Meet Dani O’Bryan Davis | Photographer and Animal Scientist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dani O’Bryan Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dani, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
For me, deciding whether to keep going or step back is a balance of intuition and practicality. I work full time in animal science, a field I absolutely love, and photography has always been my creative outlet, the space where I get to express a different side of myself.

Because it isn’t my primary career, I don’t measure photography by traditional business metrics alone. Instead, I ask myself:
Is this still bringing me joy and creative fulfillment?
Do I still feel connected to the craft and the people I get to work with?
Can I sustain this alongside my professional obligations and personal life in a healthy way?
Is my passion growing, or am I forcing it?

So far, the answer has consistently been yes. Photography still inspires me, challenges me in the best way, and gives me opportunities to connect with clients and tell stories that matter. That’s why I keep going.

If I ever reached a point where photography didn’t feel meaningful anymore, or it started to compromise my energy for the things that matter most: my clients, my career, and my well being, then I would see stepping back as making space, not giving up.

But right now? It’s a part of my life I choose to nurture. It keeps me balanced. It lets me serve people in a personal, creative way. And I love the craft too much to walk away from it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets my work apart is my deep love for animals and the relationships people share with them. I’m especially passionate about photographing pets and livestock alongside their humans. Those quiet, emotional bonds that don’t always get captured in everyday life. With a background in animal science and years of hands on experience in the veterinary and livestock world, I bring an understanding of body language, temperament, and animal behavior that helps everyone, both two and four legged clients ,feel at ease. And yes, being a lifelong horse girl definitely helps. There’s a level of trust that comes when someone knows you get their animals the way they do.

What I’m most proud of is being able to preserve moments that matter, not just the big celebrations, but the everyday beauty. A nose pressed into a sleeve, a laugh mid gallop, the way someone looks at their horse or dog like it’s their heart walking around outside their body. Helping people freeze those memories is incredibly special to me.

Photography has been part of my life since childhood, and the craft itself has always felt natural, learning new techniques, refining my eye, experimenting with style, that’s the fun part. The harder part has honestly been the business side: managing a website, social media, booking systems, and learning how to market authentically. Moving to Colorado also introduced a new challenge: the market here is very saturated, with many photographers offering discounted sessions. It can be intimidating, and there were definitely moments of doubt. But I learned to stay grounded in who I am, lean into my niche, and focus on quality and connection rather than competing on price.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you don’t have to choose between being analytical and being creative. I am a scientist and an artist; nurturing both sides has made me better at each. My brand exists in that space where curiosity meets beauty, where understanding animals helps reveal deeper emotion, and where art and science aren’t opposites… they’re teammates.

If there’s one thing I want people to take from my story, it’s this: honor every part of yourself. Let the intellectual side thrive, and let the creative side breathe too. You don’t have to fit into one lane to be successful.

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?
If my best friend came to visit, I’d take them to experience the best of Northern Colorado ,a mix of outdoors, western culture, and the charm of Fort Collins. We’d hike places like Gem Lake in Estes Park and Horsetooth right here at home, spend some time wandering Old Town Fort Collins, and grab good food and drinks from local favorites. And because I’m a horse girl through and through, we’d absolutely make a stop at the Cheyenne Frontier Days arena to soak up that western heritage. This area has such a unique blend of nature, community, and cowboy spirit (if you know where to look) it’s one of my favorite things about living here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Absolutely, this shoutout goes to my brother, Bradley, and my sister, Bre. They’ve been in my corner from the very beginning. When we were kids, they were the ones who let me turn every sunny afternoon and random weekend into a photoshoot, long before I had any idea what I was doing. They never complained about posing, reshooting, changing outfits, or letting me experiment with angles and ideas… they just showed up and supported me. Their encouragement helped me believe this was something worth pursuing, even if it was just for the joy of it. And honestly, that’s still why I do it, because it brings me joy and connection.
One of my favorite full circle moments is that my brother now does wildlife photography on the side too. Seeing him find his own love for capturing the world through a lens makes me so proud and reminds me where this spark started in the first place. My siblings believed in me before I believed in myself, and I’m forever grateful for that.

Website: https://www.bluegrassimagingco.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1KR2aCes7i/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits
Dani O’Bryan Davis- Bluegrass Imaging