yes, and for me, what transpires is you love to like work with people, right?

SPEAKER_03 34:57

Yes. So that's why I did name shifted from Donia Photography to Donya Wedding Arts. Yep, to really embrace my style and really embrace working in the wedding industry more.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

Can we show? I want to show some photos. Yeah, look. And I'm gonna ask the production to just you want to name which ones you want to show because we can start with this.

SPEAKER_03 35:15

Um, this was an editorial I did. It was actually for the magazine Celebrate Weddings. That's the cover. So I got a cover for the magazine. Um, it was in shot at the farmhouse in New Jersey. Um, and the band behind there, behind the couple um is Sugar Lane. And the two were hired models that worked perfectly with one another. Um, and then these are just a few photos from the editorial I did. It was it was for the winter um edition of the magazine, so that's why we see a lot of snowflakes. The and then the core was done by uh Nada from Wedded Advanced.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

So I want to make a comment on this photo here. I looked at this photo and I can see there's you're exploring architecture again.

SPEAKER_03 36:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

Um, and it's very theatrical.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

It is, it's one of the more important most important moments in the wedding. It's the first stance. So we decided to make that that moment, the the first stance moment to be the to be the cover of the of the magazine.

SPEAKER_00 36:23

Here is what I see like your level education, like New York City, not just going to the school, but the whole environment where the school is.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:33

Right? Yeah. And you're exploring New York City, and somehow that transpiring to finding scenes. What what is the thing? What is the scene, right? And and and and um and also I love the um the way you're like it's very theatrical.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

Yes, it's very detailed, like the the snowflakes were intentional, the color of the florals were intentional. Her dress choice, like I took a while, that was by Lux and Lace. Um uh Demetrios by uh sold at Lux and Lace. Um, her dress choice was a winter dress, you know, and this was shot in the middle of the summer. So um everything, even his his blazer choice. I didn't opt with the with the black. We went with a nice burgundy, and that's more of a winter color. Um, so everything was very intentional.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 37:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:26

Um, the next set of photos is the one with um horses, right? You're telling me a little bit. Tell me, give some context. What happened there?

SPEAKER_03 37:36

So actually, that that's a little further away from the wedding world, but it was actually a a coincidence. So we I I shot a lot of my couples actually at this farm. It's at a farm, a Misty Hollow farm in Princeton. And um, the owner of the farm, uh I had a really good relationship with her. Uh, she used to see my photos and she knew I was very editorial. Um, and so this uh nice lady, she she was from Vietnam. Um, and she was visiting and she told the owner, hey, I want an editorial photographer to to shoot me on the on the horse. She has a fashion line, so all the outfits she's wearing, that's all designed by her, even the jewelry. So uh at first I didn't believe it. I spoke to the lady. The lady was like, Yeah, I want you to come in and do this for me. Um, and uh, you know, I'll get you featured in in Harper's Bazaar. And I was like, okay, this is really weird, but sure. And she's like, I'll pay you for your services as well. I was like, okay, so even if I don't get featured, I at least I got paid for my services. So I'm right, yeah. So I was like, okay, so we went, it was a really hot day, flies were everywhere. Um, and we went and we shot this, and then little did I know, it didn't get featured in Harper's Bazaar. Um, and I didn't under, I didn't realize uh how big of a publication that was until people were like, oh wow, I can't believe you got that publication. I was like, oh, okay, I guess it's pretty big. It's bigger than I thought. Um, and yeah, it was it was nice. And I had already had so much practice shooting horses. There's like a specific technique to shoot horses. Their ears have to be a certain way, their legs have to be a certain way, their eyes have to be a certain way. You're also focusing on her and how she's looking, and it's hot out, and there are flies. So a lot of uh a lot of uh little aspects coming into play when shooting this.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

So I I love that because thank you for the background. Because people might think it was it's easy to shoot horses, but you already spend a lot of time with horses. Oh, yes. So you study studying the subject matter, yes, how to deal with uh I mean though those are living creatures creatures that you are moving, they're doing things, and they look very natural, yes, you know, and that's what I said. I when you say weddings, you like weddings plus events. This is like an event, yes, and they came very beautiful, very natural. And again, the centerpiece for you is people, yes, like the skews for you to work everything around, you know, is put the people and frame the people in a context or something. Yes, so yeah, I I I love this. They they are beautiful photos. Thank you. Wow, it's great.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 40:23

Um, I know we have some other photos. What what are the other set you want to show me?

SPEAKER_03 40:28

Yeah, so it was an editorial done in um Morocco.

unknown 40:33

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 40:33

So this was in Marrakech, it was in the luxury Agafe Desert. Um, and um that one I felt like I was home, you know. I'm I'm from the Middle East, and uh, I've always wanted to shoot in the desert. And so this was perfect for me. I loved it. It got featured in Munaluchi Bride, so uh I was very happy about that. Um, and uh I just felt like because so this is different. Um, I'm so used to shooting around architecture, and now the architecture became the sand, you know, um, and the rocks and then and the sky and the nature. And it was just a different way of shooting that I absolutely fell in love with. And instead of having horses, I had camels. So it was very similar, very similar, not the same, but it it was very similar, but I enjoyed it a lot. It was very etheral, very etheral.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

I I love it the way like there's design, composition, color, monochromatic kind of thing here, you know, and yeah, you're just very intentional by that, yes, you know. So all the architectural, yes, compositional, consciously and unconsciously now, and I I understand what you mean. I found myself, you bring in that eval being forceful, if I might say that, it's just like part of what you're doing now. Yes, it just comes together, yeah, and gives like I think uh really context.

SPEAKER_02 42:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 42:03

This is great.

SPEAKER_02 42:04

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 42:05

Now we're gonna take advantage of this moment because we talk about process, about working with animals, and your background. Let's talk about this important thing. We're in a 21st century now. I want to know your your your your feedback in the area or technology. We talked a little bit about that by your first camera. How's technology playing? It helps you.

SPEAKER_02 42:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:26

And and are you using AI? What's going on in the world for you?

SPEAKER_03 42:31

Yeah. Um, so technology, the cameras are a lot much better now. Like, you know, they they now have like the a better sensor tracking, so that helps with a lot of movement. Um, dealing with low light, love that. Also, AI. I use AI not for my editing, but I use it, well, I guess yes, in editing, but to remove items that are unwanted. So to remove something from a photo that I didn't want a few years ago would take a while. It would take a lot of time. It was actually a hassle. Now it's just a click of a button and boom, it's gone. You want to replace something in the background, boom, it's there. So that's definitely how I would say, like, you know, technology is being applied now. Um, it's it's it's helping, not hurting. I think a lot of people say the technology hurts us, but you know, if you know how to use it, it actually helps you a lot.

SPEAKER_00 43:20

I think we actually in this flip side of this today, which is there is a lot, that's obvious not your case because we we've been talking about how you got here, but um, there's a lot of people I feel today confused, like, oh, I I I know how to hold a camera, I know how to use this technology. Yes. And so my conversation is do you know the statics? Do you know how to tell a story?

SPEAKER_01 43:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 43:45

Do you have historical background? Do you have all the other elements that really make you oh yes the artist? Yeah, I think that's a good idea. So I think it before was like, oh, we have all this comp expensive technology, yeah, less expensive. Accessible, you know, and and you have great artists or prepared people who study all kinds of things to put their hands on that, and it was hard in a way because not everybody had the budget. Yeah, but now we're on the other side, technology and research and so many tools, AI, and is much cheaper, you know. Even you could do a lot of stuff with the iPhone now. Yes, when you started, probably the quality of iPhone wasn't good, but now it's amazing. Yes, people are doing films with iPhone today. Yeah, so but I feel like this generation, they they they they need to prepare themselves a little more with the other part of it.

SPEAKER_03 44:41

Yes, I agree. I agree. It's like you know, it's like saying, uh, wow, your camera really took nice photos, right? If you have a high-end camera or wow, your pen really drew a nice art piece of artwork. It's it wasn't your pen, it wasn't your camera. Camera was just something to enable you to do it. Um, what I often see is um a lot of like people copying other people, right?

SPEAKER_00 45:05

Let's talk about that. That's important.

SPEAKER_03 45:07

Not being creative. Um, and it's okay to copy, you know. I am a firm believer that you have to copy someone, you have to have an inspiration to copy when you first begin. And it's part of the process of finding yourself. But I think now when you find yourself, when your picture drops on social media or you see it hung somewhere on a billboard or on a canvas, you see it, you're like, oh, I know this belongs to this artist, I know this belongs to this photographer. So I think sometimes the new photographers, the upcoming photographers, they don't know how to differentiate between that or they become very cookie-cutter. So they'll see like a pose someone did, and they're like, okay, I'm gonna apply this pose now to my couple. But can you really apply that pose to your couple? Does your couple have the ability to pose like that? Does it work for them? Did you study your couple? Do you know if they work better and when they're smiling or when they're frightened or they're serious? Do you know if their bodies can move like that? What if they're a bit heavier? What if they're a bit skinnier, right? Um, what if that location doesn't work for them for whatever reason? Does it work with their complexion? Yeah, you know, like so many factors that you have to take into consideration. You could be inspired by something, but you can't just take it and paste it. And I think that's what a lot of upcoming photographers need to work on. You also have to understand like their religious back backgrounds and their cultural beliefs and apply it somehow into what you know, what their photos are. You have to understand is this couple okay with kissing in public, you know, in their engagement shoot, or are they not? Are they okay? Maybe even on the wedding day, they're not okay with it. You have there's so many things.

SPEAKER_00 46:59

But later they're okay. I hope so, you know, they get married, you know. Although, like when they're in front of their parents, they're very joke. I I know I know what you mean. Yeah, and and I think you talk about something very important because when I do, I still do workshops and I, you know, I run projects with the youth today, and I find the first source Instagram images.

SPEAKER_01 47:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

And it's okay to look everywhere, Google, Instagram, whatever you want to look. Whatever you want to look, look whatever you want to look. But sometimes I ask them where is the source of this? Yeah, and they don't know. And it's not they just don't know, they're not interested to understand the source. Yes. So one of the things I do with those groups of students, I take them to museums.

SPEAKER_01 47:48

Oh, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 47:49

And then I'm like, let's track the source, let's track the first image, let's track the artist who create the first thing in that particular style. Yeah you know, so so at least you know. Yeah, yeah because they they say there's nothing under the sun, nothing new under the sun. Yeah, it's true. Yeah, and we all need to be, we all need to do what you what you said. Like we take we take references from other people that we like. Yeah, at one point you bump into yourself.

SPEAKER_01 48:19

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 48:20

But but I find I don't know, maybe they're less interested to understand the process.

SPEAKER_03 48:25

They just want the the couples, the money to come come in. And if you do it for the money, instant it's instant gratification. You can't do it for the money. You have to do it because you love it. So even if you go shoot a wedding for free, you know, I'm not saying do that, not saying that's a great idea. It's not, but even if you were to say shoot a wedding for free, would you still love it? Would you still love what you're doing? You know, so I think that's like how you really decide it.

SPEAKER_00 48:52

So passion. Passion drives and love what you do is to drive you to be a better artist every day.

SPEAKER_03 48:59

Yes. Because how are you, you know, how what's gonna make each wedding look different than the other? Yes, the decor helps, the couple helps and stuff. Like, how are you, how are you not, how are you gonna shoot the groom differently in every wedding? How are you gonna shoot the bride differently in every wedding? How are you gonna shoot the the bridal party differently in every wedding? Why what is what when the bride and groom looks, they look at the photo, they're gonna be like, wow, this is us. Not all picture women.

SPEAKER_00 49:26

Whatever you're doing, right? Yes, the way you're like getting the architecture element, the horse moment, right? Yeah, is how you're gonna make that thing. Remember, going back to your cult, that thing work, yeah, right? I love that. Actually, I use the word thing. So whatever that thing is, you gotta make that happen. Yeah, and that's what caught me about your quote. I'm like, this is like a profound cult. What to make that thing work? There are many moving parts that make that one thing work. And that one thing works makes other ones work. Yes. What I want to ask you, uh, Donia, in closing uh our show today, is look the camera and tell the next generation what do they should do if they have an interest in photography or to pursue a career as an artist, as a photographer.

SPEAKER_03 50:16

Um, just first of all, just make sure you have the passion for it. I mean, if you're gonna pursue it, you definitely have the passion for it. Keep working at it, keep studying, keep looking at uh old artists, new artists, learn from everything. Never think that you have reached your best. Once you think that you're you're the best of the best, you automatically know you're not the best. Um, just just keep working at it that you're gonna have days where you're gonna wanna sometimes give up. There's always gonna be someone who says something not nice to you about your work or or anything really. Keep going. It's going to it's going to pay off. And if it's your passion, never let go of it.

SPEAKER_00 50:59

So I love what you're saying. It's not just about talent.

SPEAKER_01 51:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 51:04

It's about recognizing you have a talent, but then put the work, work hard work hard towards perfection. Yes. Anything. The style, the process, yes, the end result, right? And going going at it over and over again.

SPEAKER_02 51:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:21

Tonya, thank you so much. Thank you, dude. We're actually gonna have Donia's information. This is a place of uh a platform for education and promotion. When I have your information here, somebody wants to contact you, yeah, they'll be available. I mean, thank you so much. I I I love your photography because I think your photography really captures you're gonna laugh now, an artistic thing. And then what defines that thing, right? Yeah, is everything that informs you, everything the process you went through, and that's the donate style. To me, has a very artistic style, and uh continue do great things, amazing. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 52:09

Appreciate thank you. The pleasure is mine.