MEET SARAH

background

I started dabbling with photography in high school, then became more serious in undergrad. I photographed my first wedding in 2007 and have been doing it as a side job ever since. It’s a passion project of mine, and I just love doing it.

I work in a wide array of areas because I want to capture life, in whatever capacity that is… whether it’s a full wedding, newborn shoot, or an outing with the family. They’re all treasured moments that I hope to capture in time for you.

I earned a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in painting and drawing from the University of Akron in 2011 and a MAM (Master of Arts Management) from Carnegie Mellon in 2015. I currently work at a nonprofit in Pittsburgh during the day, and carry on with my photography and painting on the weekends and evenings.

style 

I would consider myself a nice blend of traditional and lifestyle. I know being in front of the camera can be an uncomfortable experience for people (it always has been for me), so I give loose directions and pointers for posing, but encourage you to interact and feel free to be yourselves. My ultimate goal is to not feel too staged, and to get genuine emotion. To capture those little nuances that make you, you.

why i do this

I have a degenerative eye disease. I was born with congenital cataracts and diagnosed with glaucoma when I was around 10. I see the world differently. I don’t have depth perception and I just have some visual limitations. So art - and photography - is a way for me to explore and understand sight and perception. I used to hide my impairment, but as I’ve gotten older, it’s a part of me that I’m more comfortable with.

I’m sure this may bring up concerns about my abilities - and I hope my photos speak for themselves. My partner Bill joins me on all large shoots to help with equipment and driving, but that is the only major accommodation for my photography. If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Fun details

Art: I am a practicing artist. No matter what job I find myself in, I am a painter and photographer and actively work to develop my art and skill

Travel: I've done fairly extensive travel in Western Europe, and spent three months interning at a startup company in the Netherlands after finishing my undergraduate degree

Health: I try to stay active! My partner and I have run 7 half marathons, we bike regularly, and were pretty into bouldering before the pandemic. During lockdown, we’ve turned our dining room into an exercise room with a rower and training bike!

Cats: I have two rescue cats, Rita and Bette. They are the most annoying and adorable part of my day. I can always count on at least one fur ball to keep me company while I edit.