Carli Davidson
Portland, OR, USA
Carli Davidson
A high school dropout who once held sky-high aspirations of living to my 18th birthday, I have blown right past my life goals. Two New York Times best-selling books and an additional six still pretty stellar ones later, I’ve no doubt surprised those who once envisioned me as “most likely to be a case study on Jerry Springer.” I live a life of epic adventure, being surrounded by a profound community, and enjoy a booming online dialogue with other animal activists, feminists, and empathetic humans who see their animals as being a cornerstone for their quality of life.
I’ve been featured in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and Oprah Magazine to namedrop a few like it’s hot because, WOAH! I have worked as an ambassador for Nikon, sashayed my way through gigs with clients like Subaru, Nike, National Geographic, and several major pet food and vet pharma brands… And online views of my art projects and collaborations are in the MILLIONS. Millions. WTF.
Animals saved my life. Animals are the core of how I went from teenage junkie to boss Executive Creative Director and self-proclaimed ‘doing OK at life’ 42-year-old.
When asked “how do I become a professional pet photographer”, my advice is:
You get here by being willing to clean up shit as an act of love, and putting in time for the care and feeding of the animals around you, including yourself. Take plenty of photos along the way. Eventually, depth and meaning will pour out of those images.
CARLI’S CLASSES
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Join Carli Davidson on a behind-the-scenes journey that will take you back to the very beginning of her iconic, instantly recognizable series ‘Shake’. She’ll share the concept of the series from the moment of inception, to the wild and unpaved roads it led her down: the viral fame, the book deals, the tv appearances. Carli will begin with how the idea was born and how she went on to work out the technicalities of implementing the concept of the series in the studio. She’ll share all about what she learned along the way and will pass on her very best tips for capturing high-flying, fast-paced action in the studio!
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Unreasonable client requests, late night hours, difficult personalities, and battered boundaries. We’ve all all been there. Join Carli Davidson for a no-holds-barred presentation that contains all the truths about running your own business in a creative space, and what it takes to avoid getting knocked down by burnout and compassion fatigue. Carli will peel back the layers of running a highly successful and visible career in pet photography, and will share real life stories and deep dark truths of how she came dangerously close to being defeated by burnout. She’ll share tips and tricks on how to navigate all the pressure, the kinds of boundaries she decided to put in place in her own business, and how that helped her navigate running a wildly successful dog photography brand that is renowned across the globe.
