We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Cebulski. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.
Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
Am I happy as a business owner? This feels like such a black and white answer, but in reality, it’s quite gray. I find myself asking myself “is it worth it?” more often than not. Like all jobs, there are highs and lows. A high? Days where I can lounge in my pj’s and edit from the comfort of my couch. A low? Resenting the decision to work for myself when it comes time to pay health insurance, or miss out on weekend outings with friends and family that are off on a typical Saturday and Sunday. As a wedding photographer, weekends are typically when we find ourselves the busiest. I know the argument can be presented that Monday-Friday is a five day weekend, but it really entails photo sessions, emails, and what often feels like endless amounts of editing. The biggest struggle for me, is being responsible for my salary. In any other profession, you may expect raises, or answer to a boss. The success of my business, and my salary is solely decided by the business decisions I choose to make. The conclusion I’ve come to when running my own business, is the importance of setting boundaries and actually implementing them. No amount of money is worth overworking and running yourself down to the point of burnout. In hindsight, even though I paved this path for myself, I’m still working on giving myself grace, reminding myself this was a career that I was meant for, and allowing myself to step back and take breaks.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Like any good story, it starts with an introduction. That introduction for me was a purple polaroid camera my grandfather gifted me when I was ten. I picked up that camera and never put it down. From that moment on, I remember dressing up anyone who would allow me in cardboard paper outfits, and toilet paper gowns. I grew up in New York, and immersed myself in editorials, thrift store wardrobe finds, and any photo studio I could get my foot into. I found myself moving towards weddings where I could supplement income. I realized I could still pursue my passion for fashion, while shooting weddings on film. There’s something to be said about shooting your first wedding at sixteen, it led to challenges of not only self doubt, but doubt from others. I found myself with imposter syndrome; intimidated posing and guiding clients and learning early on faking it until you make it is all too accurate. Weddings are fast paced environments, and once everything is said and done, photographs are all that’s left from the day. I want clients to slow down and live in the moment without having to be glued to a phone or camera. As someone who’s adopted and grew up without photos from an early childhood, I know how important it is to capture a moment in time. It is incredibly humbling to be trusted in documenting an event that may never happen again. I’m proud that I never gave up despite advice from others to get a “real job” or leave the starving artist New York City mentality behind. I’m well aware that this job isn’t the most traditional approach, but I’d trade happiness over wealth any day. Even though the camera was handed to me, this business sure wasn’t. It’s something I’ve had to nurture, and pour my blood, sweat and many tears into. All the late nights, chaotic timelines, and fast turnaround times are what fuel me. When I hit a bump in the road, I remind myself that I’m only putting gas in the tank, and I haven’t quite reached my final destination just yet.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I have my parents to thank for gifting me my first semi entry level camera. From there on, I used that camera to save for my next one. I started small, charging very little for photos. Had I told my younger self that one day I could charge more, I would have never believed it. For years, I wasn’t even profiting anything. I would reinvest anything that I made into buying new equipment, online subscription services, educational courses and workshops. Still to this day, a good portion of my income goes right. back into my business. I don’t believe there’s ever a limit or cut off to learning, and in this industry, nothing is concrete. I will still continue to invest in photoshoots, travel to places I haven’t shot before, and pay educators who were once in my shoes to share a wealth of knowledge, in hopes that one day I can do the same in return.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve never been much of a storyteller, and yet my number one goal is to tell stories. Not your typical “Once upon a time” story. I want to give others a voice that don’t have one. I want to document other artists works of art, help others find and pursue their passion, and always do my best to support small business owners. One of my favorite things to do is collaborate with other artists, because there is something so special about coming together to create something from nothing. We all have something to bring to the table, and I want more artists to implement the idea of community over competition. There is more than enough room for all of those to thrive in this crazy thing we call life. I want to share photographs of people who have stories far greater than I can comprehend. People are what fascinate me, they’re a wild card, you never know what you’re going to get. It’s cliche, but I want to leave the world a better place than I found it. We live in a world that is so systemically divided, if I can help just one person see the world from an unbiased perspective, that would be my greatest achievement.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarahcebulski.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahcebulskiphotography/
Image Credits
All images taken by me