We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sara Turk a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I’ve already had the regular job. I worked as a nurse in the hospital and held other full-time jobs before I started my photography business. So when the thought of a “regular job” crosses my mind, it’s not out of curiosity it’s a reminder of what I’ve already walked away from.
That lifestyle just doesn’t fit with where I am now, especially as a homeschooling mom of three. I have zero desire to go back to clocking in somewhere and being away from my kids for hours every day. My days now are full and often overwhelming, but they’re mine and I get to build something meaningful both in my business and with my family.
So yes, I’m happy as a creative. It’s not always easy, but for me, the freedom, flexibility, and purpose I find in this life far outweigh the security of a traditional 9-to-5. If the thought of going back ever pops into my head, it doesn’t stay long. I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Sara Turk—a family, maternity, and newborn photographer based in the Athens, Georgia area. I’m also a full-time homeschooling mom of three, a former nurse, and someone who always has about 15 tabs open in my brain at once.
I didn’t grow up knowing I’d do photography for a living. It started slowly, just me taking photos of my own kids and realizing how much I loved being able to save those little moments. Eventually, it turned into something bigger, and now I get to do this full-time—working with families, helping them document this wild, beautiful stage of life in a way that actually feels like them.
I mostly photograph families in-home or out in nature, and I offer everything from laid-back newborn sessions to fun family sessions where kids can run around and just be themselves. I also help with planning, styling, choosing locations—basically, I try to make the whole process as easy and stress-free as possible.
What makes my approach a little different is that I’m not really into stiff poses or asking everyone to smile at the camera. I’m more focused on capturing connection and emotion—photos that feel real and true to your family. I want you to look at your gallery and feel like, “Yep, that’s us.”
One thing I’m really proud of is how I’ve built this business around my family life. It’s not always easy balancing everything, but I love that I get to do something creative and meaningful while still being present at home with my kids.
At the end of the day, I just want families to know they don’t have to show up perfect. Just come hang out, love on your people, and I’ll take care of the rest.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part for me is being able to shape my work around my life. As a mom, that kind of flexibility is everything. I get to be present with my kids, live in the thick of our everyday chaos, and still have this creative outlet that I genuinely love.
It’s also incredibly fulfilling to help other families preserve their own moments especially in those fast, exhausting seasons of life where everything feels like a blur. I know how quickly time passes, and being able to freeze a little bit of that story for someone, in a way that feels meaningful to them, is something I never take for granted.
And honestly, it still blows my mind that I get to do this as a job—create something I’m truly excited about, pour myself into the vision for a session, and deliver something that feels beautiful and lasting. That feeling never gets old.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Turning photography from something I just enjoyed into a real business has taken a whole lot of resilience more than I expected, honestly. Starting from scratch while raising three kids is no joke. I didn’t already have a business degree or a background in marketing, I was just passionate about creating beautiful, meaningful images and wanted to build something around that.
So I started learning everything: how to build a website, how to create a social media presence, how CRMs work, how to organize pricing and payment systems, how to show up in search results, how to run adsand I was doing it all while also keeping a household running. So many nights, my husband and I were up working until midnight or later, trying to piece it all together. And a lot of things didn’t work at first. We’d spend time on something, realize it wasn’t right, delete it, and start again.
There were definitely moments where it felt overwhelming like, “How do people do this?” But I just kept going, kept learning, and kept adjusting. I think that’s what resilience looks like sometimes, it’s not always big dramatic moments, but showing up again and again when things are messy and figuring it out one step at a time. I’m proud of how far things have come in such a short time, and I’m still learning every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.saraturkphotography.com/
• Instagram: @saraturkphotography