Wainer states that a model’s job is much more than standing in front of a camera attempting to be aesthetically appealing. It seems as if each job is honing some sort of skill or attribute in an attempt to keep one’s self well rounded. Dan grew up in an athletic family and sports have always been something in which he immersed himself. A welcome side effect is that this keeps you healthier than a sedentary lifestyle. Professionally, it allows him to maintain a physique that is appealing to the vast majority of clients. What he didn’t expect is that when he was hired for an Adidas campaign he’d take part in a parent by proxy scenario. Wainer has worked with celebrated photographer Ivan Berger (on ad campaigns and covers for Men’s Health magazine) so he felt he knew exactly what to expect on set. Working with an adolescent male model, appearing as a coach/mentor/father figure was a chance for Dan to spend some male bonding time tutoring the youth on some sports instruction. He found the experience of working with a younger professional quite rewarding, even inspiring. He relates, “Children have one incredible thing that the most of us have already lost; the truth within themselves during the photos or movies. They sincerely believe in what they are doing, 100%. You can see this truth in their eyes. But on the other hand, they are more dispersed and when they no longer want to be there taking photos or recording videos, it’s almost impossible to continue. This is the good part of working with older people who take work as a job and have more responsibility. However, kids are more fun and always speak the truth. Ha!” As a thorough sports enthusiast, Dan easily recalls the days as a boy himself he would look at these advertisements for Adidas shoes and admire the people wearing them in the photos. It’s somewhat surreal for him to see that he has now become that very person.
Sometimes a model’s best friend is a photographer. In addition to making you look great, a photographer can help one land some very cool jobs. The comradery is thick between Wainer and the aforementioned Berger. When Ivan envisioned (what would become) his internationally award-winning series “Urban Heroes”, he invited Dan to be the first model he filmed for the project. Basing his concept on Sin City (the 2005 Frank Miller film), Wainer appears as a somewhat larger than life yet real life urban gumshoe who is poised for action and crime solving. The poses which Ivan envisioned and Dan enacted have every bit the feel of the film and graphic novel; motion hesitating in its artistic dimension. Recreating the feel and look of this stylized film was a treat for Berger and model alike, as did the photography world.
Receiving the attention of one of the most celebrated women’s magazines would be a feather in the cap of any man. Nova Cosmopolitan chooses twelve men each year, chosen the “Gatos da Nova". These are the best models of the year chosen by the magazine and the readers. Nova Cosmopolitan has a readership of 772,000, with almost 100k distributed throughout Brazil. When the publication selected Wainer as one of the “Gatos de Nova” it vetted him as one of the most exciting and sought after male models in the country. Photographer Caio Mello had originally intended to shoot photos of Dan in a furniture shop but when he arrived on his motorcycle early to the shoot, inspiration struck. Dan’s inclusion in the magazine’s “Gatos da Nova" was in recognition for his years of noted and successful work (appearing on the cover of Men’s Health a number of times, as James Bond in a Playboy editorial celebrating the film character, and numerous successful advertising campaigns). As so often happens with Wainer, his photos in Nova Cosmopolitan led to more work and greater notoriety. Dan credits the shoots director Maina Helena Falavigna for some of the success stating, “I had been having a very good year professionally with a number of well received editorials. Even so, it’s very important to know what the readership of a magazine is inclined towards. Maina always brought me the feedback from the women readers and gave me exactly what I needed for the photo shoot (which was the subject matter, what kind of looks, etc). It was a pleasure to work with her. The day was always full of laughter and jokes. We really enjoy each other's work and company.” This tendency to steer the praise towards those he works with belies that attention and constant recognition Dan publicly receives for his work. He admits that he has sacrificed a bit of his privacy for his career but it’s worth the price to show up each day anew and tackle a new hurdle alongside those you admire and appreciate.