Dustin started his career as a Cinematographer by shooting live events and commercials after becoming a professional photographer in 2001 and finishing his Bachelors Degree at Cal State Fullerton in film production. While trying out directing and editing during college, Dustin always found himself drawn to the camera. The driving force of Dustin becoming a cinematographer was Wally Pfister's work on The Prestige: "After watching the artistry in The Prestige, I knew exactly what my calling was... Cinematography."
Being an engineer, Dustin quickly found better ways to build and invent camera rigs by utilizing undocumented tools and workflows. "I'm always looking for a better or faster way to do something – I'm really a perfectionist. I constantly evaluate my surroundings and find ways to do things better." He adopted the nickname "MacGyver" from several peers because of his ability to always find a way to fix or build something to get the job done.
Today, Dustin is still influenced by Pfister, Deakins, Libatique and several other Cinematographers. And when looking for new ideas to bring onto a project, painters such as Caravaggio and Vermeer light the way for his creativity. "Oil Painting was one of the best classes for me. These painters' [Caravaggio] amazing use of light always makes me think of new ways to shape a scene." As for camera and format choices, Dustin believes in one theory: "It's not the type of camera or format that makes the film, it's how you use it to deliver a story."
