Meet Cameron Dantley | Photographer

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

Hi Cameron, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My background 1,000% played an enormous role in making me who I am today. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. My mom and dad raised my sister, brother, and me with tons of love and support. They instilled in us that we can do whatever we put our minds to, you just have to really work for it. They would also tell us things like “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” and that’s something I still try to carry with me to this day. No matter who I come in contact with, I try to leave them with a positive experience. You never know what people are going through, and you might be the only positive light they encounter that day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Well, I primarily shoot in the fitness/activewear space. I also dabble in music every now and then. Both of these areas are huge passions of mine. I’ve been playing drums since I was 14 and I’ve been working out since I was about 19. So when I decided to start shooting fitness and music, I felt like I already had an idea of what I wanted to portray and capture. I think that perspective has helped me develop a style that allows me to stand out a bit.

As far as how I’ve gotten to where I am, it’s just about staying consistent, shooting the type of work I want to be hired for, taking things one day at a time, not being afraid to ask questions, and trying to keep a level head about everything. I think when starting a business, at some point you find yourself between wanting everything all at once and being patient. I’ve learned that I have to live in between those two spaces. The goal shoots that I really want, I know I’m not ready for just yet. So, in the meantime I have to be patient, keep learning and working so that whenever those shoots do come, I’ll be more prepared. This isn’t an easy thing to do! At least it hasn’t been for me. I’ve thought about quitting a few times. However, I also realize that the next shoot I do, might be the one that takes me to the next level and closer to those goal shoots I want.

As far as how I’ve overcome challenges, one of the biggest things I’ve learned that has helped me is communication. Communicating on every level of a project. The planning stage, the shoot itself, and afterwards. My dad told me a long time ago that you can get through anything as long as you continue to communicate. At the moment he told me this, I was about to get married, and that was his last bit of fatherly advice. However, I’ve taken that and applied it to other areas of my life as well. Now, there are some times when challenges just come up no matter how much you’ve communicated, and that’s life. But much like life itself, you just breathe and take things one step at a time.

What do I want the world to know about me?? Hmmm….that’s a good question. Probably just that I’m kind and a hard worker. Everyone I work with, I really do try and put them at ease when we’re shooting. I think that’s when you get the best results out of people. Making them smile or laugh can really allow them to let their walls down and have a good time. I have the privilege of taking pictures for a living. And while I take my job very seriously, I’m not exactly solving world hunger haha. So, let’s have fun while we create.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a great question! Well, I live in San Francisco, but spend A LOT of time in LA so I’m going to try and answer this for both cities as much as I can. Let’s start with LA! Since the a lot of my friends that would be visiting me still live in the Midwest, I’d imagine they’d love to see the beach. And I love being in places where I don’t have to drive much. So maybe spend a day in Manhattan Beach. We can have brunch at either M.B. Post or Rock’ N Fish. Walk around and check out the amazing houses in the area. Take them to Salt & Straw to try some amazing ice cream, and then finish off that day with getting some Mexican food at Esperanza. They have amazing tortillas that they serve with honey butter haha. Then the next day, maybe we’d go downtown to The Broad Museum, and maybe find something chill for dinner. I feel like you have to show people the touristy stuff because that’s their impression of California haha, so I’d show them Beverly Hills and Hollywood just so they can say they’ve been there. And that night close out with dinner at Laurel Hardware. I feel like it has a cool vibe to it, and the food is pretty good as well. And for the last day in LA, I’d take them to the West side of town to split the day between Santa Monica and Venice. Grab breakfast at Egg Slut in Venice, maybe play pickleball to work that off haha. Walk around the canals and head to The Butcher’s Daughter for a light lunch. Shop a little and then finish the day for dinner and drinks at Hillstone in Santa Monica..

OK! So, for San Francisco!! I’d start with breakfast at Wooden Spoon, head over to the Golden Gate Bridge overlook so they can see that. Drive through Sausalito so they can see that as well. Dinner at Little Shucker or Tailor’s Son on Fillmore. Day two, head up to Napa to go wine tasting and Restoration Hardware in Yountville for dinner. The next day we’d maybe take a boxing class at El Niño in South San Francisco to burn off some of the food we’ve been eating haha. Then maybe take a walk around North Beach or Chinatown. There’s so much to see there. Then go to Cotogna in Jackson Square for dinner, Well, either there or Tresle. Day 3! Maybe head over to Butter and Crumble for some pastries, depending on the weather we might hike Lands End, grab some food somewhere in the Mission before catching some live jazz at either Black Cat or SF Jazz. And lastly! After doing all of that, we’re probably going to lay around, watch movies, sports, or sleep, and order Uber Eats haha.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are soooo many people that play a part in my story. First being my wife, Drea. She’s a constant rock in my life and there’s no way I could do this without her. The rest of my Dantley, Dupree, Shepherd, and Buenaventura families. There are so many more people as well that have directly or indirectly impacted me in such a positive way. I’d be here all day if I named all of them haha.

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