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Where did your photography journey start and what kept it going?

My photography journey started while I was working at Circuit City back in 2007. I spent a week's worth of pay on a Canon Rebel XTi. I shot my friends jumping over bushes, flowers, and blurry portraits of people. I was hooked. Since then, photography has become the backbone of my life. No matter where I was going to school, where I was working, or what clothing brand I was trying to make, photography gave me the ability to add semi-professional shots to my life wherever I saw fit. I also spent a couple of years assisting an insanely talented commercial photographer, Meeno Peluce, back around  2010. A lot of aspiring photographers assist to gain insight and a foot in the door. I think it’s by far the best way to learn and make relationships in photography, however, at the time this wasn’t my motive. I loved photography and loved assisting on these massive album covers and music video shoots, but I didn’t see it as an attainable path for myself. I was a 20 year old still trying to figure out who I was and what creative path I wanted to pursue. I had been making music, taking photos and doing improv and commercial acting at the time as well, so it was all a toss up. In retrospect, the short time assisting Meeno was a sneaky crash course in what I would jump into head first years later.

What camera setup do you use? How did you settle on this brand?

For stills, I shoot with a Canon R5 and go between a 16-35mm & 24-70mm f2.8. I know there’s a lot of hype around prime lenses and I totally agree with the die-hards, but for what I need on set and out on location, zoom lenses keep my workflow dialled in. For video, I have a rigged-up Canon C200 and I also pop the R5 on a gimbal for some steady-cam action. I do that a lot for these cinematic interior design videos I’ve been making for clients. I’m a Canon boy through and through. I would get a Canon tattoo if I could. That being said I should probably venture out of my comfort zone soon and shoot something with some uniqueness. I see you Fuji shooters. 

What do you prefer, photography or videography? 

I love them both so much. They both tell stories. Video can tell heavier stories though. Video can really move you and I’m super attracted to that. I’m super grateful to be able to do both for clients and for personal work and I hope I can always balance the two comfortably. If I had to choose one and only one though, I would choose photography. There’s something about the simplicity and accessibility of documenting with a photo camera rather than a cinema camera. If I’m in the middle of the Sierra watching the sunset over an alpine lake at 10k feet, I just want to be able to take photos. I love the rawness of that. 

Which one came first?

Photography came first. Video didn’t come into play until I picked up a Canon 5d Mark ii around 2013. I put out some personal work here and there and sparked the interest of a Vice President at Aflac working in the Los Angeles area. He wanted to bring me into the company as a creative director to create internal content that could make a fortune 500 company appear “cool.” It worked, barely, but it worked. I started shooting mini-docs like a madman for dozens of people throughout the company spanning all over the west coast. They were day in the life type videos that showcased stories from different leaders throughout the company. I learned so damn much about storytelling through video. I also learned how to shoot, edit and craft video in a way more intense situation. These weren’t random lifestyle videos for fun anymore, these were people's lives and stories I was responsible for telling. I left Aflac in 2017 and haven’t made a joke about a duck since. 

What is life like in Los Angeles? What are the best and the most frustrating things about living there?

Life in Los Angeles is fast. I think that’s what gravitates me to the mountains so much. I can only stay in LA for so long before I’m itching to get out for a bit. If you’re in need of some incredible food or a great bar with the perfect Negroni waiting for you, this is the spot. It also makes shooting brand work that much easier when it comes to location choices and houses to rent out for shoots. There are some really beautiful pockets in LA. What's frustrating about Los Angeles? Trying to get anywhere after 4 pm. 

What’s your favourite place to photograph in California?

The Sierra. If you asked me a few months ago I would have said the Eastern Sierra. I released my first photobook last summer featuring my favourite photographs from the Eastern Sierra taken over a span of five years. The book is called “Along for the Ride: Unplanned Adventures in the Eastern Sierra.” After running around the east side of the Sierra for half a decade, I wanted to venture into the west side of the Sierra for this next chapter of my life. The Sequoias, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and all the pockets in between are where my mind is set for the next bit. I actually just bought a house right on the edge of the Sequoias so I could have a jump-off point into this side of the Sierra for years to come. California is incredible. Not just the Sierra but everything out here. There’s truly an endless amount to explore in this state and I plan to do as much as I can. 

Since photography is your full-time job, do you still find yourself taking photos for pure enjoyment outside of work?

All of the time. I think it’s essential for everyone to have an outlet from their 9-5 or freelance work. My outlet still happens to be photography but this is where I get to shoot a lot of my landscape and travel work. When you shoot for brands there’s almost always a shot list, models, clients, stylists, and producers all there to reach the same creative goal. When I head to the mountains with my camera, it’s just me and what I see. The looseness of shooting on the road fuels my creativity like nothing else can. I’ve found a lot of inspiration in shooting video as well over the years. I do quite a bit of video work for clients and rarely get to shoot things just for myself, but the urge to shoot more personal video work is getting heavier as the months go on. I think it will become a larger part of my creative outlet as time goes on. 

Dane, thank you for taking the time to tell us a bit about yourself. Best of luck with your future endeavours.