Meet Dana Estes | Commercial Photographer & Photography Assistant

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

Hi Dana, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
Thank you for your interest in my work and for the spotlight.

The most important lesson I have learned since starting photography is that you have to step out of your comfort zone. I am usually one to stay with what is comfortable for me and stick with the solid people I have met over the years, however if I don’t reach out of my comfort zone I won’t be able to grow. I have really big social anxiety but with the creative field I wish to get into, it’s all about who you know and what vibe you have to bring to the table. Since I want to get into the commercial photography realm and really delve into fashion and product, it’s all in who I know. After college I started assisting multiple photographers and by doing so I am able to learn several different ways of working as well as meeting so many new people.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a commercial photographer specializing in fashion and product. Over the years, I have become very involved in the hard rock music scene of Dallas/ Fort Worth and often find myself photographing musicians because of this. I started concert photography in 2016 while I was still in high school, and have since photographed hundreds of artists from local to Dallas/ Fort Worth such as Humannequin, Ballista and The White Noise to national acts such as Five Finger Death Punch, Alien Ant Farm and Avenged Sevenfold. I went to The University Of North Texas in 2017 and graduated in 2021 with a Bachelors in Fine Arts with a concentration in photography. Although I had my degree, I came out of college with the realization that I couldn’t get to where I wanted to be without knowing how things worked in the commercial world. This is why I started assisting other photographers on their commercial shoots. I have been assisting since I graduated from UNT and have since been learning the ins and outs of the very picky industry. I will be assisting as well as photographing my own smaller scale productions for a while until I have enough reputability to get the larger clients I desire. I am in this for the longer road but I truly believe it will be the stronger, smarter path for me.

Since joining the commercial realm, I have grown to notice that I have issues with the ways in which models are being chosen for campaigns and larger shoots. There is a trend to still have the thin, white model as the main form of representation. This is very concerning to me, as every person is beautiful and having diversity is what makes us unique. When choosing models for a project, I make sure to include varying body types as well as ethnicities since we are all different and come from different backgrounds.

I am very interested in the idea of the male gaze and how this has influenced women’s perception of beauty. When photographing models, I intentionally avoid the male gaze and aim to make my subjects feel beautiful for their personalities rather than being sexual objects. With increasing numbers of female photographers, it is more important than ever to remove the male gaze from perspective. I am thrilled to be a part of this movement.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite places to go in Dallas/ Fort Worth are the Dallas world Aquarium, The Modern Art Museum and Klyde Warren Park. These are all family friendly places and are fun for all types of people. If you are looking for more of a girls night or to party with your friends, I would highly recommend Cidercade, Big shots Golf and Harvest House. My favorite places to eat in the area are Pizza Snob, Shady Oaks, Taste of Asia and Killers Tacos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am now without the support I received from the DFW music scene. Since I started photography professionally around 2016, I have been photographing concerts and music festivals. There have been so many musicians that I have worked with over the years and I am extremely thankful for each and every one of them who have hired me. I have made so many life-long friends because of the music scene in DFW and I can not wait to see what Dallas/ Fort Worth has in stock for it in the future.

I also would like to thank my college professor, Dornith Doherty, for always keeping my critiques full of constructive criticism as well as throwing my name out there. The first two assisting jobs I was able to get where thanks to her recommendation. Considering I am so introverted, this was exactly the start I needed to feel confident enough to ask for myself.

Lastly, I would like to thank the Photo_Assist program for helping me better understand what is expected of me as an assistant, as well as introducing me to several other photographers to work with and allowing me to meet other photography assistants from around Texas. As I have been told previously and am slowly realizing for myself, that the photography realm is much smaller in the United States than what is thought. It really is just one big family.

Website: https://www.danamccurdyphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_mccurdy/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-estes-a5331521b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danamccurdyphoto/