Meet Laura Dante

We were lucky to catch up with Laura Dante recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?

When I was a little girl, my father always taught me things by letting me try my way first. Wether I succeeded or failed miserably, he was always there to back me up and help me learn. He taught me how to do most things I love today as an adult. At age 11 I told him I wanted to learn photography. He was always documenting our lives with one of his cameras or camcorders, as he was a photographer/videographer in the Air Force. We would go on photo walks, talk about the light and shadow, composition and subjects. He and I spent the better portion of years leading to college practicing the basics. On my first day of college, Eckerd College, he put in front of me a metal case. As he opened it, he said, “If you want to be a photographer, kid, learn how to use this.” Inside was a Speed Graphic 4×5. Something I had only seen in the photography books I had read and a camera completely different than the 35mm Rolleiflex rangefinder I had become so comfortable with. This was the real deal. The look of pride in his eyes at that moment told me I was ready to do this on my own, to learn my way without his ever present safety net. It was my time to shine and to prove I could make this my life. And I’ve never looked back.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I have been a photographer over half of my life. My career has traveled many avenues and I am happy to say I am still searching for new paths. I graduated from Savannah College Of Art and Design and immediately started working with Joyce Tenneson in New York City, a world renowned portrait photographer. With her I was able to learn the industry and understand the “ladder” in this business. I was ready to see what I could make of myself and found work with Doyle New York. At Doyle, a major NYC auction house, I honed my studio skills as an in-house photographer. I learned how to shoot EVERYTHING. Rare art and antiques, jewelry, flat works, silver sets, the list goes on. I also learned how to photograph interiors when a major estate came up for sale. When my time with them had run its course, VHT Studios scooped me up and I began to shoot real estate with them. I shot nearly 3000 properties around the city and became very comfortable in the world of interiors. A relocation to Florida, one wedding, and dreams of starting a family in the near future, I built my business here in the Tampa Bay area. I transitioned to shooting commercial interiors and am working with one of the top global hospitality marketing groups. I have been working with them for over 10 years and have managed build a comfortable local clientele in tandem. But, with all of this experience in the commercial advertising world, I am still making moves to enhance my creative outlets. Enter Chrome Focus Media – A motorcycle photography concept. I have big plans for this company and as I gain traction while doing all my other work, the ideas keep flowing. I want to focus on female riders and all the rad things we do, the motorcycles we ride and how they reflect our personalities. It’s just the beginning and I can’t wait to see where this takes me.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

With motorcycles, it’s saddle time/learning to wrench/riding your own ride. With cooking it’s time with the knife/experimentation & fearlessness/pallet refinement. With photography it’s time behind the lens, understanding the basics & shooting in manual, and critique. One has to be open to understanding what is pleasing, not only to your own eye, but to those who view your work. Taking photography classes was such a huge part of my education. Not just at art school, but local classes wether online or at your local community art center! Get your work out there, let others help you understand where you can improve, how you could have seen differently to make that perfect composition come to life and tell your story within the 4 corners you’re given. Learning the basics of light and exposure is paramount. Being film trained is one of my biggest assets. We didn’t have the option to shoot a hundred frames and hope that one came out decent. We made every one of those 24 little rectangles count. I carry those thoughts with me on every shoot to this day.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Motorcycle people to the front! I want to show my passion for this community in every way possible. I can shoot you and your ride on the road or in a style that is more stationary like a portrait. As I am on the precipice of this journey, I am hoping that with more content on my socials, people will start to see my passion for riding through my photography. Search me up on Instagram or TikTok, @Chromefocusmedia to schedule a “sled-shesh” in the Tampa Bay area!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lauradante.com
• Instagram: chromefocusmedia
• Other: TikTok
  @Chromefocusmedia