Daniel Turbert’s expertise in photojournalism have helped him to emerge as a passionate and unique photographer with a knack for telling stories without words. His dedication to capturing the most authentic photos of people and using these photos to inspire compassion in others is part of what makes Daniel and his business so special. He also has a particular focus on doing this for the animal world and is an advocate for human and animal rights alike.
Thanks for speaking with us Daniel. Firstly, can you introduce yourself?
Of course. I’m Daniel Turbert and I am a professional photographer. I specialize in portraits and headshots but I also have a passion for capturing animals and portraying them in a slightly different light to the usual. I also have a passion for humanitarian issues and hope to use photography to bring awareness to these.
How did your passion for photography start?
I think that good photography has the power to tell a whole story with just one image. Sometimes images speak louder than words. Giving people a visual medium to view someone or something’s life in a certain way has a great ability to inspire compassion in them and help them understand somebody else’s story.
What can people expect when they come to you for a session?
We aim to make the process as fun and stress-free as possible for people who come into the studio for a session. We have hair and makeup artists on offer if people want to do that but it’s really up to the client. We want people to look as natural and most like themselves as possible. I always try to coach people through the session and give them tips and poses to try. I want them to relax and feel comfortable so that we get a nice, authentic picture.
What is your process?
Most of our sessions take roughly half an hour but we will keep taking shots until the client is happy. We make sure to show clients the photos on the monitor throughout the session to ensure that they are happy with the angles, lighting etc. We want to capture them at their best. Once they are happy with the photos and have selected their favorites, we do some careful retouching to polish the images and then have them back to the client in 24 hours.
You also specialize in photographing animals. What drew you to this?
I have always had a passion for animals and hope to use photography to get others to feel this same passion. I have a not-for-profit organization called The Sentient Project and what we do is capture pictures of animals in a way that is slightly different from how they are usually perceived. I aim to communicate the fact that they are sentient beings deserving of respect through my photos. I believe that animals have every right to be respected and treated with compassion and it is my hope that, through photography, other people will realize this and change their behaviors towards them.
What else does The Sentient Project do?
We have also expanded the project to not only bring awareness to animal issues, but humanitarian issues too. We use photography to show people certain issues and make it clear that the people involved in these issues are human too and deserve to live safe and happy lives.
Can you tell us more about the initiative in Uganda?
We are currently working with women in Uganda to give them a means of supporting themselves and their families. We are doing this through selling traditional East African clothing that the women have made in the US. A fashion show fundraiser will soon be happening to kick-start this project which we are all really excited about.
Thank you Daniel for your time!
You can follow up with Daniel Turbert at https://danielturbertphotography.com
