Hi, I’m Dana!

 

I’m a photographer, artist and educator based in Portland, Oregon, with a deep love for beautiful light, honest emotion, travel and the stories found in everyday life.

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For more than 20 years, photography has taken me places I never imagined, both around the world and within myself. I’m an award-winning artist and National Geographic Your Shot photographer, with work published by National Geographic, Canon, Lensbaby, Click Magazine and Red Tricycle, among others.

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Teaching has also been a huge part of my journey. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching and speaking at photography conferences, leading workshops and courses, mentoring photographers, authoring three photography courses, and traveling around the world with photographers through my Discover Your Light retreats.

 

Helping other artists grow in their craft, recognize their own creative voice and create work that feels meaningful to them is one of the things I love most about what I do.

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I have expressed myself through art since I was a little girl and I believe we all have an artist within us. I’m inspired by the way light, emotion and connection can transform an ordinary moment into something we want to remember forever.

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That philosophy carries into every part of my work. When I’m teaching, I want to help you see differently, trust yourself and create photographs that feel unmistakably your own. When you’re in front of my camera, I want to capture the connection, beauty and honest moments that tell the story of who you are.

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I’m also a mother of five, a traveler and a storyteller who believes deeply in the power of art to connect us to each other and to ourselves.

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Whether I’m photographing your story or helping you learn to tell your own, I hope you leave our time together seeing more beauty, both in yourself and in the world around you.