Meet Don Orkoskey | Atlanta Based Headshot and Event Photographer and Photography Teacher

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

Hi Don, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
I’m a teacher so what makes me happy is seeing people truly understand a concept I’ve helped them to learn. I’ve always been fascinated by learning even if my approach to learning things myself is unconventional. I’m neurodiverse so I struggle with traditional learning methods and did terrible in school. As a result, I’m overwhelmed with joy when I help someone understand something that they’re struggling with.

That’s why it’s such a foundational part of what I do, not just when teaching photography here in Atlanta and online but also in all of my photography practices. For example, when I’m taking someone’s headshot I make sure to help them understand how we’re translating their 3D self into a 2D representation and how they can pose and hold themselves in ways that honestly feel weird to do but that ultimately look great in a photo.

So yeah, teaching people something is probably the biggest way I find joy.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve always loved photography. I think my undiagnosed neurodivergent brain seeing the world through a nice and neat little frame made life easier. I struggled hard in school but my mom told me that I needed to pick a subject and go to college for it. I lucked out because I still love photography and have made a career of it. After school I worked for other photographers before feeling confident enough to open my own business in 2007.

I started by photographing anything that I could get paid to do. I did weddings and family photos but more and more I was landing commercial work, like advertising and marketing for small businesses. As well, I was doing a lot of conferences, conventions, and other corporate photography.

Once in business people also started asking me to teach them photography. So, I ended up giving private lessons, then group classes. Eventually I started to teach through museums and cultural institutions. During Covid online photography classes were my only source of income. Teaching remains a huge part of my business, no matter what I’m doing, even outside the classroom.

Also during Covid a lot of my friends were posting neurodiverse memes that really resonated with me. As a result, I got tested and was diagnosed with ADHD. Suddenly a lot of things began to make sense. All the challenges I faced from the time I was a kid, the struggles in the classroom, the abuse I suffered, it all made sense. It also helped me recommit myself to what I do as a photographer and teacher.

One thing that being a photographer or maybe just life itself taught me is that we all want to feel heard and understood. As a result, I developed my listen and understand abilities. It’s something I always get compliments on. That and my ability to capture real emotions, I think, it’s why people come back to me over and over. It’s also what keeps me going. I love connecting with people and sharing even a tiny bit of time and to hear who they are. That’s what makes for good photography; connection between me and the people I’m photographing.

Next year I’ll have been in business for 20 years which is humbling in a way and scary too! I don’t know where all that time went but it went by fast. In that time I’ve had fits and starts. Covid made a massive impact but before that I got divorced and remarried. Also during #MeToo I recognized what happened to me as a teenager was both physical and sexual abuse. Working through all of that along with the anger at missed opportunities and what if’s about my late diagnoses wasn’t easy. Thankfully my wife Zhanna has been my support system.

I’ve only been in Atlanta since September 2025 so in a way my business is less than a year old, having to restart here. That said, everything I’ve faced before tells me that I’m going to succeed. Atlanta is such a friendly city (once people get out of their cars) and I’m excited to meet more neighbors, hear their stories, take their photos, and share more time with them. I lead monthly nature photography meetups in Piedmont Park and a monthly coffee meetup for pro and aspiring photographers so there’s lots of chances for people to come introduce themselves.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend’s daughter is half Korean and they don’t live around many other places to engage in Korean culture so I would start with taking them to Cow Wow or Bene for some Korean BBQ, maybe Bene just for it’s proximity to everything else but we’d certainly spend time out that way so maybe we’d hit up Cow Wow after visiting Jeju’s Korean Sauna. Back closer to town we’d have to hit up the High Museum and the Botanic Garden but also the Civil Rights Museum and the King Center. Since she’d have her daughter with her we’d also visit the Georgia Aquarium to see the Whale Shark and other amazing creatures there. We can’t go to that part of town without hitting up the Atlanta Breakfast Club for some amazing breakfast and since we’ve got a kid with us we might do some of the other touristy stuff in the area but we’d certainly see what’s happening at the Center for Puppetry Arts.

If they’re here over the weekend I’d take them out to Arabia Mountain for a hike and stop by AWARE, the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort’s facility there which is open on the weekends. I’d love to show them the Bobcats and see if Velcro the talking Crow is being chatty. Plus the hike on the mountain is the closest thing to being back in Yosemite that I’ve gotten to experience.

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?
I wouldn’t be in Atlanta if it were not for my incredible wife, Dr. Zhanna Budenkova. She accepted a professorship here which changed our lives in immense ways. I’ve lived my entire life in and around Pittsburgh, PA. I got comfortable there for sure but I was also itching for something different. Zhanna’s an explorer, she came to the US for her PhD after living in several other countries. So when we got together I knew I’d end up moving around a bit. I’m really thankful that she picked Atlanta, not that we didn’t talk about it together, but I’m so happy here. The weather is amazing, the nature and wildlife are incredible, the people and the buzz, the art scene and photography community, it’s all exceeded my expectations. Plus the cultural opportunities here are something Zhanna and I have really loved getting a chance to explore. What Pittsburgh offered in terms of labor history is matched and exceeded by the Civil Rights history here in Atlanta. It’s a powerful reminder of our past and the mountain of work we’ve yet to accomplish as a society and I feel humbled and in awe of the giants who came from Atlanta, what they accomplished, and what they sacrificed. Being here is a good reminder that they were people just like the rest of us which means we all have that within us and with times being what they are we need to find it and use it.

Website: https://WDOphoto.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wdo-photography-llc

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wdo-photography-atlanta

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WDOphotography

Image Credits
All images are owned and shot by me and I retain all copyrights to them.