06/30/2026
Last week I turned 38, and I realized it’s probably been way too long
since I’ve actually shown my face around here, so hey? 😜
I’m Dayna. The heart, the hustle, and the actual human behind Dayna Mae Photography
I’d love to tell you I’m keeping up with the ever-changing social media algorithms, but the truth is, my clients find me through real
conversations, genuine connections, and referrals. If that’s an
algorithm… it’s my favorite one.
Twenty years ago, when I started Dayna Mae
Photography with a fresh degree, I remember adding a couple years to my age whenever people asked how old I was (especially while shooting weddings. And yes… people asked.) As if my height wasn’t a dead giveaway. I was convinced no one would trust a teenager to
photograph one of the biggest days of their lives.
Fast forward twenty years… and I still get asked if I’m old enough to drive, just less often because . Apparently my height hasn’t changed much—only my love for what I
create and the friendships I’ve made along the way.
(Yes, I am still old enough to drive. And no, I don’t need a booster seat… yet.)
Truth be told, I’m not the same girl who started this business.
Not even close.
I’m a wife to my high school sweetheart, a mama to four crazy, beautiful kids (one still in diapers, one starting kindergarten this fall, and two
in elementary school), and somewhere between the trenches and the beauty of motherhood, I realized photographs were never really about perfect smiles.
They’re about slowing down time.
Motherhood changed that for me.
Now, the little things wreck me in the best way.
Tiny hands reaching for yours.
The way your dad looks at you walking down the aisle.
The missing front teeth.
Wrinkly newborn toes.
Grandma laughing so hard she snorts.
The moments you never would’ve thought to pin on a Pinterest board.
(And while we’re at it… shameless disclaimer: please don’t send me a Pinterest board full of poses. I might actually cry.)
Because I don’t create poses.
I chase them.
Through real connection. Real interaction. And, more often than not, making a complete fool of myself to get the genuine laugh you’re hoping
for.
A few completely unrelated facts…
I can demolish an entire bag of Mamba chews or Peanut M&M’s without a shred of guilt.
I will probably cry during your vows.
My photographer superpower is making people who “hate having their picture taken” forget there’s even a camera there.
I’m not the cheapest photographer around.
But I am incredibly loyal.
I’ve watched clients go from surprise proposals… to weddings… to babies… and this year, some of the newborns I photographed are now seniors.
How is that even possible?
If you’ve trusted me with your story over the last twenty years… thank you.
Truly.
And if you’re new here, I’d love to get to know you!
Tell me… how did you find my page? Or, if we’ve known each other for years, tell me when we first met. I have a feeling some of these answers
are going to make me feel really old.
Here’s to 38.
Still short.
Still chasing light.
No longer adding years to my age
And still believing the best photographs are the ones that make you feel something twenty years from now. Xox Dayna Mae
