Let me brag on my clients real quick!

I hope your fall season has been treating you well!

Mine has been pretty busy, but after this week I’ll be over the hump and moving ever closer to my winter break 😅 I’ll probably end up doing a big recap at the end of the year because the way my time and energy has been set up lately? I’m quite confident it won’t happen any sooner lol.

But that leads me to today’s post…

I want to take a moment to brag on my clients! I’m seriously SO grateful to have such amazing clients. Not only are they good people, but they are doing some really dope things in the world!

This post could legit turn into a long-standing series (and maybe it might when I find the time lol), but for now I want to share 6 of my 2021 clients with you:

Takiyah is the founder of Brown Girls Do Ballet, a nonprofit that started in 2013 as a personal photography project to highlight black and brown ballet dancers. Brown Girls Do Ballet has since expanded in some pretty amazing ways, and that brings me to today’s share: Recently, Brown Girls partnered with Athleta and Janie & Jack on exclusive apparel collections!

Check out each of them at the links below and stock up on your favorite pieces!

Athleta x Brown Girls Do Ballet Collection

Janie & Jack x Brown Girls Do Ballet Collection

Kahran & Reg are the couple behind CreativeSoul Photography. Known for their stunning child photography, Kahran & Reg highlight black greatness in every one of their shoots! They legit take some of the most awe-inspiring photos I’ve ever seen and they make it look so easy 😅

Just a few weeks ago, their new book, The Me I Choose to Be, was released! Their annual calendar, along with their first book featuring their gorgeous photography are also available for purchase HERE!

Maya is the founder and maker behind Herpothecary. I’ve shared Maya with you a couple times before and will continue to at every opportunity lol. I don’t know where my wellness routine would be without her. You can check out Maya’s maker feature here to learn more about her story 🧡

This one is a bit time sensitive because her last restock of the year is tonight at 7p EST!

If you see this after 7p on 11/7, definitely still check out the site to see what’s left, but be warned, her products go fast and for good reason!

Ayo is the founder and maker behind Soultanicals- a hair and body care company specializing in 100% vegan products that are good for you and the earth! Just yesterday Ayo celebrated Soultanicals’ 9 year anniversary! So I wanted to continue the celebration and share her amazing brand with you 🎉

You can shop Soultanicals products HERE and in stores at Sally’s Beauty Supply, Target, and CVS to name a few!

Nicole is the mama behind The Polished Playhouse, where she shares ideas and interiors that inspire playful learning and living. Although I don’t have little ones, I love seeing the fun activities that she shares on Instagram! Nicole has also created Sunshades Book Box Co, a monthly subscription box for young children featuring diverse stories and engaging activities based on the book!

Would your little ones benefit from such a subscription? You can learn more and sign up HERE for the next box!

And last but certainly not least: DEI Strategist, my dear Amber Cabral. You may remember I shared last year that she wrote a book and our photo ended up making the cover! Amber also has a podcast called You Can Have Whatever You Want and it’s legit one of my favorite podcasts ever- her episodes are short, to the point, and always give you something to think about!

Amber’s in the process of writing her second book now (which is no easy feat), so I just wanted to send some good vibes her way and encourage you (if you haven’t already) to purchase her first book HERE!

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You see how cool my clients are? Lol! I hope to have introduced you to some new faves or maybe even given you some gift ideas :)

Thanks as always for rocking with me, I hope you have a beautiful week!

-Danni

Twelve whole years!

10 days ago DFinney Photography turned 12! My baby is now in her last year as a tween 😌

Truthfully, the day came and went without fanfare.

Often it’s hard for me to celebrate milestones because I feel like there’s always something to work on that keeps me from acknowledging what I HAVE accomplished 🤦🏽‍♀️ but today’s post is me taking a baby step to help overcome that :)

I want to first take a moment to express how truly grateful I am for all of the wonderful people that have made twelve years a reality. Not just my clients, but truthfully, anyone who has shown even the smallest bit of interest in DFinney Photography!

It’s really hard for me to put into words just HOW grateful I am.

When I started my business in 2009, it was not with any real goal or plan to do this full time. I fully expected that photography would be a temporary thing for me until I found another full time position, then it would go back to being a side gig.

But for that to have turned into 12 years?! Like… I legit cannot imagine my life any other way. I can honestly say that I am doing what I love for a living and it is such a blessing.

I get to document love stories, personal and professional milestones, growing families, brand stories, project launches, you name it! I am so so grateful for all of the amazing people that my photography has connected me with over these past 12+ years.

If we’ve had the privilege of working together, THANK YOU! I am forever grateful for your trust in me to tell your story. If we haven’t worked together in a while (or if we’ve yet to work together), I’d love to create with you when you’re ready 💛

And because an anniversary post wouldn’t be complete without a look back, here are a few "then & now” comparison photos :)

This first set of photos are actually 14 years apart! In 2007, I was very new to photography and had no idea how to get “that blurry look” so I created it in photoshop lol.

The rest of the “before” photos below were taken between 2009 and 2010. I was all about funky editing, serious expressions, and interesting angles 😅

Ok so these photos are inspiring me to write another blog post, so I need to wrap it up lol.

But I will say this: If you are just getting started on your photography journey (or even if you’ve been at it for a while), please don’t give up. It takes TIME and regular practice to improve, not only your technical skills, but also your creative eye (and your eye for detail).

Before I wrap, let me end on a note of gratitude once more: thank you, thank you, thank you for being here, and for allowing me the space to create. I really appreciate you 🧡

-Danni

2021 Part 1: Recap

It’s time for another edition of “I haven’t been keeping up with blogging, so here’s a look back at what we’ve been up to!” lol.

The 2021 Spring season was a ride! I had the opportunity to work with some amazing new clients and a number of repeat clients as well- all while managing a big move 🥴

At the start of the year I made some pretty substantial adjustments to my business on the back end and I’m really happy with how they’ve transformed my workflow. I’ve been able to take on less clients per month, give each of them more attention, and get final photos in their hands sooner!

So let’s take a peek at some of the photos we shot from March through June :)

Today’s recap is formatted a bit differently than previous ones- instead of photos being shared by month, I’m doing a bit more of a color/vibe collage format and sharing reviews as well!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

“Danielle masters lighting and connects with subjects in a way that translates the mood, the personality, love and light through photo. We were so incredibly pleased with our photos and absolutely understand why she is in such high demand!”

-Carmen Gill Bailey

“From the beautiful well laid out planners to the reminders and communication... my experience with DFinney Photography was stellar. I don't know how she does it, but she is able to see the little details and make shifts to capture the best parts of you.”

-Keisha Kells

“Danielle was incredible to work with! We couldn’t be happier with our photos, and look forward to working with her in the future.”

-Caroline Kirk

“Danielle made it look like I was natural in front of the camera, and created images that were my real personality!”

-TaKiyah Wallace

“I've worked with Danielle a few times in the past and have always had an amazing experience. I appreciate having styling assistance and the care with which she chose locations, light, and time to align with the vision for the shoot!”

-Keila Hill-Trawick

“The level of organization, preparation and professionalism is by far one of THE best photography experiences I've had. The fact that I traveled from out of state and everything went so smoothly is still amazing to me! Every interaction, every shot, every final picture exceeded ALL of my expectations!”

-Denise Thomas

“Danielle paid attention to every detail from location, to outfit, and props. Her direction on the day of the shoot made me relaxed and comfortable and it shows in my photos. They were all so beautiful, I had a hard time choosing!”

-Nicole Cole

Super cool right?!

I hope to share more from these amazing sessions over the next few months as I make my way back to sharing on the gram semi-regularly lol.

NOTE: My calendar is currently closed, but it will reopen on Monday, July 26 for September & October! Booking is done via waitlist so you can add your name here if you’re interested in working together.

I hope the next blog post won’t be another monster recap, but we shall seee lol. Thanks for checking it out!

-Danni

Aug-Dec 2020 Recap

Wait. Is this really the first blog post of 2021! And almost exactly 2 months to the day from my last? 🤦🏽‍♀️ I appreciate you hanging in there with me cuz your girl has been a serious slacker with this blog 😩

But that changes today because I finally made time to get the rest of my 2020 recap done! Yes, we are in a new year, but I need to give my 2020 clients the shine they deserve!

In the first (Jan-July) recap, I mentioned that moving forward booking would be done via waitlist. Books hadn’t yet opened for the fall, but when they did?

Listen. I have NEVER done so many shoots in the span of 4 months ever in my life! And in a pandemic no less!

I have noo plans to repeat that, so today’s recap will be the longest I’ve ever done, and the longest there ever will be lol.

AUGUST

August was a combination of rescheduled mentoring sessions, brand sessions, and an editorial for Glamour Magazine! It was a fun month and it gave me an opportunity to catch my breath before the fall busyness began 😅

The last photo was shot by my mentee Samantha!

The last 2 photos were shot by my mentee Tykesha!

SEPTEMBER

Was filled with brand sessions, a mentoring session, and a sweet post-wedding session with my beautiful friend and longtime makeup artist Denyelle! The weather was so finicky this month- a couple of these sessions were literally shot just after it had rained!

The middle photo was shot by my mentee LaTonya!

OCTOBER

I did way too much this month, no two ways about it. My calendar was already at capacity and then I fit a couple sessions in for clients that had super limited availability, but guess who won’t be doing that again 🙋🏽‍♀️ (it’s me lol). October was all about brand & family sessions! I also did my annual session with my nieces and nephew too- check out the carousel to see their growth over the past 4 years 🥰

2020. 2019. 2018. and 2017 with my babies! 🧡

NOVEMBER

The finish line is in view 😅 More brand and family sessions this month! I also just realized that all of my November family sessions were repeat clients, which is super dope!

2020, 2019, and 2018 with Morgan & Maddie 🧡

2020, 2019, and 2017 with the Missmar family! 🧡

DECEMBER

And to round out the year? Just 3 brand and 2 family sessions in December! Funny enough, I RARELY have cancellations, but I had about 3 this month! They were welcomed with open arms though because I was pooped lol.

Did you make it all the way to the end? I told you it was a super long one 😅

Thanks for playing catch up with me, I look forward to sharing some new fun stuff with you soon!

-Danni

A Few of my Fall Favorites

It's been a few months since my last post (late summer and fall had me SWAMPED) but I had to get this blog post up! Last week I shared a few of my favorite brands with my mailing list and the response was great! So I’m sharing the goods with you too :)

One of my long-time clients reached out to inquire about where I get my graphic tees and I realized I’d never formally shared that with you guys! Now, this is absolutely a late post as Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales have passed, but in this case “late” is relative because there is never a bad time to support small businesses!

I'll be sharing a few of my favorite clothing brands, new books from 3 of my clients, and my all time favorite wellness brand. Let’s dive in!

APPAREL

Tees & Hoodies

I’ve been a huge fan of graphic tees for as long as I can remember and in recent years, I've been very fortunate to come across some amazing brands. Check them out below!

Spoonful of Faith

Jena Holiday is an illustrator and the creator of Spoonful of Faith. Each time she drops a new collection I need at LEAST 2 tees lol. Check out the current fall collection here. Note: She closes her shop for a few weeks in December so if you don’t have a chance to order before the shop closes, it will reopen in January.

Be A Good Person 

Be A Good Person is a Denver based brand I first learned about back in 2018 and I have been a fan ever since. Not only do I love the messaging, but I'm continually impressed with the quality of their clothing! No exaggeration, this hoodie is legit the best hoodie I've ever owned. Check out their collection here.

Late Four Brunch

I stumbled across this Philly based brand randomly on IG a couple months ago and fell in love with this 80's baby tee (pictured in the second photo above). This awesome Stevie Wonder sweatshirt has also quickly become a new favorite as well! Check out the tee and sweatshirt collections here.

Dopeciety 

Denisio Truitt is a visual artist and the creator of Dopeciety. I have been a fan since the brand's inception 7+ years ago! Denisio consistently creates beautiful and inspiring designs; it's always exciting to see what she's been up to in the lab when a new collection drops. Check out the current collections here.

BOOKS

2020 Releases

My clients have been BUSY! 3 of my clients released books this year and it's been so awesome to see their work in book form! Learn more about each of them below.

Amber Cabral: Allies & Advocates

First up is actually the latest release! On November 17, Amber's book was released and I'm especially excited about this one because our work together is on the cover! Amber is a diversity & inclusion expert and it's so cool to see her dream of writing a book come to life! 

Kahran & Regis Bethencourt: Glory

The amazingly talented duo behind CreativeSoul Photography released their book in October and it is such a joy to see how well received it's been! Their work is ALWAYS gorgeous and to have it accessible in this beautiful book? I can't even tell you how awesome that is! 

 Dani DiPirro: Grow Through It

Dani is the brilliantly talented illustrator behind Positively Present and her book couldn't have been released at a more perfect time! Through the colorful illustrations, her book aims to help you cultivate a positive mindset no matter what season of life you find yourself in.

WELLNESS

Soaps & More: Herpothecary

Herpothecary is my all time favorite wellness brand! A featured maker in my 2019 Makers Series, Maya hand crafts the BEST products and well… see for yourself!

Maya's last restock of the year was this past week, and this may be one of the big regrets I have about getting this out so late because she sells out FAST! If this is your first introduction to Maya and Herpothecary, please keep her on your radar and be sure to catch the next restock! A few of my favorite artisan soaps are Island Gyal, #MCM, and Ohagi.

This blog ran a bit longer than intended but I'm grateful I had the chance to highlight these awesome brands and creators. I hope you discovered some new favorites!

 I'll follow up soon to share a bit more about what I've been up to these past few months, I have so much to show you!

Talk to you soon,

-Danni