Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dania Calvillo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Dania, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

A little about myself, my close family and friends would say I’m a natural risk taker. As the oldest and only sister it is a super traditional Mexican household. I was often pushing boundaries to find myself and what my purpose was. At just 18 I set out on my own moving from Fresno CA, to LA. Moving to LA was always part of the plan but one day it just happened. The opportunity came without me planning for it. I was scared and had no idea what and why it was all happening. Life put me in this scary position. I told myself this could be good for me. I took the risk, packed the smallest bag, and had my friends graciously drive me to a relatives home in LA. This where my journey really began.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am now proud to say I’m a photographer and small business owner but it wasn’t always like that. I like to say I’m an artist at heart. I’ve always been pulling into the arts somehow. I remember I used to be super into performing arts from elementary school all the way up to high school and college. I was that girl who was into theater while all her other friends wanted to be nurses. I was a little different. I guess that’s why I gravitated towards the artsy crowd. I remember sitting with a school counselor discussing my grades. It was clear, she said “its obvious what your passion is, if I were you I would stick to it”. I remember being so happy with the idea that someone else acknowledged what I knew I was meant to do. I really dreamed of being a film director and at the time I was ready to make that happen. I wish I would have held onto that feeling for longer. Soon I had to face the nay sayers and “realistic” ideas and expectations of everyone around me. The years went by and I almost completely forgot about my artistic side. I was originally pursuing a degree in film production. Which later turned into child development. Which lead me into being a behavioral therapist. I really enjoyed this job but part of me didn’t feel completely happy. It wasn’t until I became a mother when things really got into prospective for me. The same year my daughter was born was the year I took my first photography class. This class didn’t teach any real photography skills it was more about the history of photography but it sparked something in me. After that I decided to buy my first camera. I didn’t have much money saved up, after all I had just had a baby and we had moved into a bigger place. As most moms I started practicing taking pictures of my own family. After a couple practice runs and lots of YouTube videos later I put out my first photography post in a local mom group. I wasn’t charging money but accepted baby items like diapers and wipes for exchange of a free photoshoot. I did this a few times and realized I was good at this. I found something I loved to do and I could potentially make money from. I wasn’t ready to quit my other job just yet. I keep practicing and learning about photography. I saved up some money to buy a better camera and better lens. I was investing a lot of money into this so it “had to work out” I kept telling myself. I brainstormed a name, made a website, and boom I was officially up and running. It sounds easy but it wasn’t. I still had a full time job, a little baby, and a home to run aside from this business I was creating. I can say that it was all worth it. It’s the best feeling when clients express how emotional my work makes them feel. At the end of the day I don’t want my work to be perfect I want it to be true to who I’m photographing. Having the ability to show case that is the reason why I feel my work sets me apart from everyone else.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I had to learn the hard way was one that I think many new photographers have to learn at some point. That is to stop following trends and create what you love. Yes we all like to make money from our craft but at what cost? Some of us lose ourselves along the way. I wish someone told me that trying to be like everyone else was not the way to success. Let’s be honest when you see someone do something great and succeed you want to copy them and hope it also works out for you. Well when you try to run a business that doesn’t work. You see if you want to stand out from the crowd you have to do what you’re good at. Thats what I did after many attempts at trying too hard to be what I’m not. I started wondering why I was working with clients that didn’t get me. I started to feel unhappy about heading out to a photoshoot which was never a problem before. I realized that I was talking to the wrong clients. I didn’t know I was doing it but since I was copying what everyone else was doing I fell in the trap. So thats basally how I unlearned what mistakes I was making. I just became unhappy with the job I once loved. Thats when I made the change. I started talking to my clients like I actually talk in real life. I even turned some clients down who I felt didn’t get me or what my work represented. Slowly I was starting to enjoy my craft again and I knew I was onto the right path. I let that be my focus. I was blocking out the noise and trusting myself and what I was doing. It can be hard at first but trust that you are good enough and you’ll make it.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

The reality is that many new photographers feel like they need to spend lots of money on new equipment. That’s completely untrue. The important thing I would say is having a clear vision on what you want to do. Once you have that you can research equipment you want to buy based on your needs. As you start making money you can invest back into your business and get better equipment. I do think that eventually upgrading your equipment is necessary as your business scales but its not super important in the beginning. All the funding I have received for my business is from my own pocket. I know many don’t like to do this but for me it made the most sense. I saved up what I could from my previous job and once I was getting paid I put it back in the business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fiveoceanophotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiveoceanophotography/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiveoceanosphotography
• Other: Pinterest: https://pin.it/36PqHu2