{"id":15717,"date":"2023-05-24T12:00:30","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T10:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/?p=15717"},"modified":"2023-05-23T13:47:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T11:47:35","slug":"do-what-you-can","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/","title":{"rendered":"Do what you can"},"content":{"rendered":"

Robyn Davie did … and so well!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Ever heard the saying, \u201cDo what you can with what you have, right now?\u201d Full-time CEO, company founder and creative director Robyn Davie has a talent for doing just that \u2013 and it\u2019s taken her from being an art director and wardrobe stylist to heading up the Robyn Davie Creative Studio.<\/p>\n

Robyn has been mad about creativity since she can remember \u2013 even before she started working in the film industry, she made handbags and jewellery. That\u2019s not surprising, considering she comes from a family that places enormous value on \u2018making\u2019, from baking to fashion design. \u201cWe always used to say that if you have to plan a wedding quickly, you should call us \u2013 we can do it all,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

Including photography, as it turns out \u2013 although Robyn only discovered her talent behind the lens by accident. \u201cI was living in Los Angeles when a friend asked me to take some headshots. Although I\u2019d always loved taking pictures, it was the first time someone had paid me to do it,\u201d she recalls. Looking at those pictures now makes her cringe: Everything was \u2018wrong\u2019, from the lighting to the gimmicky techniques that were so typical of the time.<\/p>\n

But while the final product may not have screamed Annie Liebowitz, it certainly planted the seed. \u201cIt was easy to fall in love with photography in LA: The people are beautiful, the light is beautiful,\u201d she says. She learnt as much as she could, watching YouTube videos, trying (and failing), and taking on board criticism from unhappy clients.<\/p>\n

She returned to South Africa two years later, with a great many shoots under her belt \u2013 and an idea of how she could do even more. A number of friends and cousins had started their families in her absence, she says, and although she hadn\u2019t tried her hand at family photography before, she didn\u2019t see why she couldn\u2019t start. Johannesburg, as a family-friendly city, was the ideal environment for her to start her new venture, and her client base grew quickly.<\/p>\n

But, while working 16 hours every day of the week, Robyn realised that she had reached a financial ceiling. \u201cThat was a pretty sad epiphany, given I was only 26 at the time,\u201d she says \u2013 which is how the idea of taking on an associate photographer was born.<\/p>\n

Today, Robyn\u2019s network of associate photographers is 15 members strong. Members are chosen for their energy –\u00a0 they have to be collaborative, intuitive, go-getters. And, above all, they must be female. \u201cWhen I first arrived back in South Africa, I realised how male dominated this industry is. There is so much chauvinism. I have attended so many events where the male photographers create an uncomfortable atmosphere for women, and I wanted to change that. From the beginning, my aim was to create a safe space for women, where we\u2019re a team that support each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, she says, she\u2019s often asked if working with so many women isn\u2019t a little, well, intense? \u201cAbsolutely not.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the team has shown on more than one occasion just how committed to each other they are. In 2020, for instance, the Robyn Davie Creative Studio was poised to take its first step into Cape Town \u2013 and then, as the pandemic drew closer to South African shores, Robyn decided to cancel all scheduled bookings, until every source of revenue had disappeared. \u201cI was terrified,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut then I thought, this team must have skills besides photography. We may as well put them to use, rather than sitting at home in our PJs.\u201d That\u2019s how the studio\u2019s graphic design arm got started. It not only stopped revenue drying up completely; it also allowed the team to tap into an international client base.<\/p>\n

Fynn Studio, the latest offering, came about in a similarly serendipitous manner. When the natural light studio the photographic team usually used became a Covid victim, Robyn spotted a gap in the market. This solved one of the key challenges the team was facing at the time: Although lockdown had been lifted and they were finally allowed to shoot once more, most locations \u2013 from parks to restaurants \u2013 were still reticent about allowing a crew on site.<\/p>\n

Like Robyn\u2019s business itself, Fyn Studio has grown beyond initial expectations. It\u2019s no longer simply a venue for product shoots, family sessions, studio hire or head shots: \u201cI\u2019d like to think it serves a higher purpose,\u201d Robyn says.<\/p>\n

Since realising the blow that mental health has taken since the pandemic, Robyn Davie Creative Studio has made a foray into wellness. \u201cI was really worried about the emotional toll of all we\u2019ve been through \u2013 but, as much as I would like to do something, I\u2019m not a psychologist or a counsellor. I don\u2019t have those skills \u2013 but I do have a fantastic venue that can be used to host yoga classes, talks and weekend retreats.\u201d The studio has recently started targeting corporate wellness, too, offering discounts for facilitators and assisting in the creation or a programme that aims to help participants deal with stress.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an educational aspect to the business, too: Robyn has recently released a series of online courses, aiming to bolster creatives\u2019 business skills.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s next for this ever-evolving business? \u201cI\u2019ve never had a plan,\u201d Robyn confesses. \u201cEverything has just kind of fallen into place. I know that makes it sound easy, but it hasn\u2019t been. I\u2019ve just been able to identify gaps and then find a way to service them.\u201d Robyn says that one way to do this is by letting herself become bored, something she tries to do regularly by stepping away from her routine. This \u2018brain downtime\u2019 is how she\u2019s come up with some of her best ideas. \u201cBut, much as I love starting new businesses, consolidating is just as important. Right now, the focus is on making sure that everything we do, we do to the best of our ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How to take the perfect headshot<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robyn says that loads of people enter the studio feeling a little nervous. After all, not everyone likes to have their photo taken. The best way to get over those nerves? \u201cA little preparation is useful,\u201d Robyn says. \u201cThink about why you\u2019re having the headshot taken and what message it needs to convey. We spend a lot of time chatting to our clients to find out what they like, whether they\u2019re more creative or analytical, even what colours they like.\u201d To make sure you look your best for the shot, start upping your water intake a week or so beforehand, and consider going for a facial to get that glow. And now? \u201cJust have fun!\u201d<\/p>\n

Details: Robyndavie.com<\/a>, fynn-studio.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Text: Lisa Witepski \u2022 Photo: Robyn Davie Creative Studio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Robyn Davie did … and so well! Ever heard the saying, \u201cDo what you can with what you have, right now?\u201d Full-time CEO, company founder and creative director Robyn Davie has a talent for doing just that \u2013 and it\u2019s taken her from being an art director and wardrobe stylist to heading up the Robyn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":15719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,20],"tags":[4456,56,5441,4930],"class_list":{"0":"post-15717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-people","8":"category-personalities","9":"tag-creative","10":"tag-photography","11":"tag-robyn-davie","12":"tag-studio"},"yoast_head":"\nDo what you can - Get it Joburg North<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Do what you can - Get it Joburg North\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Robyn Davie did … and so well! Ever heard the saying, \u201cDo what you can with what you have, right now?\u201d Full-time CEO, company founder and creative director Robyn Davie has a talent for doing just that \u2013 and it\u2019s taken her from being an art director and wardrobe stylist to heading up the Robyn […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Get it Joburg North\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/getitjoburgnorth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1103\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Get It Local Media\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@getitjhbnorth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@getitjhbnorth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Get It Local Media\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Get It Local Media\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#\/schema\/person\/a0a7343da285456f8363e2bfa99149c6\"},\"headline\":\"Do what you can\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/\"},\"wordCount\":1151,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"creative\",\"photography\",\"Robyn Davie\",\"studio\"],\"articleSection\":[\"People\",\"Personalities\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/\",\"name\":\"Do what you can - Get it Joburg North\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#\/schema\/person\/a0a7343da285456f8363e2bfa99149c6\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1103},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Do what you can\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/\",\"name\":\"Get it Joburg North\",\"description\":\"Lifestyle Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#\/schema\/person\/a0a7343da285456f8363e2bfa99149c6\",\"name\":\"Get It Local Media\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/avatar_user_113_1675168333-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/avatar_user_113_1675168333-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/avatar_user_113_1675168333-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Get It Local Media\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/author\/larav\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Do what you can - Get it Joburg North","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Do what you can - Get it Joburg North","og_description":"Robyn Davie did … and so well! Ever heard the saying, \u201cDo what you can with what you have, right now?\u201d Full-time CEO, company founder and creative director Robyn Davie has a talent for doing just that \u2013 and it\u2019s taken her from being an art director and wardrobe stylist to heading up the Robyn […]","og_url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/","og_site_name":"Get it Joburg North","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/getitjoburgnorth","article_published_time":"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1103,"url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Get It Local Media","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@getitjhbnorth","twitter_site":"@getitjhbnorth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Get It Local Media","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/"},"author":{"name":"Get It Local Media","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#\/schema\/person\/a0a7343da285456f8363e2bfa99149c6"},"headline":"Do what you can","datePublished":"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/"},"wordCount":1151,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg","keywords":["creative","photography","Robyn Davie","studio"],"articleSection":["People","Personalities"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/","name":"Do what you can - Get it Joburg North","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#\/schema\/person\/a0a7343da285456f8363e2bfa99149c6"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2023\/05\/Robyn-website--scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1103},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2023\/05\/24\/do-what-you-can\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Do what you can"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#website","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/","name":"Get it Joburg North","description":"Lifestyle Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/#\/schema\/person\/a0a7343da285456f8363e2bfa99149c6","name":"Get It Local Media","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/avatar_user_113_1675168333-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/avatar_user_113_1675168333-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/avatar_user_113_1675168333-96x96.jpg","caption":"Get It Local Media"},"url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/author\/larav\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15717"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15720,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15717\/revisions\/15720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}