About Dana Estes

American photographer Dana Estes is a commercial photographer specializing in lifestyle and product. Over the years, Estes has become very involved in the hard rock music scene of Dallas/ Fort Worth and often finds herself photographing musicians because of this. Estes is also very interested in the idea of the male gaze and how this has influenced women’s perception of beauty. When photographing models, she intentionally avoids the male gaze and aims to make her 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. She is thrilled to be a part of this movement.

Since joining the commercial realm, Estes has grown to notice that she has 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 her, as she believes every person is beautiful and that having diversity is what makes us unique. When choosing models for a project, she makes sure to include varying body types as well as ethnicities because everyone is different and comes from different backgrounds.

Artists that have influenced her work are Annie Leibovitz, Nan Goldin, Petra Collins and Adrienne Salinger.

Photograph by Paris Estes.

Contact:

Email: danaestesphoto(at)gmail(dot)com

Instagram: @Danaestesphoto

Facebook: Dana McCurdy Photography

Pintrest: @danaestesphoto