Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Head.
Sarah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For me, being a photographer was never anything I planned on. I was gifted a Nikon D3200 for Christmas one year in my early 20’s and I jammed it up the first time I tried to use it. You know… where the picture turns out black and it won’t “click” anymore… It was the type of jam that turning it off and back on again couldn’t fix. Which is all I knew to do. I mean, a typical person probably would have studied the instruction book that came with it but let’s face it, that’s not really my style. Plus… I got to use the dorky joke and blame my subject for breaking my camera! (which happened to be an adorable 4-year-old getting very impatient with me).
Disappointed and yet amazed at myself, exactly how did I manage to demolish this really nice gift in under 2 minutes?!?! Frantically pushing buttons, I could feel the death stare coming from Miss Prissy Pants herself. I look up to see a frozen half-smile that looks more like pain and eyes that were screaming, “hurry up!” Needing to be quick to catch what’s left of her temporarily paralyzed face, I grabbed my trusty “point and click.” The kind where you don’t need to be a photographer to use it. The kind that just does what it is supposed to do and captures all the blackmail photos of your friend’s mid-bite. Yep, I am talking about the kind you wind up, click and toss the whole camera in a bag at Walgreens to develop.
Needless to say, the Nikon D3200 only made a short debut before going back into the basic, black camera bag it came in. My intentions were to tuck it away and come back to it when I had time to “unjam” it. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into Months… and well, you get the point. It stayed out of sight and out of mind for over seven years until I transitioned into a job where I was working for an influencer. Doing the typical mundane assistant work, managing websites, social media, running errands and overseeing budgets, always looking for ways to make life easier on my client and keeping the budgets down. Well, as we all know, Influencers need a lot of photos. The good kind of photos. The ones were taken with a professional camera and not some throw-away. The ones that also tend to inflate budgets.
Contemplating several days on how I could fix this problem while running 90 to nothing, everything became quiet. As if my brain came to a screeching halt and quit working… I hear his voice. “USE WHAT YOU HAVE.” I did not know what it meant at the time but I kept playing it over and over in my head, “use what I have.” I didn’t have much so I really struggled trying to figure out the answer to this game God likes to play sometimes. I mean, can I just get a burning bush to tell me what you want? Again, figuring things out is not my style. However, little did I know that I was going to be pushed into figuring out how to work that little camera I had tucked away many years ago. This was the answer to my riddle!
I went to classes and used the people in my life as my homework… Daily! If you ever need pictures of annoyed people giving authentic, disgruntled facial expressions, this is the way to do it! Perhaps, I will get them printed to use at their wedding rehearsal one day while reminding them, “Hey, it was for research!” Through all the blurry pictures, the blackmail pictures and the ones that actually turned out… I developed such a love for photography!
I found that I can capture that laugh, the tears or that big bear hug from a loved one and make time standstill. Creating tangible memories to cherish and still maintain my first goal… keeping the budget down while “Using What I Have.” “If you don’t think photos are important… wait until they are all you have left” – Missy Mwac
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Have you ever had that one crazy friend who drove a little too fast? Where they hit something and your head hits the ceiling or they swerve and your face is now smashed to the window? Becoming a single mom at the age of 18, there were many of those moments where the road was a bit like riding with Evil Knievel.
My son and I were both kids growing together and navigating life. We moved to Dallas 12 years ago by ourselves to see what the world had to offer. We had moments where everything seemed to be going great… to moments of being homeless and having nothing figured out. We have had more than our fair share of obstacles along the way but most importantly… we did not give up. Having that mindset, we are able to get through anything.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Sarah K Photography is a business where it’s more about giving back and paying it forward. Proceeds made are used for donations towards local organizations. These include Dallas Homeless Shelters, Veterans, paying for students’ lunch accounts, Women’s Shelters, professional headshots for anyone making a transition into the working world and many more! The newest edition with be adding fundraisers for teams or group events!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I believe I have had a lot of both, and most times, the bad turns into good later on. Seeds are planted in each scenario that helps us grow. Looking back on things, we understand why bad luck happened. For instance, this camera was planted in my life many years ago. The working position I was in was considered to be the “bad luck”. It was a really rough time but it also brought out the good of getting my camera out and discovered. It was the stepping stone to my love for photography and being able to help others. I think the key is trying to find the good in everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarahhead.mypixieset.com/
- Phone: 318-884-2425
- Email: sarahkphotographyinfo@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellosarahkay
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahkphotographyinfo
Image Credit:
Sarah K Photography
Jessie Agastra
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