Meet Sarah Swainson

She’s not a big city person. Loves traveling. Has been cliff jumping. And wanted to be an FBI agent. The perfect candidate, Sarah joins our creative team as our new staff photographer. To say she’s interesting is an understatement.

Sarah graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) with a degree in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management. Makes sense. She loves the great outdoors. This was also the catalyst that sparked her interest in photography. When she’s not inside editing photos, she’s outside exploring trails or looking for the next outdoor adventure.

Speaking of adventure, as part of her degree program, she immersed herself in an eight-day, 100-hour curriculum to become a Certified Wilderness Responder. The class culminated in a simulated midnight rescue with patients and triage and took place in the woods.

Sarah’s recently become a world traveler. In 2019, she took a month off to visit the islands of Maui and Oahu in Hawaii, then she flew to Krackow in Poland. From black to red sand beaches, sea turtles, mother nature and cliff jumping to a country with a totally different culture and language, it was her first international adventure and she has plans for more.

Besides being a world traveler, she’s also a wedding photographer—not just any wedding photographer, however. Her love of the outdoors has carried her to some very unusual locations. She’s photographed mountain elopements, and a ceremony that took place in a lake, you name it. It’s all about her subjects. A day that’s a true reflection of their lives, where they can be themselves and the day becomes the memory of a lifetime.

When it comes to the most important thing in her life, it’s family. Her younger sister, older brother, and her parents all live in Chattanooga. Sarah says her brother’s favorite things became hers. Like him, she’s into gaming. “The Legend of Zelda,” and anything from the “Elder Scrolls” series are some of their favorites. Sarah says, “Gaming is my happy place.”  We say, we’re very happy she’s a part of Maycreate.