We are an award-winning husband and wife photography and video team with a deep love for travel, nature, story telling, and connecting with people from our journeys.
Hi! We’re Anna & James… also known as ‘Leave The Map’
Leave the Map™ as a name is all about leaving your comfort zone and living a life of adventure and purpose.
In 2019 we took a major leap and left our 9-5 jobs to pursue a life of travel and total freedom. We started a business together, bought a camper van, visited every state in the US (with our cat Lucy in tow), traveled over 50k+ miles, and worked with hundreds of brands, tourism boards, & hotels, all while living life on OUR terms.
We help travel businesses, outdoor brands, & tourism boards tell their story through powerful photography, impactful video, and meaningful social media engagement.
We also teach aspiring creators and entrepreneurs how to start or grow a profitable online business so that they can pursue a life of full-time travel.
Our core values are built around the following pillars: Education, Inspiration, and Sustainability.
Our goal is to inspire our audience to push through the fear of the unknown, to say yes to new experiences and adventure, create without bounds, and tell your story the way you want to be remembered.
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Let’s take it back to the beginning…
Our first conversation quite literally started with a map. We met at James’ apartment in California, and the first thing that Anna noticed was a large map on James’ wall, filled with push pins of all of the places he had visited. Anna was born in New Jersey and with James being a native to New Jersey as well, the second she saw the push-pin on New Jersey, a connection was formed. At that moment we had no idea how important that map became in our lives and how many more of those push pins we’d add when traveling together.
We both worked 9-5 corporate jobs at the time and spent much of the days and weeks leading up to the weekend, planning out our next trip. Fridays couldn’t come quick enough as we would eagerly research the closest coastlines and mountains from Los Angeles to drive to that weekend and explore everything we possibly could. Although we loved Los Angeles, we were always seeking more and had finally found our counterpart and soul-mate to share in the journey together.
It was the long hours spent in the van and the moments laughing and acting goofy together on these initial road trips that laid the groundwork for what our future would one day hold as husband and wife, best friends, and business partners.
It was also on these first road trips, where our shared love of photography started to develop. Photography just started as a way to document these weekends for ourselves, but as social media and Instagram started to grow, so did our desire to share these photos with others.
We started Leave The Map as a small Instagram account to just share photos we took on our cell phone and even re-share other travelers we admired. But we both caught the photography bug and had a passion for sharing stories from the road and expressing ourselves through this beautiful art form.
Now days, we settled down in a cute little town in Western New Jersey and have embraced a double life of summers on the road and off-seasons at home exploring our own backyard.
It’s our love of our craft, storytelling, and connecting with people from all over the world that keeps us jumping out of bed everyday ready for the next adventure.
Hi, I’m Anna
I’m an artist and photographer with a passion for traveling. I’m always smiling and laughing (trail name is Giggles). We both wear many hats at Leave The Map but my expertise are editing our travel photos from the front seat of our van, managing our social media pages, and being the Photoshop Queen - You may also know me as annamcnaughty.
Favorite thing about travel: Waking up in a new place every day with no schedule or routine. As well as meeting new people and hearing their stories.
Favorite road meal: Rocky Mountain Mac & Cheese (Tuna in mac & cheese - I know it sounds gross but its amazing!)
Favorite thing about one another: James’ passion for every project that we take on and his contagious love for life. and his dad jokes!
If I could do one thing every day it would be: Hike and explore a good swimming hole or on a lazy day, draw and nap in the sun with the van doors open.
Favorite road song that I like to sing at the top of my lungs: Higher Love - Steve Winwood and anything Spice Girls or 90s!!
When I’m bored I: Make macrame, paint, read, and pull tarot cards for anyone that will listen!
Hi, I’m James
I’m a director and photographer with a passion for traveling and telling compelling stories. My expertise is all things video and photography and my passion is in creating timeless images that make you feel immersed in a place with us!
Favorite thing about travel: Meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. I find most inspiration in my work when we’re out on the road.
Favorite road meal: Breakfast of any kind and a hot cup of pour over coffee. I look forward to mornings in the van just so I can make a fresh cup!
Favorite thing about one another: Anna’s infectious laugh and smile. She is my co-pilot on the road and in business and her creativity towards her work makes her one-of-a-kind.
If I could do one thing every day it would be: Fly fish beautiful rivers and spend the evening playing guitar and cooking in front of a fire.
Favorite road song that I like to sing at the top of my lungs: If I’m feelin’ myself it’s Juicy by Notorious B.I.G if it’s just a casual singalong Wagon Wheel all day.
When I’m bored I: Binge eat Cheetos and chewy snacks in the van. I also do a lot of reading when I’m not eating Cheetos.
Let’s Collaborate!
Business or Brand? Start here >
We would love to work with you and are currently taking on new clients! Leave The Map has a reach of over 1 million monthly viewers across our platforms. You can partner with us on photography and video projects, social media campaigns, blog placement, educational workshops, and more. Send us an email to learn more and to request our media kit. We look forward to starting something great together!
Adventure & Freedom Seeker? Start here >
We’re excited to hear that you’re interested in taking the leap into living life on your terms. Get started by checking out our blog posts, signing up for our email list, and downloading our free guide. We also have Lightroom Presets to amp up your photo game, a few ebooks, and a course coming soon. Email us if you want to say hi or have questions!