By Harper Haase
Cameron Dever wears big, square glasses that come down past her cheeks and a smile that not even the bitterest of people could mistake as ingenuine. When she answers our facetime call she’s with her husband, Nathan, who says a quick hello before she settles down to talk in her cozy house in Provo, Utah. Her photography speaks for itself through honesty and emotion. Each image captures a moment–a flick–of something so real it may have been tangible yet so small it’s nearly invisible. “I’ve always had an immense desire to express how beautiful I found things that a lot of people didn’t really see,” she shares in our interview. It’s clear that she cares about what she captures, but Dever’s attention to her subjects starts long before the shoot does. A close relationship with her clients is crucial to Dever’s process– partially because it eases their nerves in front of the camera and mainly because she loves getting to know people and learning new stories. Dever has a deep love for humanity that surfaces easily when she talks about people.
Family and friends seem to intertwine in Dever’s life, each doubling as one another. Love is a driving force in her career, her approach to life and her relationships. Cameron’s love comes in the form of empathy, but she can’t decide if it’s a weakness or a strength (as many can’t about their superpowers). Empathy is part of her language; her photography speaks loudest when she can mesh her subject with herself, feeling their emotions in her own body and translating them through a camera lens. “Because they can’t take the photos for themselves, it’s me trying to translate those feelings,” she says thoughtfully. “Being an empath helps with that.” Simultaneously, understanding others feelings while struggling with self consciousness creates an inner battle—it’s the perfect recipe for self doubt and insecurity.
Confidence does not come easily to this humble artist. Dever has always posted on social media as if she has a million fans, but when I mention it she breaks into an innocent fit of giggles. “It’s so funny you say that,” she says, “because I’ve never felt confident in that way in my life … I’ll just be posting and hoping to God that someone likes it.” She holds herself with dignity and confidence in our conversation, but small fizzles of insecurity escape the facade when she talks for too long or forgets the question. “I’ve always felt like–” a brief interruption by Nathan followed by laughter– “like I am not good enough, [and had] a ‘who am I kidding’ mindset” she tells me confidently. Instead of letting it get the best of her, Cameron goes ahead and posts anyway.
TikTok was a special challenge on this front; following trends and trying for likes felt silly at first. Even now she talks about it through laughter, repeating “it’s so silly.” Her opinion on the app is mixed: While it brings great things like new clients, more exposure and an Insider article, she doesn’t enjoy producing TikTok content like she enjoys posting on Instagram. In some sense, the awkwardness of posting something with no likes has taught her “to post and put content out and not really care how it does … It’s just luck,” she says. TikTok somewhat forced her into becoming a confident poster, something that’s translated into her instagram posts as well.
Cameron challenges the “Instagram perfect” facade of today’s culture by curating a space for authenticity and honestly on her page. Nerve wracking at first, Dever has come to love connecting by sharing personal stories. This approach to social media was inspired by a talk from Chris Burkard where he shared that a good caption can add a lot to an image. A writer herself, Cameron found that putting longer, more honest captions came easily. “I didn’t realize the power that words had until I started doing that, and I’ve had such a positive response.” The feedback she receives on these posts validate and encourage her, and it’s clear she is immensely thankful for the support of her friends and family.
Dever approaches life with a wide open heart; here to give all and expect nothing. It’s easy to tell she loves people—She loves loving them, showing her love, capturing their love and sharing life with them. Her photography is artistic, skillful, emotive, and nuanced with small moments that remind us of the beauty that’s already there. A heart like hers is a rare find and those who know her best don’t take it for granted.
Follow Cameron
IG: @camdever
Website: https://www.camerondever.com/
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