We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dante’y Buitureida. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dante’y below.
Hi Dante’y, thanks for joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? We’d love to hear the backstory the illustrates how you grew your brand.
I’ve been so lucky to be able to photograph this incredible game professionally for the past seven years, though much of that time was spent supporting myself financially. For the first five years in Portland, I funded my photography completely out of my own pocket—from travel expenses to camera gear. I poured everything I could into my passion, often balancing it with a full-time job. Then, the NWSL came into the picture. Photographer Nikita (aka kryptobanana), referred me to the league, and from that point, things began to change. Working with the NWSL has allowed me to upgrade everything from my camera bodies to my laptop and more. Finally getting paid for my work has made a huge difference, not only in improving my gear but also in helping my photography reach a wider audience. Multiple clients have found my name because of photos spread online since then.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
At around 15 I was given a Nikon point-and-shoot camera and since then I’ve always had a camera in hand. Growing up, I was very passionate about art. From viewing it to actually painting and sculpting, that’s part of why I chose the name Dante’y’s Art, to encompass all creative forms in case I had future opportunities to showcase my art. With ADHD, I often struggled to articulate my thoughts, but photography allowed me to show others what I saw and how I saw it. In 2016 I visited Portland for the first time and actually changed my dates a bit just so I could attend my first NWSL match. The Portland Thorns against the New York Flash in the NWSL semi-final. That match, on October 6th, made me fall in love with Portland. How this city, even after a loss, came together to support the team. By the next semi-final in 2017, I had relocated from Denver and have been here ever since. A few weeks into my move, I was at a local soccer pub when a guy noticed the photos on my laptop and we started talking. He mentioned he knew someone who wrote for a website, and while they weren’t actively looking for photographers, she might be able to help me get in the door. It all happened so fast—she gave me my first opportunity, helped me gtt my credentials, and I’ve never looked back! I’m still friends with them and have bought them many beers as I will never be able to thank them enough!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Imposter syndrome is something I’ve had to confront and continue to work through. According to Zippia, women make up only 37% of sports photographers, also just 15% are Hispanic/Latino. It’s rare for me to see someone who looks like me photographing beside me, and that can really affect your self-esteem when you don’t see yourself in the major roles. Thankfully, along the way, I’ve found myself in a community of women photographers and content creators, some I’ve met in person, some I haven’t. Whether we’ve met or not, these women have been crucial in helping me feel like I belong. We support each other, share each other’s work, and always offer encouragement.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
I’ve had more clients reach out to me through social media than through my website. Social media has become such a crucial tool for getting my work out there. While I try to update my website quarterly, I honestly put more focus on keeping my social media feed active. It’s important to never underestimate the power of a connection. I’ve had people reach out to compliment my work, I respond with a simple thank you, and later they come back with opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.danteysart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danteysart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanteysArt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danteyb
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanteysArt
- Other: https://gondola.cc/DanteysArt
