Meet Dane Mui

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dane Mui.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Dane. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I loved playing sports. I played high school basketball through my senior year and it was through this that I developed the personal belief that I could become great at anything I put my mind towards as long as I put in the effort to improve. When my basketball career ended, I looked for a new passion to dedicate my time to. Photography genes ran in my family as my great grandfather, Francis Wu, was a very prominent photographer in Hong Kong and my father, Pete Mui, is a skilled portrait and lifestyle photographer in Hawaii. Interested in photography and videography, I applied my belief that I could become great at creative visual content if I put in the time and effort to improve. I started filming and taking pictures with my phone and a GoPro documenting my life as a graduating senior in high school. I began seeking out adventures and scenic views to capture and met many like-minded creative people that helped develop my skills.

Entering college at University of San Diego, I set out to experience all that this new and exciting city had to offer, all while bringing my camera everywhere. By my sophomore year, I had sharpened my skills enough to be offered an opportunity to be a travel photographer and videographer with a social media influencer and fellow travel content creator, Daniel Del Carmen. I remember taking my last final exam of the year and immediately getting on a flight halfway across the world. I would spend the next month traveling through the Philippines, Guam and Japan. This time made me realize that the world is so incredibly diverse and beautiful. I also realized that being young and in college may be the best time in my entire life to experience it. Around this time, I won an international photo contest hosted by luxury brand, Montblanc. They invited me to their headquarters in Hamburg, Germany to receive my prize and tour their production facilities. This worked out conveniently, as I was already supposed to be in Hamburg to embark on my semester abroad program: Semester at Sea.

For the next four months, I sailed to 11 different countries on four different continents, all while taking classes and documenting my experiences via photography and videography. This time really sharpened my skills in travel photography and videography and served as a good portion of my portfolio. Along with this, I learned about cultures that differ from mine and gained a global perspective.

I continued my pursuit to see the world in my remaining time in college and graduated having visited 17 different countries in sophomore-senior year (not to mention many repeats such as Japan 3x, The Bahamas 3x, China 2x, Canada 2x). Having graduated with a degree in Marketing and International Business, I hope to pair my diverse travel experiences with the knowledge I picked up in the classroom.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
With the prevalence of social media and abundance of talented creators, I used to compare my skills to others. This would often leave me discouraged. It took me some time to accept and realize that others may be in different stages in their careers and to not compare myself to them. Instead, if I felt jealous of someone’s skill or experiences, I began using that as motivation to get to that point. I realized that it was wrong to have a competitive perspective but know that there’s room for success for everyone. I think that it’s also important to realize that everyone’s different and to be grateful for what I have accomplished and experienced.

Another challenge was the introduction of COVID-19 to the world. While travel was not an option anymore, it forced me to get creative in shooting photos and videos locally and from home. It also prevented a lot of collaborations with other friends and creators due to stay at home mandates and social distancing. I used this time to refine my portfolio and I also dove into a new medium of clothing design. I’ve always had an interest in the fashion industry and decided to design, produce and sell a limited run of sweatshirts under the brand, “Youthful Thinking.”

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
While I don’t have an actual production company or business that I run, I enjoy telling stories in a creative way. Whether they are mine, friends, or freelance clients, I strive for a high level of visuals to match a story. I specialize in capturing travel content both in photography and videography. I believe that my eye for unique compositions and my attitude to say yes to all opportunities that come my way are my best strengths.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Thank you to all my friends in the creative space that continues to push the bar to the next level and motivate me to improve.

Thanks to Daniel Del Carmen for giving me the opportunity to travel with him and open my eyes to how beautiful and diverse the world is.

Last and most importantly, I have to thank my parents for the endless support. My dad inspired me to first pick up a camera and taught me how to use it. And thanks to my mom for allowing me to travel around the world and trusting, I would make it back home in one piece.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://daneo34.wixsite.com/danemui
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dane.mui
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js8GNVrX4BU

Image Credit:
Daniel Del Carmen, Lexie Michel

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