Meet Dakotah Whiting | Photographer

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

Hi Dakotah, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Art is simply an extension of the artist, so to be an artist requires you to share some level of vulnerability–that in and of itself is risky. When I share my photographs, I’m really sharing parts of my mind and the way I experience the world. I want people to look at my art and come closer to seeing and feeling the world the way I see and feel the world. Whether you’re a photographer like myself, or a DJ, dancer, writer, painter, poet, etc. artists create for connection. To feel seen and heard is worth more than any dollar amount. It’s priceless and it’s what we all yearn for, whether we want to admit it or not.

I heard the best quote the other day, it went something like, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.” Humans love to be in control of outcomes, myself included, but looking back on my life, I realized the strongest moments of growth came from the times where I practiced the art of detachment. I will always remember my pivotal career moment. I took the risk in college to switch from becoming a journalist to studying fine art with a focus in photography. Had I not made that career move, my camera (and my soul) would most likely be collecting dust right now. I will say, risk taking isn’t always pretty at first. It can actually feel quite lonely at times and there’s always the internal panic of not knowing if you made the right decision. But as I practice the art of risk-taking, I find it to be extremely beautiful and freeing. I try not to look at life as having right or wrong paths, but instead that each path results in a different outcome, some being more rewarding than others. In my experience, the risky paths are always worth it. I now feel like it’s my job to inspire others to step outside of their people pleasing comfort zones and jump. When you jump, the sky is the limit.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I call myself an omni-artist who uses a camera as my tool of expression. A friend referred to himself as an omni-artist the other day and I resonated with the title. It’s essentially the idea that being an artist means that I am many things, it’s a limitless title and I love that. I’m not just a photographer, I’m also a storyteller, a philosopher, a creative director. It leaves room for me to expand.

Growing up, I was a quiet and observant kid. I came off as shy, but I actually just had so much going on inside of my head at all times that I don’t think I knew what to do about it. I quickly realized art was the best way I could communicate with others and I was thrilled by it. I tried a lot of mediums: painting, guitar lessons, choir, ceramics, dance classes, but nothing resonated with me as much as photography did. When I picked up my first camera, I fell in love with the feeling of documenting the world through visual storytelling. I’ve always been a storyteller. When I was young, I remember writing incoherent stories in my little notepads and would feel over the moon sharing them with my mom. Those who know me well know that I’m not the worlds best vocal storyteller, but give me a camera and I can tell you things words can’t describe.

The first few years of owning a camera I had no idea what I was doing. I was honestly just shooting for my own memories and had no intention of turning it into my professional career. In my college years, I was notorious for dropping out of school, booking international flights and disappearing for months at a time with my camera. On those trips I would document everything from the people I interacted with to the diverse landscapes abroad. I loved capturing new cultures and would be so excited to share the photos and talk about my experience and everything I had learned when I arrived home. To my surprise, people began encouraging me to share my work and write about it. That’s where my photography journey started, in the world of photojournalism.

My professional career in photography began to pick up when I made the risky decision to leave the comfort of my hometown in Minneapolis and move to Los Angeles. I knew I was going to be a little fish in a massive pond, but that thought excited me. I wanted to learn from other photographers and to feel challenged and stretched in ways I had never experienced. I attribute a lot of my success to my mindset. When I say success, I don’t mean monetary success, I mean reaching new milestones in whatever form that looks like. When we use money as the measurement of our success, we’ll never be enough. I learned that the hard way. The first year I was in Los Angeles, my focus was on how I could use photography to make money. I was operating from a scarcity mindset that put me on paths that weren’t in alignment with the art I actually wanted to be making. I took on jobs I didn’t care for, accepted low payment for my work, and created a lot of things I didn’t feel a connection to. After my first year I took a look at my portfolio and broke down. I had completely lost my voice and didn’t see myself in any of the work I was creating. This was another pivotal moment in my career. I did some soul searching and realized I needed to take accountability for the way I wanted my life and career to look. For me, accountability looked like getting disciplined and aligning myself with things I felt a connection to. Once I started focusing on jobs that I aligned with, that’s when my photography career really started to blossom. I found myself meeting new people who had similar passions, gaining the confidence to set my rates higher and shooting simply for the enjoyment of it vs. for money. It took creating and sharing work I was genuinely in alignment with for clients to begin seeking me out and booking me.

If I could leave you with one thing, it would be to trust that as long as you are in alignment with yourself, you cannot lose out on anything that’s genuinely meant for you. That’s thought brings me a lot of peace.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
California is so much more than the city life. My favorite days are when my friends and I jump in a car and drive up the coast. One of the best beaches to relax at is Point Dume, the views are insane. There’s a plethora of art museums and exhibits all over the city, you really can’t go wrong. Just lift your head up from your phone and you’ll run into something. Recently, one of my favorite things to do is go and watch movies at Laemmle Royal, a theater that showcases independent films. I’m always inspired by the directors. If you’re looking for good music, there’s a new jazz joint called “Jazz in Compton,” the musicians are wildly talented and the energy of the space is unmatched. Los Angeles also hosts a lot of great flea markets around the city, my favorite is Black Market Flea. As far as food, I’m a sucker for the street tacos. Drive around Los Angeles and you’ll run into a taco truck on almost every corner. For more of a fine dining option, Cobi’s in Santa Monica is incredible and I also really love this natural wine bar called Lasita in Chinatown. If you’re new to LA, my advice would be to pick a neighborhood to explore and go where you feel drawn. There’s something for everyone here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m inspired by so many people and things. The moment I open my eyes in the morning, my brain starts observing and taking notes. I’d love to shoutout my friends, they’re all incredibly inspiring. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of amazing artists and everything from our conversations, to the art we share is a blessing to be a part of. I also owe a lot to my family, specifically to Anna, Jamison, Kelly, and my Grandad Charles. They’ve always been encouraging and supportive of my art. Currently, I’m inspired by this film directed by Katsuhito Ishii, it’s called “The Taste of Tea.”

Website: https://www.dakotahwhiting.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dakwhitingphotography/

Image Credits
Dakotah Whiting Photography