Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Swenson.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up, I always seemed to have some sort of camera in hand. Disposable cameras, film cameras, polaroid cameras that printed on stickers, and later as an adult I eventually had a digital camera. I had intended to go to school for photography right out of high school, but found out there was a waiting list to get into the program a few years out. Instead of waiting, I ended up going to school for education. My love for photography never left and I ended up going back to school for photography. To this day, I consider that one of the best decisions of my life. As it stands today, I teach preschool part-time and also have my own photography business part-time. It’s been a slow build, but little by little my business is making progress. I’m so thankful I’ve been able to have photography be a major part of my life both personally and with my business.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Well, I went to school for photography and so that part of things has been relatively smooth. Of course, there are times when you wish you would have done something differently, but those times allow you to learn and improve. Things I did not go to school for are marketing, accounting, and website design. When you start a business and run it on your own, you have more responsibilities than maybe you realized you would! I have an accountant take care of my taxes each year so I know that’s being done properly, which is a big help. Marketing and website design are things I’ve been working at and learning as I go. Most of my time is spent focused on communicating with clients, planning sessions, photographing sessions, editing, and delivering galleries. Because of that, it has definitely been a struggle to make a lot of progress in other areas. It’s an ongoing process and I keep learning along the way. Eventually, I think I’ll get to a point where I can balance everything a bit better, but until then, I feel putting client’s first and tackling the rest as there’s time is the way to go.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in photographing families whether that means a couple, a newborn, a high school senior, or the whole crew. I especially enjoy photographing families interacting with each other. Sharing a laugh, holding a child, spinning in circles, twirling a new dress, and group hugs are some of my favorite things to capture.
The thing that most sets me apart from others is likely my editing style. I try to keep things as natural as possible in terms of editing people’s bodies. I’ll remove non-permanent marks like scratches or acne and like to remove crazy hairs flying all over (unless it adds to the movement of the photo). I also look at the scene and clean that up as much as possible too. I want the photos I deliver to look natural and also polished so they will look nice hanging on the wall. So I do believe my delivery time is not as fast as others, but paying attention to the little details so clients get a finished product they can enjoy feels worth the time investment.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
A lot of people have been super helpful to me in this photography adventure! My instructors from Ridgewater College have been super helpful in answering questions and share opportunities with graduates of the program in a private group to help make connections. Classmates from the program that have started their own businesses have been very helpful as well. We’ve been able to work together on projects, brainstorm together, ask and answer questions, and loan each other gear. Clients have been so kind to share my name with friends and family members, the company I have business insurance through hired me to take headshots for new employees, and other photographers in the area have asked me to help fill in on jobs with them when they were short staffed. Any new experience, new project, and new people I’ve been able to meet and talk to has been super helpful in sharing information and ideas. I’d need some more space to truly list them all out. It’s been incredibly nice to have so many supportive people around to work with, work for, and to grow with and I appreciate it so much.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @blue_fawn_photography
