Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Block
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
2021 marks my sixth year as a full time photographer and it is so wild to think that way back in 1995, when life was much, much simpler, my Dad introduced me to this art by accident. I was five years old and my Dad was enrolled in a black and white photography class at the local college. He needed me to pose for some portraits in the living room, and I still remember “hamming” it up for the camera. It wasn’t long before I wanted to see what exactly he was doing…. and more importantly, how. Fortunately, my curiosity was sparked at an early age, and as technology developed, I was the proud owner of a T20 Digital Camera Point & Shoot Silvercamera by age ten. Talk about the freedom to “experiment” with composition! Fast forward to high school, and getting involved in the drama program where our teacher was asking us who had a descent camera to do some headshots of our cast for the Fall Musical. I instantly thought I could give some glamorous direction and have fun with my classmates to capture some photos for our underfunded program. It was such a learning curve to have people in front of the camera and not know what to do with themselves. Even though I’d say I’m almost solely “self-taught” – the one ability that has always come naturally is giving direction to those in front of the lens. To this day, my absolute favorite part of the process of taking photos of any subject is seeing them absolutely blossom with self-awareness and confidence I assure them with. It’s THE BEST! The biggest turning point came with a dose of sheer luck when I attended a “Shoot and Meet” hosted in Long Beach by three photographers – one of which is named Shauntelle Sposto with Sposto Photography. The idea of the gathering was to have a free event where photographers local to South Orange County and beyond could meet around sunset for an hour and photograph each other, connect and build rapport to second shoot for one another in the wedding industry. I had only photographed individuals and friends of friends for fun thus far.
But attending this event in the late summer of 2014, with one semester of college to go and no real plan for what post-graduation has in store, I attended with no expectations and a 6D my Dad let me borrow for the weekend. I enjoyed the company of the 30+ members who attended that event, and even though it was slightly overwhelming, luck had it that I would have the chance to talk to Shauntelle afterwards when about half the group met for tacos afterwards. Again, I didn’t come in with an agenda, but I had the chance to see some of Shauntelle’s work on Facebook before the event and it immediately drew me in. Eye candy to the max. Just painting like aesthetics and dreamy as can be. I told her how I felt about her portraits and asked if she offered internships. In fact she did! And even more importantly, she had a six month opening starting in January. Ummm, if that wasn’t a CLEAR sign, I don’t know what would top it. In six months’ time, with no prior wedding and formal portrait experience, I learned all the ins and outs of not just shooting, but running a legitimate business – and the payment was a solid portfolio second/third shooting for an established photographer. It was hard work, but I knew very quickly, that weddings and portrait session were a good match for me, my personality, stamina and absolute awe for the stunning work that wedding vendors create on a wedding day! With that solid foundation, I had the tools to go it alone and put the real work in to develop my style, clientele, specialty, lighting, gear – my gosh the list goes on.
As of 2022, I’m carving out another venture and planning to purchase a sprawling space to start a wedding venue. At this starting point, is beyond daunting. And let’s talk about a learning curve, haha! However, if I let the overwhelming thoughts that come with starting a small business set me off course when I dove head first into pursuing this small business of mine from the 2014 post BA in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism – I would be living a totally different reality today. Tenacity has been a saving grace, but a viable career is still a fusion between the business and art. I love celebrating people and their life events. It will always be something I feel humbled to be able to provide for others and be of service.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some challenges have been how saturated the market is with so much talent. It’s a blessing and a curse when it comes to staying true to what I know to be my principles to best serve my clients. 2020 put it all on the line, and fortunately, I didn’t run into too many problems, but I did have to make sure legalities were up to date and my contracts and other staples to booking were in order.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Light-filled, true to color, portraits of heartwarming moments are what I specialize in. I’m known for bringing the best out of the people in front of my camera. I’m in a season where I’m photographing more families and since I absolutely love kids, I have a newfound love for watching my families grow year after year. What sets me apart from others is usually my height – it’s not every day you meet a six foot lady! All joking aside, I am glad I have a flattering angle on most people, and that paired with my silly humor, I love that I can put people at ease very quickly into meeting them.
What are your plans for the future?
Yes yes yes! I am based in Southern California, but I have had increasing opportunities to shoot out of state. I haven’t seen a place that has yet to inspire me and my love for travel. On a personal note, I frequently visit Fort Worth/Dallas, TX since my boyfriend and I have been long distance. It has become another hub for my business and so different from what SoCal has to shoot, that I’m on my way to being a bicoastal business.
Pricing:
- Portrait Sessions start at $550
- Portraits start at $550
- Weddings start at $3400
Contact Info:
- Email: sarah@sarahblockphotos.com
- Website: https://sarahblock-photography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahblockphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahblockphoto/
Image Credits
Sarah Block Photography
