Growing up, most of my days were spent wandering around in a vintage, Olive Green Maverick + watching “Bob Ross” with my great-grandma. If I wasn’t joy riding with her, I was visiting my Nana in the Pocono mountains, willfully inheriting her love of taking pictures. I remember 10 year old me dropping off my 35mm film at the local drugstore so anxious to have it developed. Remember those little envelopes you’d have to print your name on + drop in the box? Crazy how times have changed. The anticipation of printing my photos excited me at such a young age and growing up with my grandmothers made me the old soul I am today.

Fast forward to adulthood, it was 2009 and my first baby had just turned two. We were off to our next adventure, this time to spend an amazing couple months in Lanikai Beach, Hawaii where my cousin lived. My mom gifted me a camera before we left. I started sharing photos from our trip on social media and realized how much I enjoyed taking pics and how family + friends were encouraging my talent. The ocean in Lanikai is so crystal clear, the sunsets, like a painting. It’s like it’s own little paradise. It was a for sure ‘high-light of my life’ kind of adventure. I hope everyone can experience Hawaii at least once!

In 2015, I came up with the name of my business. Originally, "The Mini Maverick” was inspired by my great-grandma I talked about a few paragraphs up. I knew whatever I did, I wanted her to be a part of it. So, her little Olive Green Maverick represented that for me. “Mini” was established when the first thing I thought of was my daughter. After several years in business, I decided to change my business name to something that reflects me a little more as a travel photographer. I also wanted to incorporate my love for videography, rediscovering my love for a film camera + traveling. Thus, the birth of Wandering Maverick, Photo + Film.

Videography is such a special aspect of the art of capturing people’s most important stories and makes you feel as if you’re right there in that moment with them. I love creating short film clips and mixing it up with music, creating a whole vibe to bring a session to life and provide an extra special memory to my clients. They rave over the little reels we produce from their sessions and I truly just enjoy creating it. I also love shooting on my 35mm vintage Canon film camera. You can’t beat those nostalgic, classic prints it produces.

I grew up in Hendersonville before moving to Nashville after I graduated high school. These days, home for my little family is a small town South of Nashville. I’m a full time, single mom of two amazingly beautiful girls. I stay knee deep in art projects, school events, soccer games, guitar, cheerleading, or anything else they have going on. I’m a huge music lover and come from a very musical family. We love going to concerts, listening to live music, writers nights + music festivals. My first job was at the Grand Ole Opry. I fell in love with traditional country music and the sound of the steel guitar and for years. As a teenager, I spent most every weekend on the side of the stage watching the Fri + Sat night Opry. I was also a music booking agent when I lived in Nashville and hosted a monthly writers night called “Live in the Living Room”. I love singing + everything about music as much as I love photography. I’m also an overly enthusiastic plant + holistic kind of mom and enjoy tending to my plant babes, my flower garden and making all things natural + straight from Mother Nature. Someday soon, I aspire to live on a farm, live a simple, homestead lifestyle and have lots of animals.

things I really love >> Jesus, dolly, turquoise, horses, the mountains, camping, my country, art, 90’s country music, painting, the airport when it’s calm, unique greenhouses, coffee shops, flower fields, road trips, Friends, sunsets & sunrises, afternoon naps, pilates and going to the gym

I love to write so if you took the time to read this little highlight, thanks!

I look forward to having you in front of my lens + creating something beautiful for you

God bless, Dana