We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Yarbrough a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
At a young age, I loved pictures – looking at them and taking them. I spent so much time looking back in photo albums as a child, and grew to love capturing as many moments possible through my teenage to adult years.
When I met my Husband, Jay, in 2016, he saw that photography lit a spark inside of me, and within a year and a half bought me my very first DSLR camera. If I am being honest, it intimidated me, but Jay lovingly encouraged me to go after this passion of mine. In the Fall of 2018, I had a wedding and a handful of portrait sessions under my belt and finally took the leap of faith to legitimize myself and start a business. Everything I had learned up to this point was self taught, but I soon found that I yearned for more knowledge in my new found profession. I started going on YouTube, signing up for classes online, following talented photographers on social media, and became a sponge. What I love most about being in this industry is there is always something to learn, a technique to master, and skills I have yet to discover. I am no where near where I long to be, but I love this journey.
The next year, I marketed myself the best way I knew how, and to me, that meant going out and meeting people. I went out on the town and shamelessly introduced myself to new people, offered my services free of charge for awhile, and tried to make as many connections as I could. After a few months, I had grown a clientele that are still helping me continue to grow by word of mouth. Folks will fall in love with your work, but what they truly want is a connection with the artist. I noticed that when I made people feel good about themselves through my lens, I was making a huge difference around me. Legitimizing myself by starting a business was a selfish act, but continuing to grow as a photographer has humbled me more than I could ever put into words. What do I mean by that? I mean that this business isn’t just about me. It is about telling a story through imagery, capturing moments most will forever look back on, and hopefully giving people an experience that will leave an imprint. Once I figured out that this business I created wasn’t just about me, everything clicked. If you told me four years ago that I was going to be a successful photographer with incredible clients, and a calendar that was booked 90 percent of the time, I would have never believed you. I am in awe of what I have created with the people that decided to bet on me and trust me with their most precious memories.
Believing that you can achieve your wildest dream means you are already half way to your destination.
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 was not always aware of my creative abilities, but looking back on my life, the character traits were always there. It took me a long time to accept that I am a highly sensitive individual who feels her surroundings on such a deep level. A lot of people in my life casted negativity on my intuitive nature, but one thing rings true – this part of me has always been my greatest gift. When I meet someone, I don’t notice their flaws, I notice their beauty and want to know more about the journey they have walked thus far on earth. I then think of all the ways I can capture them to share who they truly are. While viewing a sunset, I am enchanted by how delicately the rays are kissing every surface it touches. I am not only captivated by people – I notice leading lines, the textures of contrasting objects, the way light adds drama and how perspective can change just about any given scene.
If you were to ask most artists whether or not they feel understood, I can assure you a majority of them would probably say no. This isn’t a negative thing by any means – It simply comes from being someone that is rooted in emotion, and not everyone can relate. It took me decades to be content with feeling misunderstood, but now I relish in it, because most importantly I understand myself and value my purpose more than ever. As someone who has uncovered and now appreciates these raw parts of herself, I strive to be a safe place for others to reveal their gifts that may still be hidden within.
Being a photographer isn’t as simple as knowing how to use your camera and hitting your shutter button. There is depth to the practice, and it starts with connection. I wish every client of mine was confident in front of my lens, but that isn’t always the case. Being an empathic person with years of experience, I now have the ability to pick up on when my subject is uncomfortable, and I have made it my personal mission to ensure my clients feel secure during these moments of vulnerability. Knowing that I have had a hand in helping even one person feel beautiful or self-assured is what motivates me to be a better photographer.
After establishing the relationship, my goal is to organically tell your story through authentic imagery. Yes, I capture the standard poses for the Christmas card, but we also create tender, real memories during our session together. When you book a session or event with me, you won’t be standing in one place long. The prompts I give can feel like madness to some (my shy clients), but when you see the candids that are captured, the method is revealed. I can’t speak for everyone, but most love those unposed images the most.
As someone who specializes in portraits, my days are often spent traveling to capture love stories, families, milestones, and special events (Weddings, Anniversary parties, etcetera). My style is organic, moody, true to color, and every image is hand edited with love. Aside from the actual session, the best part of my job is knowing the photos I take are printed on the walls of my clients homes and in albums for generations to appreciate. Pictures are important, because it is often how we remember a moment or our loved ones for years to come.
When I first started out, I struggled with how to encourage my clientele to print their pictures in this digital age. So often people will run to the local home goods store to fill their walls with generic art that many others also have in their home, rather than investing in the art that is made up of their family. I believe this stems from convenience, as well as lack of knowledge when it comes to professional labs and printing images. In the past, I have had folks – who never even booked a session with me – ask where they should have canvases, wall art, or albums made, because their photographer didn’t provide that service. For a long time, I only offered digitals, but I knew I had to make a change to better serve my clients. After adding this service to my business, the photographs I capture are no longer spending their days in the cloud, but being loved and cherished by the people in them.
My workflow process looks a little like this:
1. Capture the story being told
2. Cull the images and hand edit the best captured from the session in Lightroom and Photoshop
3. Export from Lightroom + upload to my website
4. Organize the gallery album in order of images captured from that session
5. Connect my professional lab directly to the gallery to aid in simplifying the ordering process of wall art, prints, cards, and albums
6. Repeat
I have found this to be the most convenient way for my clients to order their products with ease from the comfort of their home. This way, they get to share their digital images with loved ones on social media, gift them to the grandparents, and physically cherish their photos for a long time.
In the last four years, I have discovered a positive way to ensure my clients remain excited about their session and how to stand out as a photographer. When a good experience with your photographer is fresh in your mind, you’re anxious to see what was captured. The promised turnaround time in my contract is 4-6 weeks, but my goal is always to deliver within 1-2 weeks, and to send 3-5 sneak peeks within 24-48 hours. Being a wife, raising a toddler and, having a day job can make delivering albums this quickly challenging at times, but keeping the lines of communication open is key.
The goal is to under promise and over deliver every chance I can, because this career would not be a reality for me without my amazing clients, and making them happy is my #1 priority.
Next to photography, my passion is traveling and seeing the amazing wonders this world has to offer. When I have the opportunity to combine the two, my cup overflows tenfold. I am forever grateful when people put their trust in me to adventure many miles in order to create magic with them. I am the best version of myself when creating and I love pouring my passion into this career.
Earlier, I mentioned how much I value my purpose more than ever. After many years of failed career attempts and longing to know who I was supposed to be when I grew up, I can confidently say being a photographer is one of the most pivotal parts of my life. When I am feeling unmotivated, all I have to do is remember the impact my clients have had on me, how much I enjoy creating art, what this career is doing to change my family’s future, and how this passion of mine has never truly felt like “work”.
I am looking forward to the day I can do this full time, but until then, I’ll keep on striving to be the best photographer and person I can be.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I love this question.
I’ll share a few tips on what has worked for me:
First, I want to say – it is SO important to interact with your clients and provide them with the same experience you would hope to have as a consumer. Think of it as the “golden rule” in business. If you treat people respectfully and give a high quality experience, their reference goes a long way. You can and will reap the benefits from word of mouth for years. For example, I just had a new email inquiry the other day from someone that heard about me from a previous client I photographed in January of 2019!
Thinking from a consumers standpoint is imperative as a business owner. It’s not only about you. Obviously, stay authentic and true to yourself, but think about what it is your ideal client wants to know about your business and what you offer. When planning my social media posts, or creating my email marketing, I like to provide my ideal client substantial information ( a posing hack, location ideas, styling tips) without asking for anything in return. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with other people, because education is always relevant.
Be yourself – be professional, but be yourself! I can’t stress this one enough. People want to connect with someone that is relatable to them, but if you aren’t being your true self, it will be difficult to find those authentic connections.
Show up consistently for yourself and your clients. Don’t go into overdrive to the point of causing yourself burnout, though! In my experience, scheduling posts and batching my time has helped me in this area. For example, if I decide I am going to edit for the next few hours, that’s all I am doing. I don’t allow myself to get distracted by emails or marketing strategies during this time. When I am coming up with content to post on social media, I solely focus on that task until it is finished. Work smarter, not harder friends.
Lastly, remember the only person you should be competing with is who you were yesterday, and not a single other person. Nobody is you and that is your superpower!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Being a creative, I feel the urge to shoot often. It genuinely fills a void in my life I never knew I needed filled. Not only that, but I get to share this passion with so many people, and capture the beauty all around me. Besides my family, this aspect of my life brings me so much happiness, and is stitched into the fabric that is my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarahephotographyllc.com
- Instagram: @sarahephotographyllc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sarahephotographyllc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/saraheyarbrough
Image Credits
Sarah E Photography Personal Photo – Sarah Peloquin