We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Mountain. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.
Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
When I decided that photography was all I was interested in pursuing as a career, I knew that I had a lot to learn before I could try and kick-start that as a business. I spent a lot of time self-teaching and learning all the ins and outs of my camera, experimented with different editing styles, and saw what felt like my most authentic work. I started going to photography workshops and content days; I can’t stress how fun and important those are to anyone looking to hone their photography skills and become better! You get all kinds of exciting shoots that you might not run into organically at that point in your career, you’re free to get as experimental as you want with posing, and most importantly, you get to meet a bunch of other people who are just as passionate about this as you are. It’s a really positive environment and I will always be a fan of them. Even as I get better, I’ll keep going for the community no matter what.
I feel like community is the best way to learn though, so I might be biased! But outside of the workshops and content days, I wanted to be as active in the Savannah photography community as possible. When I first moved here as a baby wedding photographer, I reached out to any photographer whose work I thought was amazing and made a point to make some friends here. Some of them were graceful enough to invite me along to their weddings as a second shooter– so I made like a sponge and soaked up as much as I could about the flow of a wedding day and how to create the best experience possible for your clients, and the people I was working with were kind enough to just help me grow.
The one thing I cannot seem to get a full grasp on and I still have a lot to learn about is social media–what platforms to be on, how to get the algorithm to work in your favor, content creation, it’s all a lot to keep up with! I am continuing to try and use those platforms to my benefit as much as possible, but I can’t understate the importance of being visible to your clients! Don’t slack on learning these apps and how to win their game because you never know who it could connect you to!
The one aspect of being a photographer that I recommend you don’t rush into finalizing is your editing style! For the first 3 years of messing around with photography, my editing style was changing every few months, I swear. But that experimentation is SO important to find what your personal touch is going to be, and at the end of the day, it’s probably what’s going to get someone to hire you over everyone else. Have fun with it, learn what every slider in Lightroom does and make it work for the story you’re trying to tell–it makes all the difference to your clients.
Sarah, 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?
I am a wedding, elopement, and engagement photographer with a passion for telling love stories in a cinematic, romantic, and authentic way! I picked up a camera for the first time in middle school and somehow photography always lingered in the background of my mind, no matter what my interests I was pursuing in the foreground at that time. Finally, when I was finishing up college, it dawned on me that a hobby that’s lasted since I was taking disposable cameras on field trips maybe was the thing I am most passionate about, and it’s what I should pursue fully.
So I got my degree, and promptly moved to Savannah to get into the wedding industry! I now focus my entire business on couples–telling love stories from start to finish! I focus heavily on weddings but also adore traveling to shoot elopements in some of the most beautiful places on earth. I take a documentary approach with my work, focusing on capturing the day authentically without posing every moment so that my clients can enjoy their wedding day to the fullest extent without stressing about being “perfect.”
I aim to learn as much as I can about my clients to tell a story that’s authentic to them! When working with a new couple, I like to give them a questionnaire to find out what makes them them! That way I can cater their engagement session (free with all wedding packages) to them in a way that feels personalized and truthful to who they are. Fast forward to their wedding day, they’re much more comfortable in front of the camera and the returned photos don’t feel artificial.
Stylistically, my work brings a warm, romantic, and intimate feeling to the photos as I take a film-style editing approach to my photos. When I think about telling someone’s love story, I want them to feel like they were in a movie when they get the gallery back. I incorporate that idea into the poses and prompts I give my couples, and I think it turns out beautifully every time. I am very proud of the work I do, and it means a lot to me to get to play a part in telling someone’s best story ever.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Right now there are a few goals driving me forward: first, I want to book a national park elopement. I did a wedding a few months back in the mountains in North Georgia and I was obsessed with every moment of it! The venue was backed up against the side of the mountain so the views were gorgeous and we got some amazing shots in the nature areas nearby the cabin. However, I am craving one of those elopements where you have to bring hiking boots to get to your ceremony spot!
I want to be climbing and exploring hiking trails and finding secret spots that other people can’t get to and just being completely immersed in the nature of it all. I think it’s so beautiful and I have a connection to being in nature anyway, so it really would be my best work I feel!
Second, I cannot wait to book my first international client. I have never been out of the States before, and I can’t wait to see different corners of the world but when I picture working with clients on their Iceland elopement or their French wedding I get all bubbly inside. There is almost no where I wouldn’t go, and I think the first time I get booked to go overseas will be a really proud moment for me and my photography journey.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Let’s be real–being a photographer is NOT cheap and if there’s no one putting up the money for you it can be intimidating to try and feel like you’re meeting the standard for equipment.
As a person who had no one helping me launch my business financially–I want to say it’s not impossible. Work with the budget you have at the moment to get some gear that is good and reliable! Get a few lenses, and a camera body, and start from there. You can move forward as you book more and make more money!
When I started, I had a Canon Rebel camera, the lenses that came in the kit, and a dream. As you get more experience and book more shoots, save up to invest in better equipment! You can start out with the best of the best, but I figure if you’re unsure about your career path like I was when I started, there’s no sense in buying 10K of equipment with no idea how to use it. I literally worked my way up the chain, so believe me when I say you can do a LOT with the basics. Focus on your posing, your editing, and your client relationships and you’ll slowly be able to expand your collection of gear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarahmountainphotography.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: sarahmtnphotog
- Other: Find me on tiktok @sarahmtnphotog and pinterest as Sarah Mountain Photography
Image Credits
Sarah Mountain Photography