about me

 

I’m Dan, a Los Angeles native based in Milan, Italy where I live with my high school sweetheart and our son, Max. 

My adventure into the world of photography began as a means to pay the bills while pursuing my studies in fine art. I started my career in photojournalism, working for a local newspaper, and after my time there I was referred to something truly magical—weddings. These were events that resonated deeply with people, where emotions ran high, and love took center stage. I was hooked!

Being a native english speaker living in Italy, I specialize in destination weddings for couples from around the world. My images have been described as authentic, emotional, romantic, and cinematic. I thrive on making genuine connections with my couples, guiding them to look their best, and capturing the sincere love and affection they share.

My passion lies in the ability to transform real-life moments into artistic treasures that will be cherished for generations. Weddings, in particular, offer a unique canvas for storytelling. They encompass the full spectrum of photography genres—from capturing candid, photojournalistic moments to crafting artistic still-life details, from dynamic dance floor action shots to fashion-inspired bridal portraits. It's the creative challenge and the emotional depth of weddings that drive my love for this craft even after a decade documenting weddings around the world.

I am grateful to have my photography featured in Rangefinder Magazine, Fearless Photography, The Knot, Junebug Weddings, People Magazine, Huffington Post, and the New York Times.

My philosophy is rooted in capturing the authenticity of moments that matter. I minimize interference, allowing your wedding day to unfold naturally. I want you to remember the genuine emotions and experiences through my photographs. I'm not just a photographer; I'm a storyteller. I don't set limits on coverage because I believe in telling the full story of your wedding day—from start to finish. I work closely with you to handle all the details ahead of time, so you can be fully present during your special day. Trust is paramount.

As an American destination wedding photographer based in Italy, I aspire to be the go-to choice for couples planning their dream wedding abroad. My mission is to make art from the moments that matter. I'm thrilled by the opportunity to travel and witness the world's beauty and cultures. Whether it's Italy's romantic landscapes or the remote cliffs of Iceland, no destination is too far-flung for me.

Thank you for joining me on this photographic journey. I can't wait to get to know you better and tell your love story through my lens.

 
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client Reviews

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Planning a destination wedding isn't easy. You place your full trust in reviews, recommendations from the planner and images. When deciding on our photographer for our Rome nuptials, I was toying between two individuals; however, my gut led me and my husband to Dan. Dan's portfolio is superb. He was able to capture images with a journalistic flare, while maintaining the necessary compositions in creating beautiful work. Upon choosing Dan, he reached out , set timelines prior to the wedding and a complete professional (organizationally, personal, tenure, etc.). For the day of, Dan ventured down from Florence to Rome, was prompt and personal. He was attentive to space, needs, timing... conducted his own shots around the hotel room (e.g. flowers, shoes, dress) while giving space. Throughout the remainder of the day, Dan was there without being there. He captured so many hidden and beautiful shots I never anticipated would have been caught. I look at all of the photos he took and I well up. Without him my day would have never been showcased in such fashion, nor the timeline and morsel of each minute have been found. I cannot thank Dan enough for his artistic ability and passion behind the lens. If I can give any reader a few tips: 1. Trust your gut 2. Trust in the power of reviews 3. Trust in the photographs captured by Dan Sauer He is a true pleasure and joy - all the best Dan! xox


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We cannot say enough great things about Dan!! I first discovered Dan when someone I know from college posted a few Instagram photos from a wedding Dan shot in Southern California. I was so captivated by Dan's work that I reached out to the person who posted the photo and asked for Dan's contact information. While many wedding photographers wash out their backgrounds and make all images appear bright and airy, Dan's work truly stands out as warm, emotional, memorable, and full of depth. The booking process with Dan was a breeze, very reasonable cost, and minimal back-and-forth prior to the big day. Day of, Dan was such a calming presence and focused on capturing candid moments. Looking back at all the incredible photos we received from Dan, there are some shots where I truly didn't even realize Dan was around shooting the moment. Dan is a storyteller through his work, and that approach makes his photos stand out. I can't tell you how many friends and family told us that Dan was the best wedding photographer they'd ever experienced. We could go on and on gushing about Dan, so I'll just say a heartfelt THANK YOU for capturing our day so perfectly.


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My husband and I opted have our wedding abroad in Ravello Italy.
Choosing any wedding supplier abroad is a nervous experience as you are simple relying on reviews and word of mouth however, Dan was our best pick!
From the moment we had our initial Skype chat we both felt at ease. He took the time to keep in frequent contact leading up to our big day and even sent forms for us to fill out our preferences. This meant he had very limited questions on the day.
On our wedding day Dan was extremely professional. He turned up well dressed and presentable. If anything he blended in like one of our guests. We didn't want many staged pictures and wanted very natural shots. For staged pictures he was firm but fair whizzing through them within 15mins so our guests could go and have drinks and canapés. Our pictures by far are amazing. We cried when we saw all of them. He captured the essence of our Ravello wedding, the scenery, the finer details and atmosphere. The picture quality is incredible. He even added additional pictures of Ravello as well as our Pizza party the night before which was the cherry on top of the cake. Overall fantastic service and brilliantly captured memories. Thank you Dan!


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Choosing Dan as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! Not only does he take beyond Gorgeous photographs, but he truly captures the story of the day. We didn’t get a wedding video but after looking at the pictures Dan took, we realized we never really needed one! He brought the day to life and we could relive every moment from his shots. On the day of he was calm and organized, keeping us on schedule and reassuring us that we had plenty of time for all the pics we wanted to take. Above all he created some much needed alone time for me and my husband. He took us aside for some photos and told us to take a moment for the two of us, to hold each other close, close our eyes, and just soak up our first moments as husband and wife. He took a few pictures during that precious time together and those are some of our favorite shots! Thank you Dan for all your hard work and sharing your gift and skill as a storyteller and photographer with us!


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Dan is simply the best. Through each step of the daunting process of throwing a wedding, we continuously felt that we had made a very good decision in selecting Dan as our photographer. He was organized, supportive, thoughtful, and a true pleasure to work with. He was diligent about answering any pre-wedding questions we had, made sure we had proper lists of all the photos we wanted to have (and then made sure they actually got taken!). On wedding day, he (and Annie, his second - equally awesome photographer) arrived right on schedule, with tons of energy and enthusiasm. We were truly in awe of how that energy lasted ALL day & into the night. My husband and I are not necessarily the greatest at posing for pictures, but Dan & Annie made us feel really comfortable and look like we knew how to take a picture :) At numerous points throughout the wedding, I would see something happening or a group of people together and think 'it would be great to have a photo of this' - I would turn around and Dan would already be there. He was everywhere we wanted him to be, without being intrusive or cutting into any of the fun. Best part? His pictures are INCREDIBLE. We cannot stop looking at them. He caught everything from sentimental moments, funny & fun dancing shots, details, romantic photos - and each of them looks better than the last. He also caught moments that we were unable to see (we, unlike Dan - could not be everywhere at once!). He had the professional knack to call out where the best lighting was and what the best locations for certain shots were. At one point he even got down in the grass/dirt to make sure he got the best angle for a particular shot. His priority was making sure we looked great, and we think he nailed it! The pictures truly take us right back to our wedding day and help us relive that special weekend over and over again. I wish Dan could photograph my entire life - we STRONGLY recommend him. Thanks so much Dan!!!


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Dan’s photography is exceptional. His work speaks for itself, breaking through the sea of sameness of wedding and engagement photography. His eye for composition and capturing natural light, and the beauty of the elements is unparalleled. In scheduling the shoot, Dan was gracious and flexible to find a time that worked best for us and suggested a spot that was well researched, conveniently located for both parties and a backdrop that offered a lot of variety. For the shoot itself, Dan arrived early, scouted out the landscape, so that by the time we arrived, he was good to go, greeted us, offered us water, and we got going! He never was rushed and used several camera bodies and lenses to capture a variety of shots. As our first photoshoot as a couple, Dan did a wonderful job setting expectations and coaching us through the poses and composition for each shot. His professionalism is next level and his presence is relaxing and peaceful. Time really flew while we were shooting with Dan! For something that anticipated to be slightly awkward, somehow, Dan helped it be enjoyable, fun and even therapeutic. It was a great bonding experience for my fiancé and me! We received the photos on the timeline we were promised, and the delivery was seamless and simple for downloading and sharing the photos. The final results are stunning. The composition and lighting of his work is Caravaggio-esque. He delivers one-of-a-kind work that I haven’t seen from any other photographer and I’ve received countless compliments on our photos! My fiancé and I truly couldn’t be happier with our photos and we’ll treasure them for a lifetime! Thank you, Dan!


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Dan was amazing to work with! From start to finish, he was easy to communicate with and we truly felt he understood what we were looking for in a photographer. I was a little uneasy about all of the photos on our wedding day (I don’t love the spotlight) but Dan made me feel comfortable and eased all my fears. He is great at capturing amazing photos in an unobtrusive way that feels natural and captured every detail of our day. On our wedding day, Dan was flexible with last minute schedule and location changes due to heat and so easy to work with! I highly recommend Dan!


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Working with Dan Sauer was the best vendor decision! We felt supported every step of the way, and enjoyed getting to know Dan himself from a distance- you may think that hiring a photographer who is living abroad is a crazy idea, but because we were planning our Southern California wedding from Chicago, we already were working with all of our vendors long-distance, and Dan truly made the experience of working together seamless. His photography is both art and poetry in an image! His ability to capture an emotion, a memory, an exuberant, fleeting feeling, a moment is an amazing gift and invaluable quality in a photographer. We will treasure these photographs for all of our lives, and are endlessly grateful to Dan for his skilled photography (of course), but also his authenticity, his artistic capacity, beautiful vision, easygoing manner and his humility.


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What can I say about Dan? Dan is a gifted and professional photographer. My husband and I worked with Dan for our engagement photos, our ceremony, and reception. Dan was wonderful from the moment we met! During our consultation, he talked with us about our expectations and how we met and really took us on a beautiful journey down memory lane. Happily for us, Dan is adventurous and met us on a hiking trail in Malibu for our engagement shoot (he was willing to go anywhere we wanted to go!). It was wild and great fun. He even held our radio so we could have background music throughout the shoot. It was a hot and sometimes steep journey but Dan was patient, upbeat, and professional throughout the entire session. Dan was super communicative and accommodating with us and he was the same way with our coordinator. On or our wedding day, Dan was with us at the crack of dawn and was by our side through the late evening. I especially appreciate his courtesy toward our relatives who believed they were the pro photographers - I saw about five of them give him their cameras to take pics of us. Dan just rolled with the punches and took the pics with a smile (sorry Dan!!). Overall, I really appreciate Dan's communication and professionalism with us throughout the process, and his delivery of our pics on time. The pics are so beautiful and capture our love and playfulness toward each other. Dan. Is. The. Man!!!