Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Dani is an adventure and travel photographer and blogger. Starting on April 1st, she and her partner Scott will be living out of a campervan and traveling across the United States seeking adventure.
During college, Dani “was introduced to hiking by a few friends looking to pick up a new hobby. What turned into weekend outings developed into an obsession! I couldn’t get enough of hiking. The more I explored, the more I wanted to document my experiences, which eventually lead me to pick up my camera again.”
As a photographer and frequent traveler, she chooses to savor the moment in time. She said, “often when I explore a new place, I am faced with the challenge of putting my camera down and simply taking in every part of a view. I want my followers to see my work and feel that rush of joy that comes from viewing a place for the first time.”
As she has pursued a career as a photographer, she understands the simple pleasures of life, and it her work is a testament to her dedication. She says, “If my work doesn’t encourage others to place value on experiences over possessions, then I’m not doing my job as a photographer!”
Dani has a relentless spirit for adventure, founding the women’s adventure group Mountain Chicks and her travel blog, Dani the Explorer. Ready to hit the open road in April, she is optimistic about her long-term travel plans. She continues, “I couldn’t be more excited to jump into the unknown.” She asks her followers on Instagram, “Hands up if you’re ready for a new adventure.”
Welcome Dani! So, first of all, correct me if I am wrong but you are currently building a van! That sounds like a fun and exciting experience! I guess that you are planning a long-term road trip?
Yes! I am currently building a campervan with my partner Scott. We have always wanted to do a long-term trip, and it started to simply align in 2019! Our plan is to travel around North America for at least a year. We will be living out of it for at least a year. I can’t wait to see where the open road takes us. We’re leaving our apartment and everything else behind on April 1st, 2019 and don’t plan on turning back!
Taking a look to your photography one can easily think that you are a huge fan of both camping and hiking. Where does your passion for the wild comes from and what it is that you enjoy so much being surrounded by nature?
I actually used to despise the outdoors! I grew up in Chicago to a family of city-slickers. In 2006, we moved to Arizona to escape the cold, Midwest weather. The first thing my family did was take a camping trip to the Grand Canyon. In city-slicker fashion, we slept on air mattresses and used the fanciest camping gear we could find. I remember wanting to go home every minute of that trip. Fast forward to my college days and I was introduced to hiking by a few friends looking to pick up a new hobby. What turned into weekend outings developed into an obsession!
You are currently photographing a lot of landscapes. In addition, self-portraits also dominate your Instagram feed. What emotions do you want to convey with your visual stories?
I want my followers to explore with intention. Often when I explore a new place, I am faced with the challenge of putting my camera down and simply taking in every part of a view. I want my followers to see my work and feel that rush of joy that comes from viewing a place for the first time. If my work doesn’t encourage others to place value on experiences over possessions, then I’m not doing my job as a photographer!
You have been traveling with your partner for a while now, right? It is easier to have someone to rely on when you are on the road constantly? In your opinion, sharing the same path with someone special adds more to the overall experience of traveling?
Scott and I have been together going on three years now and living out of the van will be the first time we are able to travel together non-stop! He will be leaving his job to also take on photography full time. Before the van, I would travel with fellow photographers I met on Instagram (sounds strange when you say that aloud). I’ve pretty much learned that whether it’s with Scott or friends, I don’t think I could ever do solo travel. I am simply too social! But to your question, yes! Sharing the same path with someone makes this life of full-time travel so much easier. It is easy to get burnt out and forget to enjoy the places you intend on capturing for others to see later.
In one of your captions you describe your adventure to Machu Picchu. This is a bucket list destination for many of us! In your opinion, what makes Machu Picchu so special? Why are you looking forward to get back there?
When you look at how vast Machu Picchu is, you feel a huge rush of energy! I can’t believe Incas built that magnificent structure thousands of years ago. I want to go back to Peru in general! I am really hoping to get to Patagonia this year too. I feel like South America has so many hidden gems, history, and jaw-dropping views that I have to make an effort to explore more.
In your opinion, what makes Machu Picchu so special? Why are you looking forward to get back there?
When you look at how vast Machu Picchu is, you feel a huge rush of energy! I can’t believe Incas built that magnificent structure thousands of years ago. I want to go back to Peru in general! I am really hoping to get to Patagonia this year too. I feel like South America has so many hidden gems, history, and jaw-dropping views that I have to make an effort to explore more.
For all those women around the world trying to build an audience in social media. What three advices would you give them?
My first piece of advice is to know your brand. Do you want to be a foodie? Then you need to create the best food content we have ever seen. Love traveling? Then you need to travel! Once you know your brand, it is so much easier to create content that revolves around that, and the followers will come!
Second: get personal. You need to let your followers in and show them that there is a person behind the screen! Your followers want to follow a personality.
Third, stop comparing yourself! With so many other female travelers out there, I know I can sometimes get caught in a comparison loop. You can’t do that! Rather than compare yourself, ask yourself what you admire about that person and how you can incorporate what they’re doing into your own brand. Time is so precious when it comes to building our business and living our lives. We can’t waste it on trivial thoughts.
Waking up early can be quite challenging for many of us. Yet, if you are into landscape photography it is essential to be ready before sunset. Have you been able to find joy in those early moments of the day? What is the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen?
Haha! This is all very true. I find that I thrive on routine, so I tend to save those early moments for myself rather than photo. I like to wake up, journal, mediate and work out. Doing so early in the day helps me set the mood and gives me so much joy! Now, shooting at sunset and golden hour is my favorite! I tend to see the best sunsets in Arizona. AZ is so open that you get the most incredible orange and yellow colors in the sky.
In three years, you have been able to build a powerful brand. What is the thing most of us didn’t see along your social media journey?
I don’t talk about this much because sometimes I feel embarrassed by it, but I was unexpectedly let go from my first job out of college! During that time, I had already started to build a social media audience and figured I should give the influencer thing a try. I dove deep into my brand and started reaching out to potential photography clients so I could build up my portfolio. Most don’t see the amount of grit that goes into this type of business. I would wake up, put in 12 hour days to pitch clients, blog, edit photos and continuously make myself better. Before I knew it, my hard work started paying off! I was able to sustain myself as an influencer and photographer, and couldn’t be happier with where my career is today.
What is most valuable personal lesson you have learned traveling?
The biggest lesson I have learned from traveling is to be patient. I am such a planner and sometimes have a hard time going with the flow. When you are traveling, you can’t always plan for bad weather or last-minute plan changes.
Imagine yourself at the beginning of your professional career as a photographer. What advice would you give to yourself?
I would tell myself to keep going. There were definitely times when I wanted to quit because I felt as though things were moving to slow. The world does not work at our pace! You need to put your hours in to accomplish anything. I would tell myself to think for the future and focus on what you can do today to make your dreams happen. The hours we spend thinking negatively and complaining, are hours we’re wasting making our dreams come true!
Is there any artist/photographer who has inspired your art? Can you name three?
For me, I would say I am incredibly inspired by fellow female photographers. There are not many females killing the adventure photographer influencer game, and I think that’s simply because there are currently more males in this occupation! I can think of two female artists who inspire me: Christian Schaffer (@christianschaffer) and Renee Hahnel (@reneeroaming). I love the unique perspective each of these women capture when they’re out exploring. I would say that both of them evoke the same emotions in their work that I aspire to evoke in my own. Everything they create is super clean and flawless.
Any new projects coming up or countries you will be visiting soon?
As of right now, the van is the biggest project I have going on. On April 1st, we will be setting off for the open road! I feel like I have to find a way to pack my entire life into a tiny van, and that kind of scares me! However, I couldn’t be more excited to jump into the unknown.
“Stay curious and motivated. But don’t try to find motivation only in photography looking at other photographers’ work. There are many sources of inspiration such as music or movies for instance.”
“The sun shone and I turned off my emails and shot a lot of analogue work. It was so refreshing to reset and remind myself why I do what I do.”
“If you really like photography and it makes you happy – do it. Even though people might wonder or tell you that you will never be a good photographer, in whatever genre, that you should maybe look for another hobby that suits your physical abilities better, show them that they are wrong.”
“I think there is nothing more beautiful than sharing feelings, thoughts, and impressions. It doesn’t matter whether I can share it with my travel partner or later with family and friends viewing my photos.”
Ivar Eythorsson Landscape photographer based in Iceland Introducing Ivar Eythorsson Ivar Eythorsson was born and raised in one of the
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