Dan McInnis is originally from upstate New York. He received his BFA in Film, Photography and the Visual Arts at Ithaca College's Roy H. Park School of Communications. He has an MFA in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Dan has taught as a professor of both photographic practice and history at Ithaca College, The American University of Dubai, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), School of Visual Arts (SVA), Wittenberg University, and The School of Art at Bowling Green State University. He is currently Associate Professor of Humanities with the Jesup Scott Honors College at University of Toledo.

Dan was recently honored as a finalist in the 2021 Passepartout Photo Prize in Rome, Italy. His work was also selected for the 2021 Harper College 43rd Annual Small Works Exhibition.

His work entitled "Heidi and Lily, Ohio, 2014" was selected as a finalist and shortlisted piece for the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. This same work was chosen for Third Prize in the 2015 Photo Review competition, juried by Lawrence Miller.