Seventeen year old rising photographer, Arielle Dettmer, shares her experience as a professional dancer and how she turned a creative self-care outlet into a career path.

HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD OF COMPETITIVE DANCE?

I entered the world of dance at age 2 and started dancing competitively at 7. I was signed with an agent at age 10, worked in a few commercials, and toured in a musical with Debbie Allen. It was crazy. Unfortunately, I quickly noticed how the industry tends to put people in boxes. When you’re looking for dance gigs, your appearance is constantly being judged.

I’m multi-ethnic — Thai, German, Jewish, African American, and Indian. I remember being told that I often didn’t fit the look or didn’t have the right ethnicity for a dance gig. It definitely took a toll on my mental health and self-esteem.

After years of experiencing judgement based on my look, I started feeling anxiety and had to get out of the professional industry. It took me some time to heal from that experience. Now, I see dance as a form of self-care and therapy. When I can’t find the words, I just dance. I enjoy expressing myself through movement when words just don’t work.

HOW DID YOU TURN YOUR PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY INTO A CAREER PATH?

When I was 7, my dad bought me a tiny purple camera, and I just remember falling in love with filmmaking and photography. It wasn’t until I turned 13 that I bought my first professional camera - a Sony A6000. It was around that time that I was distant from dance. When I fell out of love for dance, I started using photography as a form of self-care and therapy.

On my 16th birthday, all of my photography gear (point & shoot camera, film camera, camera lenses, etc.) got stolen from my car. It ended up being a blessing in disguise, because with the insurance money, I was able to invest in a better quality camera.

I would say that was a major turning point in my photography career. My camera quality changed, I started developing my own style, and got the attention of close friends. I would get hired to do a few gigs here and there. Eventually I was getting a few requests per week. That’s when I decided to make my business, Shots by Arielle, official.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF BEING YOUR OWN BOSS?

Deciding how much to charge people. I remember my first photoshoot was severely underpriced. I ended up shooting for 6 hours, gave the client 500 edited pictures, and was like - oh gosh, I’m selling myself short. It’s definitely a learning process and I’m still trying to figure out how much my work and time is worth to people.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST EXCITING CAREER HIGHLIGHT SO FAR?

Probably landing my current job. After my family endured some financial difficulties, I was set on contributing to my family’s financial wellbeing. I knew it was a reach, but I remember taking the leap of faith and emailing Break The Floors, an established dance convention company, about a job opportunity. Soon after, I had a phone interview, an in-person meeting, and was eventually hired on the team. I still can’t believe I get to combine my two passions for dance and photography. It’s honestly a dream come true.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU?

I’m starting at Chapman in the fall, where I plan on double majoring in Dance and Health Science, and possibly a minor in Physics or Film.

One path is to pursue a master’s in dance science at Trinity Laban in London. As someone who’s endured countless bodily injuries (broken ankle, back arthritis, knee complications),I plan to enter the medical field as an orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist. Also, I would love to shoot for Teen Vogue one day, and continue growing my photography business.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS?

The best thing I ever heard was from John Waters — A ‘no’ is free.

This quote reminds me that a ‘no’ has no weight and shouldn’t hold me back. Every no is a step closer to where I should be. With that, I encourage aspiring photographers to take risks. Take every opportunity you get to create. At the end of the day, you’ll never know what you’re capable of accomplishing if you never take a risk.