It's all smiles when Sarah is around. This Flourtown photographer and mother of two will charm you into relaxing for the camera. Her down-to-earth approach and years of experience results in great shots for her clients. Read on for Sarah's tips on capturing the moments of life.
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How would you describe your business?

​​​​​​​Professional photography. My business is in flux right now. I have been primarily photographing weddings, but I’m moving more towards family and commercial photography. I photograph people, and I specialize in putting people at ease so they can be documented with genuine expressions.
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How did you choose photography as your career?

​​​​​​​I was incredibly fortunate that photography was offered as an elective class in my middle school! I started by making my first “camera” out of an oatmeal box and tin foil. From that moment on I was hooked. I continued taking pictures through high school, and eventually went to art school (The Art Institute of Philadelphia) My internships through school became my first jobs… and I’ve continued to grow since then.

What are some of your fave local places to shoot and why?

This really depends on the client. With kids old enough to be on a playground, I really love Cisco park. The playground gets them out of “posing mode” and the landscape around the park is beautiful too. I also use the Manor House at Prophecy Creek Park. That’s another great location with a lot of open space, but also trails in the woods, a beautiful weeping willow tree, a pond, and a lot of details to enjoy.

Any photo secrets you can share with our selfie obsessed selves?

Find the light. You can pose all you want to, and have perfect hair and clothes, and if the lighting you’re standing in is terrible, the photo will be terrible. A good rule of thumb is to face towards a window, not in direct sunlight, but facing a light source. Always avoid direct overhead lighting (like recessed ceiling lights) This makes everyone look terrible. Most of all, HAVE FUN! Being vibrant and authentic is more beautiful than any specific “side” or “face” that you could capture.

A lot of people don't like being photographed (ME!) - any pro tips for less pain and great shots?

For people who hate having their picture taken (which is almost everyone) my advice is this:

1) Hire a photographer you trust, and enjoy being around. If you’re uncomfortable, it’s going to show on your face. 2) DON’T tell people to smile for the camera, ESPECIALLY kids. Rather than TELL them to smile, get silly, interact with them, and do something worth smiling for (or let your professional do those things.) The result will be an authentic expression that’s captured, rather than a stiff “camera face”. 3) Don’t overthink it. The people who spend hours the night before smiling at themselves in the mirror to find their “best smile” are always the ones who look the most awkward in front of the camera. Just relax, and try to have fun with it.

If you weren't a photographer what would your dream job be?

I wold love to write for a travel magazine, writing about the people, food, culture, music, and attractions in different parts of the world. Of course I’d want to photograph all those things as well… and I would never take a job that took me away from my kids, but in my dream world, I’d get paid to do that.

I love your family holiday card so I HAVE to include it here! Did you really tape your kids to the wall? LOL

​​​​​​​So… No. We didn’t actually tape our kids to the wall! I photographed each kid laying on a white backdrop on the floor… I DID actually Duct tape them with red tape to the floor!!! (They took it pretty well!) … I stood on a ladder above them for a quick shot, and then let them go. A friend actually took the photo of my husband and I, though I set the camera for her. I’m fairly good in Photoshop, so it was an easy job to put it all together. I hear that kids on our street WANT to come over now… so that we can tape THEM to the wall!

​​​​​​​How long have you lived in Springfield?

My husband and I bought our home in January 2013. We’d been living in center city, and were ready to start a family, so we wanted a quieter location with great schools… We fell in love with this neighborhood!

What do you love most about the neighborhood?

We love that we can walk to the pool at the Flourtown Country club, that we can trick or treat up and down our block and have so much fun with all our neighbors, that Santa drives by on Christmas Eve… In general we love that within a couple of miles we have true beautiful farmland (Erdenheim Farm) and hiking trails (Green Ribbon, Forbidden Drive) … but also a grocery store and movie theater. On top of that, both my husband and I sometimes work in the city, so it’s great to be only a short distance from the city on those occasions.