Meet Dania Cueto | Published, Award Winning, Safety Certified Professional Photographer

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

Hi Dania, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Initially I had no intentions of starting my own photogaphy business. Being a stay at home, home schooling mom of 4 kids, who were all in privatized sports, we couldn’t afford the high dollar CD from every competition, meet, game, or recital. So what started out as a way for me to capture my own kids, became a passion! Soon I had friends asking if we would capture their weddings. Not sure of what to do, or how, we risked it. First three weddings were portfolio builders, and from there, I found that I loved photography. Although weddings were not the genre that I wanted to work in, it is what got me started. Going back for my certificate as a professional photographer, I decided that my passion was where I had originally started my college career out of high school, BABIES! Using the income from the weddings, I took the courses, workshops, safety classes, safety certifications etc in order to work with the precious gems I adore, and work with solely today. Six years into the business, I started my classes for the genre of Maternity, Newborn, through One Year Cake Smash, and in 2019, I switched genres altoghether, leaving weddings, family, seniors, and mini sessions behind!
As we move forward in the industry, we shift focus too. While I will always remain capturing maternity, newborn through 1 year, we currently have a new piece of equipment (my husband is an engineer) that will revolutionize the newborn workflow. We’ve been working on it for over a year, 2 engineers, countless hours, safety tests will be done in the next 2 weeks, functionality once it passes safety, and reveals to the industry. So excited to not only be a huge part of this industry, but to also leave my mark in it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Nothing in life that is worth having, is easy. And being an entrepeneur is no different! We never rest, always working.
One thing I really love about the genre that I am working in, is that no matter what happens, I am capturing the most precious gems, and parents always love them. Baby is crying, no worries, mom loves that face as it wont always be so cute as it screams. Baby is awake and refuses to sleep, no worries, mom loves that they can see babies eyes. I am taking every clients story and turning it into legacy to be remembered for generations to come! (Think Coco the movie.) My business model is slightly different than most. I LOVE that I have the option to create a business that is unique to the industry. I am a full service photographer, so I cater to my client, making sure that EVERY image that they have is a generation heirloom piece that they will cherish for a lifetime and beyond (passing it down). Every client walks away with their own special piece of history, printed for their walls. They are never left to second guess the crazy print world. With that said, that is the biggest challenge I have today. Everyone is so used to digital images, they think this is what they want. But that USB doesn’t do show off those images very well hanging on the wall. Digital formats have changed so many times over the years, the only way to guarantee that you won’t lose your precious memories, is to have them printed. Educating clients on this has been the biggest challenge in making this model work. One thing I assure all of my clients, once they place an order, I will hold their digital files for life, so that IF something happens on their end, they will never lose those memories. This is at no additional charge to archive their images. My brand is all about luxury. I will take care of YOU, the client, from start to finish.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My best friend is my husband and we do a lot together. Constantly traveling for his work, I go with him as much as possible. Every week we go ballroom dancing and dinner for our date nights, and after 24 years, we are still very much in love. With all of that said, my absolute FAVORITE place to be is the beach! Eat and drink anything that can be ingested at the beach (not fish, ew). I am definitely a mermaid from a previous life, the water calls to me. I cry every time I have to leave it. It is the only place I want to ‘hang out’ with my best friend for all of time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My success is literally due to my husband, Walter Cueto. He has always been so supportive of all the different things I have done in my life. Whether business or personal, didn’t matter, he has always been there to push me in that endeavor. While weddings were the bread and butter, he even worked with me as a second shooter! He never complained about any of the long hours, the standing, rushing, or the pressure of getting just the right shot. So when I wanted to change genres, he was equally supportive in that. Many times providing the extra funds to make sure that I had what I needed to make it happen.

Website: https://www.oncuephotographyus.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oncuephotographyus

Other: TikTok: @oncuephotographyus

Image Credits
Credit: On Cue Photography, Photographer, Dania Cueto