Eric Davis Jr. sees the Cape through his own unique filter, and his photography is a dazzling artistic representation of that personal style.

From the moment Eric Davis Jr. picked up a camera, he was hooked. “Passion” is a word he uses often to describe his work, which ranges anywhere from photos taken on his iPhone to carefully crafted drone shots. A Falmouth local since about the age of 12 when his family moved from Cleveland, Ohio, Davis has found inspiration in the classic Cape Cod landscape. From The Knob in Falmouth to more adventurous days along the dunes in Truro, he has become a collector of experiences—ones he documents with breathtaking photography.

“I had a friend in college who gave me my first camera,” says Davis, who is finishing up his final classes at Bridgewater State University. “He said, ‘As long as you use it, you can keep it.’” Davis has lived up to that promise, and has since found himself dabbling in drone photography and upgrading his equipment as his skills have progressed. His next step is a commercial drone license—a step above his current drone license. “I think having the drone teaches you to be respectful of what you’re shooting,” he says, referencing the many regulations surrounding drone flying. Davis has even researched a daring method of capturing the perfect photo of the Great White sharks that frequent Outer Cape beaches. It involves chum, fishing line, his drone, and a very steady hand. “I have a plan,” he laughs. 

A plan is one element that is a constant with Davis’ work—essential, even, for a man who works two jobs and still finds time for his art. “Seeing other photographer’s work, like Chris Burkard, has inspired me to take my time and not rush,” he says. “I like to have an idea of what I’m looking for—what type of shot, what angle, what time of day. When
you plan all that out and then it comes together, that’s what I like best: experiencing that moment.”

Davis describes his work as having a twist, that special style that makes it an Eric Davis photo. “It’s difficult to describe,” he says, but it’s clear from the moments that Davis has managed to capture that “style” is not something he’s lacking. Looking at one of his photos is like seeing the world through his own, special filter. It’s a transcendent way to view photography, and Davis’ style is perhaps most evident in his favorite shot: a photo of a friend who recently passed. Davis is a connoisseur of moments; his work is more than simply a collection of photos, but rather a compilation of memories. That photo of his friend, Chase, is an emotional tribute to his memory. 

In “Hamlet,” William Shakespeare writes, “We know what we are, but not what we may be.” It’s a pervasive uncertainty that drives the famous tragedy, but one that perhaps suggests at a potential for greatness. And, in the case of Eric Davis, he knows he is a photographer; he knows he loves his craft; the greatness he will achieve by way of that passion is yet to be determined, but if his current work is any indication, then his future looks promising.

See more on Instagram @edavis.jr

Allyson Plessner is the digital editor for Cape Cod Life Publications.