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

Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.

For the longest time, I felt this pressure to perform at a level that society deemed a success. I was valedictorian of my high school class and I felt like I had to tell people I wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, dentist, etc. If I had said I want to be a professional photographer, my parents wouldn’t have liked that answer and I’m sure that my teachers would gone on some rant about my potential. If I could do it over, I would have a lot more confidence in myself and my ability to choose my own path. Instead, I went to college and studied Biology and Psychology with the aspiration of attending medical school after undergrad. I found though, that I enjoyed research and wanted to pursue that track instead. I went back to school and got another degree in Medical Laboratory Science. I was a Medical Laboratory Scientist for a couple years and I HATED it. I love school and love learning, but once I got into the workforce I would come home from work and cry. I was literally clocking in as early as I could so that I could clock out a few minutes earlier. If it wasn’t for the mass amount of student loans I had acquired, I probably would have quit after the first month.

Finally, my husband (Tyler) and I decided that something had to change and started looking for other careers that might be more fulfilling for me. Tyler is a filmmaker and one day he got asked to take some family photos for friends. From there, we started taking more and more family photos, senior photos, and couple photos. It just spiraled into something I truly loved and looked forward to doing. We started doing weddings about a year later. I never dreamed that I could have a career that I actually enjoyed, provided financially. and allowed me to be my own boss.

All of that to say, I would tell my high school self to be more confident about what I was passionate about. You can have a career that maybe others view as successful, but it might drain you instead of fill you. If I had followed my heart and spoke up for myself more, I might have avoided spending a chunk of my 20s something I hated and also wouldn’t have accumulated so much student loan debt.

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 the owner of T+S Photography and Production. I specialize in wedding photography/videography, but also do family, senior, engagement, maternity, and newborn photos. My husband (Tyler) and I started our business in 2017. In 2019, our business had grown enough that I was able to go full-time.

I have three science degrees, but I never felt content while working in that field. For several years, I was really afraid of what people would think if I quit my job in science and started pursuing life as a professional photographer. However, once I finally mustered up the courage to pursue my dreams, I never looked back. I finally LOVE my job.

I love documenting the special seasons in people’s lives. I want people to feel special, beautiful, and seen. I want people to feel the love of Jesus through my actions and how I serve them. I think that is one of the most unique parts of my business. I am not in it to gain social media popularity or build my own name. My priority is my clients. I want to help make their wedding day the actual best day of their life. Eliminating whatever stress I can, helping them build a timeline of the day, being real when they ask questions, and being myself so that they feel like they can be themselves. Most people don’t love getting their photos taken, so I strive to create an environment that feels easy and stress free.

My style is bold and true to color. I want my work to be timeless. I don’t want my clients to look back in 10 years and their photos or videos are so trendy that they are cringe-worthy.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Some creatives really struggle with the parts of the business that aren’t the shooting and editing. I think my ability to communicate clearly and quickly is helpful. I don’t want a client to wait days on a response from me or feel like I took their photos and now I’m going to ghost them. I hope they feel confident in my communication and professionalism. The other area that I think sets me apart is my ability to keep a wedding day on schedule while also not increasing stress levels. In fact, I try to de-escalate stress and remind those around me of the joy/happiness of the day. I think both of these traits have established my reputation in my area and really allowed me to gain clients from word of mouth.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There is something refreshing about bringing a vision in your head to life. Making something from nothing. Being a photographer, I have so many outlets for my creativity. I can plan a whole styled shoot or I can just let people show up as they are and capture their raw, authentic selves. At the end of the day though, being trusted to capture the most important moments in peoples’ lives is truly an honor and the most rewarding part of my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: tsphoto.me
• Instagram: @tsphotopro
• Facebook: @tsphotoandproduction