Davis Narey is a freelance videographer and photographer who is also the owner of Davis Narey Media, a multimedia production company located in the Twin Cities.
Since Davis first appeared on this platform in 2021, his skillset and his approach to content has evolved.
“These last few years were crazy,” says the native of suburban Milwaukee.
For context, when Davis first splashed onto the Twin Cities videography scene, the talented shooter was willing to take on nearly any project, both so he could earn money and simultaneously expand his brand.
It helped that the COVID pandemic resulted in more people being on their phones for longer durations, which inspired content creators to invest heavily into media production.
“I was taking on projects of all sorts,” Davis recalls.
“That became torturous though, because I was doing so many projects, a lot of which I didn’t even enjoy.”
Highly revered for his ability to configure a captivating mise-en-scene, Davis was inundated with a bevy of requests to shoot weddings.
What started out as the allure of hefty paychecks quickly turned into laborious turnaround times, the effort required to not only shoot weddings, but then streamline that footage into a lifelong memory for his clients, no easy task.
“In my opinion, a videographer should only do 5-6 weddings per year, unless you’re highly specialized in weddings,” Davis says.
“Beyond that, it becomes too taxing because of the time commitment.”
This is because editing a wedding video takes more than just a few days.
“To completely edit a wedding shoot takes about 60-80 hours,” Davis reveals.
“That’s about two weeks of your time, and then when you’re trying to combine doing that with handling new projects, it becomes overwhelming, and at that point I don’t think the client is receiving as much value as they otherwise should.”
Fortunately, Davis found a rhythm and developed systems and processes that were conducive to his unique skillset.
He also better understood what kind of projects worked for him, and which ones were better off being deferred to videographers who had different areas of expertise.
“I became more calculated and discerning with the projects I would accept. I wanted to take on projects that gave me more opportunities to be creative, that were challenging, and that could be cinematic,” Davis says.
“Once I did that, much of my work consisted of doing new projects with past clients who I had cultivated a good relationship with, and then also working with referrals that they would give me.”
Focusing on what he does best was crucial for Davis’s development, and as he continued to ascend, he prospered.
In 2024, he began working with Best Buy as a video production assistant, a role that taught him the nuances of commercial video production.
“Working with such a big company has helped me understand how to put together videos for commercial entities who have larger budgets, but also larger expectations,” Davis shares.
Things like meticulous preparation that enables more efficient shoot days were crucial, as well as telling a story about products that would benefit the end user (i.e. the client).
Today, Davis will happily create product content for middle and large-size businesses, but as a visionary with a keen eye for setting up specific shots prior to ever compiling them into a narrative, Davis equally excels at storytelling, in a way that makes the mundane appear interesting.
“Anything that tells a story is compelling to me, especially if it’s meaningful for the client I am working with,” says Davis, who is on the cusp of thirty, and also on the precipice of exploding onto the Twin Cities videography scene in 2025.
“Again, the random projects that don’t pay very well, I’m moving away from those, and it’s not because I don’t want to help those people, but I’ve gotten to a point in my career where I know what I’m good at and what I’m worth, and in many ways, even just accepting those projects that are lacking a clear direction is a disservice to both myself and that potential client.”
This specificity, or the narrowing of projects he will undertake also extends to the photography aspect of Davis Narey Media.
Some have questioned why Davis continues to shoot photography instead of going all in on video content, but it should be noted that the St. Thomas alum is widely considered to be as proficient in photography as he is in video.
Hence, it is unlikely we will ever see Davis exclusively shoot video content.
“There is so much need in both spheres, and if you can do both at a high level, then there is always going to be a demand for your services,” emphasizes Davis, nary a trace of self-aggrandizement in his voice.
For reference, hiring Davis is not cheap, nor should it be.
His prices also vary, depending on what exactly a prospective client is looking to receive.
At present, his full-day rate is $700, and $350 for half a day of shooting video.
These figures do not include the time it will take him to properly edit the video either.
When it comes to photography, a typical session will cost clients $200.
But again, when one hires Davis, they are not hiring someone off Craigslist who just began shooting content last month.
“My experience with audio and lighting sets me apart because I’m able to create shots and scenes that are more cinematic than what one otherwise might expect from a freelancer,” Davis explains.
“In other words, both the video and photography content that I produce looks professional. It doesn’t look like it was shot with an iPhone, and that’s because I approach my shoots more as productions instead of just whipping out my camera and shooting what’s in front of me.”
In the coming years, Davis will still be spearheading all of his clients’ creative endeavors, meaning he will not be hiring outside talent to come in and do the legwork while he retreats to the background, away from the labor of producing art.
“I could see myself assembling a crew for certain projects, but as far as being hands-off and just dealing with the sales aspect of a project, that’s not in my immediate future,” Davis says.
“I love being involved in the process and directing a shoot to match the needs of a client. In that sense, I’m more of an artist rather than someone who is only looking to put a deal together and then outsource everything.” QS
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