Inspired, A Very Special Project | Sarah Wilkerson Photography

What sparked your passion for Photography?

My husband deployed to Iraq ten days after our first child was born; about halfway into the deployment, I picked up a camera both to document for him the moments he was missing and to occupy myself mentally and creatively – a challenge that really did help those months pass more quickly. A friend introduced me to Clickin Moms in December 2008, and that’s when the interest gave way to true passion… it was like had I found a secret society of women who spoke my language and both understood and supported the obsession.

 

 

 

What’s in your camera bag?

Ha! Are you ready? Nikon D4, Nikon D3s, 14-24mm/2.8, 24-70mm/2.8, 70-200mm/2.8, 35mm/1.4, 45mm tilt shift, 50mm f/1.2 (manual), 50mm/1.4, 85mm/1.4, 85mm tilt shift, 105mm macro, SB800, SB900, 1.7x teleconverter, and a Sekonic 358-L. Yes, my camera bag has wheels.

 

 

What Camera/Equipment did you start out with?

I bought my first DSLR in April 2006. It was a Nikon D50 + Kit Lens.

 

If you could only use one lens an entire session which one would you choose and why?

It depends on the subject. If I have a single cooperative subject (or a nonliving subject!), it would be my 45mm tilt shift; if I have a subject on the move or multiple subjects, it would be my 35mm f/1.4.

What advice would go give to someone just beginning in photography and hoping to have a business of their own?

Slow down. If you’re just beginning in the photography, focus on mastering the craft and developing a personal style before you start thinking about whether or not you should go into business. The photographer you will be by the time you’re ready to hang up your shingle is probably very different from the photographer you planned to be when you first bought your camera.

 

 

 

What was your first official Photographer crush if you had one?

Anna Kuperberg was the first photographer whose work really spoke to me. Her images are lovingly intimate and beautifully genuine; I get a sense that her work is about capturing authentic personalities and relationships; it’s about them, not about her. There’s no ego in her work.

 

 

What kind of photos do you like to take for just yourself when not working with clients?

Since I don’t take clients, I only shoot what moves me. My website is divided by People, Places, and Things – so I really like to shoot a little bit of everything. What unifies that work is typically dramatic light, strong lines, and little bit of mystery in the underlying story or scene. When I really need to let go, I pick up my iPhone and shoot with that; it’s very freeing to shoot with something that is both physically lighter and simplifies the

shooting process. Some of my favorite work was shot with my iPhone, and I keep an iphoneography gallery on my website to represent a slightly more reckless side of my artistry.

 

 

 

 

Describe your style in 3 words.

Moody, thoughtful, cinematic

 

 

 

Any challenges you have had to overcome to be where you are today?

Lack of patience and an overabundance of expectation. There’s gear, there’s education, there’s practice … and then there’s just time. Making peace with the fact that my growth is to some extent beyond my control and that the more I improve, the more I realize how much further there is to go has helped me to enjoy the journey a little bit more.

 

 

 

Favorite time of day to shoot is?

Twilight. Because my kids are so young, I don’t often get out to shoot after sundown, but there is something magical about that time of day for me.

 

 

 

Have you attended college or had any formal education in Photography?

Nope — I majored in political science at Duke University and then got my law degree from UT-Austin.

 

 

 

What are your photography related goals for 2012?

I’m in a terrible shooting rut right now, so my biggest focus is just on finding my creative momentum again. I also have several educational projects underway, one of which will be announced on Clickin Moms later this month (and I am soooo excited about it!)!

 

 

 

How do you push yourself to keep growing and learning? Any Big Aha! Moments?

Learning to work with low light was incredibly empowering and a defining moment for me as a photographer. I have an enormous outline of things I want to study and apply to my photography, so I don’t ever see myself running out room for growth or exhausting the list of new things I want to learn … I just need to find more time to work on it! Teaching has also played a huge role in my growth; my students never fail to challenge me with their questions and inspire me with their skill, vision, and commitment. Spending time studying and writing critiques on their work is also an extremely intensive exercise and really helps me to strengthen my own eye and stretch my exploration of the way photographers communicate story and message. I just finished up an advanced level composition workshop on Clickin Moms, and the girls that I had in class were absolutely brilliant.

 

 

 

Biggest Photography related insecurity?

This industry describes photographers who don’t operate a business using the words “hobbyist” or “amateur” – both of which tend to imply lesser skill or a lack of commitment. I struggled for a long time with the perception that a photographer has to go into business to be taken seriously. I so admire the extraordinary photographers who manage a client based business while maintaining a passion for what they do and staying true to themselves as artists, but it wasn’t a good model for me. The most beneficial thing I did for myself as an artist was to step back from client work; when I released myself from the pressure to deliver, I found that I became a more adventurous photographer who was willing to take risks, to “fail,” to shoot what, when and how it moved me. All of those things really accelerated my growth and made photography more personally fulfilling. Being a “hobbyist” is not a sign of inexperience, inferiority, or whimsy; it is, for me, a luxury.

 

 

 

Digital or Prints?

Digital, but I plan to start putting together print collections every quarter or so. There is just something extraordinary about seeing your work in print.

 

 

 

I know quite a few photographers that have a relative or spouse serving our country. This means you have to relocate a lot? How do you cope with having to start over? Any tips on how to sustain a business while moving every so often?

I work full-time for Clickin Moms, so I’m fortunate in that the moves do not adversely affect my professional life; my work simply moves with me. Happily for me, the nature of working for CM is also that I have a huge network of friends and colleagues throughout the country … no matter where the Army moves us, odds are that there will be a friendly face fairly close by.

 

 

You have so much on your plate. Family, your photography, and Clickin Moms. How do you find balance?

I struggle with that a lot, and I, like many moms, tend to sacrifice “me” time, which usually results in burnout every now and again. I’ve been trying to commit to a GTD (“Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity”) system; for starters, I have been more disciplined about using calendars and to-do lists on a daily basis, and that has been incredibly helpful for me. One of the keys to the GTD system is to complete immediately any task that can be completed in two minutes or less rather than adding it onto an increasingly overwhelming to-do list.

 

 

 

If you could buy absolutely anything for your business what would your next investment be?

Rumor has it that Nikon filed a patent for a 135mm f/1.8 lens. I’m holding out for that!

 

 

 

Fun stuff:

 

Favorite Color: White

 

Favorite Season: Fall

 

Biggest Guilty Pleasure: Reality TV.

 

Pet Peeve: Dishonesty

 

Studio or On location: On location

 

What did you want to be when you grew up? The President

One thing no one knows about you is: No one? I don’t think there is anything!

 

PC or Mac: Mac

 

Lightroom Or Photoshop: Lightroom

Film or Digital: Digital

 

Props or No Props: No Props

 

If you could travel anywhere it would be: Italy. I went in my pre-photography life but would love to go back with a camera.

 

Glass Half Empty or Half Full: Half Full

 

Favorite photo ever taken: Impossible question. The images in my portfolio make my heart sing for different reasons, but most also whisper, “I am flawed; you can do better than this!” I’m afraid that – at the point – I can’t chose among them, but here is a favorite from last week…. I love it because I shot this situation with my iPhone the day before, and the light and lines were so lovely that I was kicking myself because I didn’t have my “real” camera nearby. The next day, I left my camera near that window all morning, waiting for him to step onto his little stepstool and lift the blinds over his head again. Happily I’m even more in love with the second image. 

 

 

 

 

Raw or Jpeg: RAW

 

Favorite Music to Edit to: Right now it is Zee Avi and Ellie Goulding, but I could edit for hours to Rolling in the Deep (Adele) on repeat.

 

Favorite Quote: “I think the best pictures are often on the edges of any situation, I don’t find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges.” (William Albert Allard)

 

Most valued material possession: My wedding ring. It’s a constant reminder of how fast life has gone. I remember that proposal like it was yesterday, and yet somehow we have three boys and will be married eight years in August.

Processing Style: Moody

 

Coffee or Tea: Coffee

 

What kind of Camera bag do you rock? I have a Jill-E, a Think Tank, and a Lowepro backpack, but I usually keep my gear in my two Pelican Cases.