We recently connected with Sarah DiAntonio and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

When I changed from a full-time retail career to an office environment, I experienced my first true failure. I’ve messed up before, of course, and I’ll mess up a hundred more times, but this felt like a failure of my own making. Like I made the bed and picked the sheets, set myself up to love it and fell right off the wrong side.

I still believe it was the right decision to leave my retail career, where there was no room for growth and it drained any creativity I had left. I felt comfortable there because it was a bookstore I’d spent most of my childhood in, where I still hope to see my own book sitting on the shelf. I worked as the children’s bookseller for five years and letting go of that time spent making kids excited to read was the hardest part to let go.

This new setting I was in, as the receptionist at a fancy law firm (big departure, I know), I was isolated and expected to understand nuances of an industry I’d only seen on television. I ended up leaving the job after three months, and started to focus on building my business. My employers were lovely, too lovely I think to let me go after I’d left a full time job, 401K and health insurance to come work for them. It just wasn’t the right fit for me, and I’m glad I made that decision.

I filed for my business license a few months later, when I was able to pick up more second-photographer positions at weddings and other events. I was also working as an online ESL teacher to students across Asia, teaching classes from my computer from 6am to 9am every day. It gave me the flexibility I needed to attend sessions, while also making some extra money, and working with children.

Without that unfortunately failed leap, I wouldn’t be a business owner today. So take the leap and learn how to fall!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Your wedding photographer isn’t just taking your photos and videos. They’re holding the mirror up for you, fixing your hair, your outfit, filling the role of best friend while yours is busy getting themselves ready. Your photographer will lift you up and make you look your best, they’ll tell you how to stand, where to put your hands, and anything else you might be worrying about that day.

I like to think of myself as your third wheel, who’s ready to help with anything you might need on your wedding day. I’ll stand up for you and try to make you laugh so we get your truest smile, not the one you put on in front of the camera (which is gorgeous too, I’m sure!) I know how to pose my couples to get photos they’ll hang on their wall, ones they’ll want to look at every day just to remember it just a few moments. I like to get my couples dancing and moving together, to remember what this whole day is about: the two of you, just like any other day spent laughing (except you’re in your fanciest clothes!)

It’s my job to write the story of your love in light, in laughter, in the life you’ll live together as partners. It’s my honor to celebrate with you and my privilege to tell your story!

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

In high school, I was very interested in photography, graphic design, and creative writing. I’ve looked for years for a way to combine all three, and it occurred to me while I planned my wedding. I designed my own invitations and setup my camera to film the ceremony, so that I could still have the memories without having a videographer. I could feel the pull toward this profession, the way it spoke to all my passions but didn’t drain me the way retail work did. It fulfilled me, made me believe I could achieve this dream that still felt really far away.

My biggest milestone came after I switched careers, when I finally had the time to work creatively. I started reaching out to local photographers in my area, to see if they had any openings for a second photographer. I started working with a few different people and got the hang of things after about 25 weddings, each of them different in their own way, but following a similar timeline. I built a website and filled it with photos I took of friends and their families for free. I created a portfolio of wedding photos as a second photographer and was able to book weddings under my own company. And here we are, with weddings booked through the next two years!

There’s a thousand reasons not to do something, and you’ll make a decent argument for most of them. What if I don’t make any money, what if I fail, what will people think? If these are the only reasons standing in your way, the only person stopping you is yourself! Get out of your own way and start building the life you want.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’m still building my audience every day, but I started the process almost ten years ago. Tastes vary across all platforms, and some posts can go viral on one platform and sit at 200 views on another. But the way you connect with other creators is the same, interacting with their content, leaving a comment, anything that shows a real interest in what they’re doing. Finding people you connect with online is easy when you invest time to not just create content, but appreciate content made by someone else. Supporting another account with a similar message to yours isn’t competition, it’s community! You can learn from each other, bounce ideas off each other, and give their metrics a boost in the process, so that maybe their content will get pushed to a larger audience! And when you keep up with this cycle, everyone benefits!       

Contact Info:

• Website: diantoniophoto.com
• Instagram: diantonio_photo
• Facebook: facebook.com/diantoniophoto
• TikTok: diantonio_photo

Image Credits
Sarah DiAntonio DiAntonio Photo + Video