We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sara Leggett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Hiking over 50 miles in three days taught me that I can do more than I think I can. Even when times get tough. Not only do I hike and run my own photography business, I am a director of special education and a doctoral student. I know how to multitask and push through difficult times. However, it was when I started hiking several years ago with my husband, that started my journey on how to push past the point of discomfort so I could become stronger.
I take risks everyday. It could be by making bold choices for the early childhood team I support at work, by staying up late to research, hiking steep mountains with my family, or simply running a side business for photography. It all takes guts. Heck, simply being a parent takes strength. When I reflect on how I got to where I am, I always come back to when my husband and I decided to backpack the Pictures Rocks National Lakeshore in three days. It was 50+ miles and despite my husbands amazing research on gear and trails, it was incredibly difficult. The hike itself wasn’t always rigorous. It was more than mindset of getting up each day, despite being sore from 35 + pounds on your back, raw toes, and surviving on dehydrated meals, that wore you down. You had to tell yourself that regardless of feeling like you could give up, you had to push forward. I had never done something so exhausting.
Yet, walking to the car on the way out of the woods after many, many miles of sore feet, spousal bickering, and wanting the largest burger I could find, I felt this immense swell of pride. It hadn’t been pretty, but I had just done that. My husband and I had survived with nothing but the bags on our backs for three days in the wilderness. The feeling of accomplishment was insurmountable.
I tell this story because no challenge since that experience, even starting my own photography business from nothing, has been as difficult or scary as that one. It put everything in perspective for me, because I proved to myself that at my roots, I had what it took to survive. Are there many other bigger challenges out there? Yes, of course there are. For me, that experience was the start of my courage.
Since then I have jumped into making Sara Leggett Photography an official LLC, entering a doctoral program for educational leadership, and been working tirelessly for brands and individuals to tell their visual stories. I love what I do. Even if it is atypical.
Sara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Combining many worlds tends to be my forte. I am a special educator, mother, wife, and professional photographer. Clearly I enjoy staying busy, but when I do have down time (laughs manically) I read fantasy books, drink a lot of coffee, and look up dreamy office designs.
I started taking landscape and wildlife photos over ten years ago in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we had family and traveled to for our honeymoon. On a trip there, my husband’s uncle gifted be an extraordinary camera that I had no business (or knowledge for) using. I was incredibly excited and shooting randomly with no understanding of manual settings, when I dropped it. Yup. I broke the incredible (and incredibly expensive) camera. I was devastated.
Later, my husband bought me my first Sony and I began taking as many photos as I could. About four years ago, after people started asking me to take family photos, I decided I better understand the technical aspects of using a camera so I took a course with Nicole and Dustin at Horizonfound. It was an amazing experience where I was surrounded by mentors and a community that embraced one another and learning. Since then I have made my business in Michigan official and have had the honor of telling outdoor stories for children’s clothing brands, outdoor gear brands, cabin company’s, families, individual businesses, and even professional organizations in the special education field. It has been a blast!
I am proud of my strange path in this field and the most unique characteristics about me as a photographer include my advanced understanding of children (getting natural shots are so important), shooting in the outdoors (I hike all over), and knack for planning storylines (hello school psychologist background-so much detailing nerdiness)!
I specialize in the outdoors, but am open to anything tied to nature. Quick sessions are also a bonus with me as I can easily get numerous photos in a shorter duration of time which is a huge advantage when doing play-based photoshoots with children!
How did you build your audience on social media?
This is an area I learn new things about every day! However, I will say that being open to learning about marketing strategies has been really helpful for me. In my opinion, it’s really important to connect with people and to build a space where people can feel a sense of belonging and community. My hope for my social media platforms is that they facilitate connection for people who have similar interests. Specifically, I of course share my photos on my Instagram (for example), but I also share a lot about enjoying the outdoors, hiking, traveling, family, and moments reminding people to breathe and recenter themselves. That is likely the psychologist in me coming out, but regardless of what relaxation looks like for someone, they can find a moment to connect with themselves, and if they are lucky, others.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Referral is always a solid source for growing an audience or client base. However, I have had lucky with reaching out to brands I admire or even use, through emails with details about why I enjoy their brand and an invitation to collaborate on photoshoots if they are interested. It’s important for me to be authentic so I genuinely don’t mass reach out to brands. I am strategic in reaching out when it means something to me and when I have something real to say to them. Does that lower my chances of getting a reply? Probably. Has this strategy failed? No! Surprisingly, I have booked several brand shoots by good ‘ole fashion emails! Do I always get a reply? Of course not. I get ghosted often!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.saraleggettphotography.com
- Instagram: @sarlakenl
- Facebook: Sara Leggett Photography
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sara-leggett-a78644259
Image Credits
Sara Leggett Photography Wildbloom Photography – Photos of me