Featured Interview: Sarah Rhoads

A Bit of Background

Give us a little peek in behind the camera?

I’m a total romantic that see’s the world with all of the hope and possibility that it posses. My husband Chris and I are a husband and wife lifestyle photography team.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Chicago, IL. My husband and business partner, Chris, grew up in Tulsa, OK and we now live in Seattle, WA

What influenced you into getting into photography?

When I was fourteen I lost my dad in a plane accident. In that moment the seed was planted in my heart to embrace the sentiment that life is short and there is no other way to live apart from doing something that you truly love. From that point forward I knew that life lived with purpose and passion made you feel weightless and invigorated. I knew that I had to find that. I stumbled into photography shortly thereafter when a mentor of mine bought me my first camera at 14 and taught me all about shutter speed and aperture. The rest is history. The moment the camera was in my hands it just felt right, there was a power in imagery and its ability to transcend time that totally fascinated me. It wasn’t until college that I really began to take photography seriously when I met Chris and he told me to run after this. Good think I trusted him. *If you want to read more on How I got into photography you can read here.

Did you go to school for photography?

No I did not, I went to school and got my BA in Journalism. In my opinion, some of the most successful photographers are not necessarily those who completed years or schooling or studied under the most prestigious educators; although I’m sure this is helpful, their art degrees are not the keys to their success. I believe the key to their success is that they have a calling, people who felt like if they did anything other than create imagery they would be doing themselves and the world a great dis-service. When you have THAT kind of passion behind you – sacrifice becomes bearable and hard work like eating an ice cream cone. Someone who has that kind of purpose will always forge their own path…. they will ALWAYS make a way even when it seems there is not one…. they will take initiative to learn, grow and stretch themselves because they have the conviction of knowing it is what they were put on this planet to do.

By going to school for something other than photography I was forced to pave my own way. I had no choice but to seek it out which I think really worked as a benefit to me.

The Photographers Process

What does your usual work-flow consist of?

It depends on the job, however; typically after a shoot we will come home. Use photo mechanic to view and select the images. Upload them into Capture One or Lightroom to do basic color correction and then for those that we want to do more advanced level edits on we will pull them into Photoshop.

What type of equipment are must haves for you at any shoot?

I’ve always said that it is not the camera that makes the photographer. It’s the photographer that knows how to leverage the camera to be strength for him or her. So I think the only “must have” to come to every shoot with is VISION and preferably a camera too.

What are your favorite types of equipment that you have owned or worked with?

We love our Leica M6 for film and I love my 35mm 1.4 lens when I’m shooting digital

Name 3 types of equipment you can’t live without besides your camera and why?

My Canon 35mm 1.4 lens because it has become cornerstone in my work as an artist. It is my “sweet spot” lens. My 5DMKII with my 35mm 1.4 on it are with me wherever I go.

Are you strictly digital or have you used film in your work? Which is your preference?

Both. Love them both for different reasons. Chris will always say he prefers film because he is shooting film 90% of the time. I’m shooting digital the majority of the time so my personal preference would be digital.

What are the main components you try to achieve when composing a shot?

Vision, Emotion, Connection

What are your top 5 sources of inspiration?

-Traveling is a huge source of inspiration for us and we try and take one major non-work related trip together every year

-We are slightly obsessed with mid century modern furniture so we are constantly checking out furniture stores that have that sort of thing and find a lot of inspiration through that style of design.

-Charles and Ray Eames have always been a huge source of inspiration for Chris and I. They paved their own way with their brilliant design and it’s still furniture that is seen in homes today

-We love good music

-Tim Walker is a great photography source of inspiration. The vision and production value that he puts into his shoots never cease to amaze me.

If you could photograph anywhere in the world, where would it be?

That’s a tough one… can I say everywhere? ;) We love to travel and just recently went to Thailand which was amazing. You can view some of those images from the trip here

What has been your favorite location to shoot at so far?

We loved shooting in Thailand and I truly fell in love with this craft while shooting the beautiful people of Togo, West Africa

Do you shoot solo, or do you have an assistant?

My husband, Chris, and I shoot together and sometimes bring along an assistant to help with bags/equipment and lighting

Post-Process and away from the lens

How have you gone about marketing yourself as a photographer and a business?

Our Blog has been a huge marketing tool for us over the years. We keep it current and updated with recent work so people can see what is going on in our lives.

What is, and/or has been, your greatest challenge as a photographer?

Getting out of my head and not letting fear get in the way of what it is I want to do. So many times our heads get in the way of our heart. Every time I have trusted my heart and my gut instincts I have never been lead astray but many times the head sends out fear signals and I’m learning to know when to just “get out of my head” and trust my heart.

When you are not behind the camera, what do you do in your free time?

Travel, Watch movies, hang out with my hubby, be with friends

Do you run any photography workshops?

We currently do two on one mentoring for photographers, which has been really popular. If you would like to be in the loop for those announcements and be the first to know you can e mail us your e mail address at news@sarahrhoads.com

Mac or PC?

Mac all the way

Outside the box

Finish the sentence – “if I were not a photographer, I would be…”

An explorer or a counselor

What would be the 1 piece of advice you would give to photographers just starting out?

Be yourself. Avoid getting caught up in the things you think you “should do.” Go with your gut and trust your heart. Only you know the depths of yourself and what you are capable of. Set high goals and don’t settle for mediocrity. Nothing beats this quote by Cecil Beaton:

“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.” -Cecil Beaton

What are you currently working on?

We are currently in the midst of a crazy busy work season with lots of international travel. We have a large editorial job coming up and will be logging lots of time behind the camera with our weddings and other shoots.

What are your goals 5 years from now?

To dream big, think big and do big. We have lots of broad ambitions but at the end of the day I want to experience life, love people and pursue my passion with everything in me

Editors Notes:

Sarah Rhoads Photography can be found at :

Site: http://www.sarahrhoads.com
Blog: http://www.sarahrhoads.com/blog
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarahrhoads
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahrhoadsphotographers

Sarah & Chris put together a great intro (shown below) on their website about them as photographers. You can really pull the warmth that they must emanate in their shoots, they are a vibrant couple and thier photography shows that. They put character into their photography, but achieve the ‘magical’ ingredient in being able to show their clients in raw form, and who they truly are.

All images are copyright Sarah Rhoads Photography and may not be used without thier permission.