About
Elliott O’Donovan is a portrait photographer and studio owner based in Washington, DC. For more than 15 years, he has specialized in creating timeless, editorial-style portraits that capture people with honesty, depth, and quiet confidence. Working from his downtown DC studio — one of the few dedicated portrait studios in the city — Elliott photographs leaders across law, media, government, publishing, and the arts. His clients include organizations such as Jenner & Block, Delta Air Lines, Mayer Brown, CNN, TIME, Forbes, The Washington Post, Marriott, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. Elliott is known not just for lighting and composition, but for his ability to help people feel comfortable and seen. He often encourages clients to think about someone they love or a meaningful memory during their session, bringing out expressions that feel genuine and alive. His portraits have appeared in major publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Popular Science, and TIME Magazine, and have been used for book covers, national press campaigns, corporate leadership announcements, and editorial features. In addition to photographing executives and public figures — including Gabby Giffords and Jake Tapper — Elliott is developing new work focused on artists in their creative spaces and long-form storytelling through his upcoming series The Human Element with Elliott O’Donovan. He splits his time between Washington, DC and New York, where he continues to build a body of work inspired by photographers such as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon — portraits that feel timeless, intimate, and deeply human. When he’s not in the studio, Elliott is with his wife, author Christina McDowell, their son Ethan, or working on new ways to make his studio a welcoming sanctuary for the people he photographs.
