As you no doubt can tell already my name is Donnie Phair and I've been a professional photographer since 2009 when I first started working in the press industry. I still do - like an ejit! Like everything it started small with me doing the old job until it has finally taken over my life. No, seriously. I have to say I never expected it to lead me down this path. It all started when I got a fairly good SLR camera (much to the annoyance of my wife) and photographed a local school event where I participated in a charity bungee jump. I photographed the other people who jumped having completed it myself and was asked to bring the photos to the paper for publicity. The editor and head-photographer loved the images that much that they immediately asked me to work for them. The rest is history.
With the press work I've been all over Ireland and the UK. I've photographed just about everything in all manner of conditions. I've met wonderful people... and not so wonderful people. I've been there when people were at their best and sadly, when their world came crushing down.
It has been interesting to say the least and I have to say I love it. It's not even the photography that keeps me going but getting out and meeting people and having the banter & craic.
A few years back I took up property photography to help out a friend. Needless to say it's taken off also and surprising is something I really enjoy. It actually pushes the boundaries as I've spread my wings and now do drone photography and videography because of it. I also complete 3D virtual tours.
My aerial work really does go hand-in-hand with my years of a professional photographer. A lot of guys who sell themselves as drone photographers only do so because they bought a drone and it happens to take photos from the air. That's only part of what I do. I bring my wealth of experience and knowledge of photography and fly the drone with the eyes of a photographer behind it. I care about the exposure and composition with my aerial photography every bit as much as I do my ground based work. Just because a house happens to be in the drone photo doesn't make it a good photo. There's more to it than that!
I'm just a guy who loves his photography and the joy it brings through meeting people and capturing those snippets in time that brings a smile to someone's face when they see the photo later on.
Although I do have a mouth that sometimes I forget to keep closed I'm only here to put a smile on my face by putting a smile on yours first of all.
I really do hope you find something on this site to make you grin or even laugh. If it does then my job is complete.
All the best,
Donnie.