Meet Rob Davies | Landscape Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rob Davies and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rob, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Well, there have been considerable changes in terms of work/life balance over the last quarter century or so. I moved from the U.K to the U.S in the mid 1990’s after completing a PhD in chemistry. I began my career in the pharmaceutical industry where as a single individual I had a lot of freedom to dedicate long hours to work. Those early days were marked by a focus on professional growth and exploration. As life unfolded, I entered the realm of marriage and parenthood, ushering in a new era of responsibilities and challenges. The transition from a single, career-focused individual to a spouse and parent naturally shifted the dynamics of my daily life. Balancing the demands of work and family became a delicate art. Perhaps not always that delicate! Both my wife and I embarked on parallel full-time careers, but our jobs provided a silver lining – flexibility. This allowed us to navigate the intricate dance of managing professional commitments alongside the responsibilities of raising a family. The harmony we found in our synchronized schedules brought a semblance of balance to our lives during those years. The turning point came with a decision about seven years to depart from the research-driven path and embrace a more artistically creative career. This marked a profound shift, not just professionally but also in the equilibrium of our daily lives. The demands of a creative pursuit introduced new complexities, challenging us to reassess and recalibrate our family dynamics. Fast forward to today, where my landscape photography career takes me on journeys far and wide. This new chapter introduces a unique set of challenges. Coordinating my wife’s work commitments, managing our children’s schooling and activities, and juggling my own travel schedule for photography require a heightened level of effort and organization. In this ongoing journey, I’ve come to appreciate the evolving nature of life balance. Each phase, marked by career choices and personal milestones, brings its own set of intricacies and compromises. It is certainly one of the biggest challenges, balancing the day to day activities of home life and having the opportunities to travel away to continue the photography and most effectively expand the business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a Native Old Englander, my journey led me to the United States in 1995, where I devoted over 20 years to working as a Medicinal Chemist in the Pharmaceutical industry. I was always most energized by the creative phase of the research, generating new ideas to tackle the cure for difficult diseases. In 2017, I made a significant shift, bidding farewell to the pharmaceutical field to follow my passion for landscape photography. This newfound creative outlet became more than just a hobby. As a professional photographer, I’ve conducted workshops locally, had my panoramic work commissioned by a national retail company, and seen my art chosen for large-scale displays in several offices. Unexpectedly, in 2019, I was honored by Peerspace as one of the top 8 Landscape photographers in Boston, a recognition that humbled me given the abundance of talent in the region.
I travel to all parts of New England, enjoying the wide array of photogenic opportunities the area offers. My New England interests include lighthouses, the lake and mountain regions of NH and VT, the rocky shoreline of Maine and the wonderful foliage season across the area.
My work style is often vibrant in color, clean and streamlined in composition, immortalizing those moments of the day when the light is often at its finest – dawn or sundown
Outside of fall season, I am seldom happier behind the camera than when photographing water. I am fascinated by the infinite variety of images offered by oceans, rivers and waterfalls depending upon the conditions and of the mood I’m in at that moment.
While New England holds a special place in my heart, my lens extends beyond its borders. Recent photography excursions have taken me to England, Scotland, France, Norway, and the captivating landscapes of Colorado. My enthusiasm for exploration and the art of photography continues to shape my personal and creative journey.

As for many people who are trying to build a new career, especially in the arts there are many challenges. These include, as mentioned previously, the life/work balance, creating work which is meaningful to myself creatively but also holding commercial appeal to others and in having the ability to market yourself. Doing this in the era of social media can be a double edged sword as you have the potential to reach large numbers of people quickly but within a very competitive field. The one thing I feel is important is to stay true to yourself and aim to generate high quality work on a consistent basis.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So many places to choose from depending upon the mood. Boston and the suburbs now have such a wide array of creative restaurants. The seaport area of Boston has become very popular over recent years with many new restaurants and stores, located close to the famous Boston Tea Party. One of our favorite restaurants in that area is Temazcal. Further afield, I like to visit the North Shore of MA a lot, with places like Gloucester and Rockport common stops for me.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Firstly, I’d like to dedicate this to my wife, Ioana. Although I’d used the old point and shoot cameras for years, Ioana introduced me to the DSLR cameras and in using for them for landscape photography. Without her encouragement, critical opinions on my work and support to do this full time I would likely not be doing this at all. Professionally, I have to give shoutouts to Michael Blanchette and Betty Wiley. They are very good friends of mine and we often travel and shoot together. They are extremely talented, accomplished and respected photographers who are well known worldwide but are best known for their work in New England. Their friendship, guidance and support over the years has been invaluable to me.

Website: https://www.robdaviesimages.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robdaviesimages/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjdavies30/

Image Credits
Betty Wiley (Maine Portrait shots) Kai Davies (Boston Portrait shot) All landscape shots by me