I’ve always had a deep-rooted passion for documenting my life, and becoming a photographer just kind of came naturally. My dad documented everything when I was little, and somewhere along the way I realized just how meaningful that really is.
Growing up on a little lake in South Dakota, I spent my summers wakesurfing and winters skating on makeshift ice rinks in our backyard. The slower pace of life, the changing seasons, and the quiet beauty in it all taught me to notice the little things, which inspires so much of my photography approach. In the past year, I’ve had the privilege to travel all over the US, and it has expanded my worldview and inspired so much of how and why I do what I do.
Meet Sara
The Girl Behind the Camera
Officially started my business & my first semester of college
aug 2023
Prepping for my college graduation from the University of South Dakota & going full-time based in Mitchell, South Dakota, following graduation.
Present
First year of consistently being booked out. Started traveling for shoots & building experience shooting weddings!
2025
Started taking senior portraits, couple photos, and second shot my first weddings. Fell even more love with photography & knew this was what I wanted to do post-college.
2024
Traveled to Kauai, Hawaii, and grew my skills shooting in destination locations!
jan 2026
behind the name
my approach
My approach is deeply inspired by the way I document my own life, appreciating the beauty & artistry in the little things. Taking photos is such a wonderful way to slow down, feel absolutely in the moment, and celebrate this season of life, exactly as it is.
I’ll guide you through poses to capture those perfect portraits while checking in with you, making sure you feel comfortable, confident, and completely yourself the entire time. I’ll direct you through plenty of movement and less-posed prompts to set the scene for a photo gallery that looks like it’s composed of movie stills and feels authentic to your unique style. I care so so much about creating an experience for my clients that allows them to relax, feel seen, and genuinely have fun, while I capture moments that reflect them in the most genuine way.
The short story behind my business name, "Sara Maui Photo", is actually just that my full last name, Mauszycki, is way too hard to spell. Typing out my full last name is a chore even for me, so I can't imagine how hard it must've been for clients to find me!
More than anything, I wanted a business name to hold more meaning. The nickname, Maui, has been in my family for generations, and is held by some of the coolest people I know. So much of my creativity comes from my dad, business skills from my grandpa, and my passion for documenting life from growing up hoping to capture & look back on memories with my family and friends. I truly wouldn't be where I am today without my family, and I'm so lucky to have so many creative, skilled, kind and inspiring people to look up to (and steal cool nicknames from).
nostalgic
true-to-life
genuine
documentary
romantic
film-inspired
April 10th & 11th
Minnesota
travel
Dates
August 24th-31st, September 17th-21st
Bozeman, Montana
July 24th-26th
Colorado
July 16th-19th
Black Hills, South Dakota
June
Michigan & Pierre, South Dakota
May 28th-June 2nd
San Francisco
HAWAII / MONTANA / COLORADO / CALIFORNIA / OREGON / WASHINGTON / ARIZONA / FLORIDA / NORTH CAROLINA / ITALY / GREECE / MAINE / CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO
Due to my focus on traveling, the following locations have significantly reduced travel fees:
Sara photographed our wedding and came so prepared; we were able to relax and enjoy our day. She is so kind and fun! We also appreciated her timely delivery of photos and her creative eye. She did an amazing job!
"Sara felt like a good friend & made everything so comfortable. "
Client Love
We are so grateful that we chose Sara to capture our day. She was the sweetest and made us feel so comfortable! She was down for anything on our wedding day and was so supportive in all of our last-minute plans. I cannot recommend her enough!!
"Every time we look at our wedding photos, we get to live our wedding day all over again"
Client Love
My senior session was awesome. Sara had so many different ideas for posing and locations. I have done nothing but recommend her to many other upcoming seniors!
"She was hyping me up the whole time and it made the experience so much easier!!"
Client Love
I have a current list of my 2026 travel plans & bucket list locations, and I offer waived or reduced travel fees to those locations. Inquire with me to talk all about dates, destinations & details for a travel session or wedding!
Do you travel outside of South Dakota?
I edit pretty true to life, meaning each color and lighting situation will be editing differently to authentically reflect your day, time and location. I approach editing very intentionally with a goal of enhancing the natural beauty of the location and to keep you the focus of the photos. Warm golden hour tones, slightly grainy, filmy colors and dreamy greens are my vibe.
How do you edit?
I always have locations in mind and am constantly scouting for new places. If there’s a place that has a special memory tied to it, I always love to incorporate that into sessions.
What if I don’t have any locations in mind?
I take a very candid approach to my posing during sessions meaning there will be lots of movement within your session. I come to sessions with poses & prompts in mind to help you feel confident and comfortable. You don’t need any experience modeling to feel stunning in front of the camera!
What if I don’t know how to pose?
All galleries include a personalized print shop through a trusted professional high quality lab and allow you to get prints, cards, and photo albums shipping directly to your front door.
Do you offer prints or albums?
You’ll receive a sneak peek gallery to your email with a small handful of edited photos within 48 hours of your shoot or wedding day. I deliver all galleries through Pixieset with the ability to download high resolution and web size photos. Senior & Wedding clients will receive a thank you package in the mail which includes a flash drive of the full gallery as well.
How do we receive our photos?
My camera shoots to 2 SD cards at the same time, ensuring that your photos are safe in two places as soon as they’re captured. After your shoot or wedding day, I transfer your photos to 2 hard drives as soon as I get home. No SD cards are cleared or files delivered until your final gallery is delivered.
