Community Highlights: Meet Sarah Stewart

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Stewart.

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Throughout high school, my mom pursued photography on the side. She specialized in seniors, a few weddings here and there, and families. When she wasn’t using her cameras, I would sneak them out of her closet to take photos of everything and everyone. I wanted to follow in my mom’s footsteps, but when I graduated high school, my whole mind changed. I decided to study broadcast journalism and was dead-set on becoming a news anchor.

And as the story goes for most college freshmen, I quickly realized that I didn’t like my major (not even one bit). When I came home for the summer, I was absolutely clueless as to what I wanted to pursue. Photography popped into my head a few times, but I brushed it off, thinking, “There is NO way I can do that as a job.” So instead, I rekindled my love for it as a hobby. My family gifted me my first camera that summer, and I spent those three months making my friends model for me 24/7.

When I returned for my sophomore fall semester, I lasted one whole week. Yep, ONE whole week. Within that week, the Lord called me to pack up my little dorm room, move home, and begin a business. At first, I thought I was losing my sanity. Leaving college to build a business from the ground up? Zero chance. But the more I sat in my classes and the more I walked around campus, I realized that it wasn’t where I belonged. I called up my parents, we packed up my tiny hatchback, and I moved home.

Within the first year at home, I finished out my Associate’s degree online, all while learning how to begin a photography business. I put out hundreds of ads for free photoshoots, and I spent all of my time building my portfolio, learning my camera, watching every single YouTube tutorial known to mankind, seeking out mentorship from fellow photographers, and getting my hands on every learning opportunity I could find.

Fast forward three years later: I am so crazy thankful that I get to call wedding photography my full-time job. I never would have never guessed that I’d skip the whole college thing (we all thought I would be the one to stay in school forever). But it just goes to show: the Lord’s ways and plans are better than ours! I am so grateful that I get to pursue my heart’s greatest passion as my job. Getting to be a part of documenting my couples’ stories and their legacy is the greatest honor and joy! I still have a LONG way to go and SO much more to learn. And I can’t wait to see the way my business grows in the years to come!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been super smooth at times and extremely rough at others. As cliche as it sounds, in order to learn, sometimes (let’s be real: a good chunk of the time), you have to fail first. By far, my biggest struggle (and something I still have to learn how to manage) is comparison. The wedding photography industry is super saturated, which makes comparison an easy trap to fall into. When I first started out, I was so determined to meet wedding industry trends rather that truly caring for my couples. I put all my energy into building a trendy, “cool,” and relevant brand, constantly attempting to mimic other photographers. But only resulted in burn-out, frustration, and disappointment. My whole mindset changed when I realized I simply needed to be myself, all while loving and serving my clients well.

And while my mindset has changed, I still have to constantly remind myself of my “why”: to capture exactly who my couples are and who they were created to be. My job is to create an experience that allows each of my couples to know how deeply loved and cherished they are and to document the truth of their story.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a full-time wedding and engagement photographer based out of the Carolinas, but I travel any and everywhere! I photograph all different types of weddings, ranging from intimate backyard celebrations all the way to grand weddings with over 200 guests. On the weekends, you will likely find me busting up the dance floor with my couples on the best day of their life! But on the weekdays, I’m editing, emailing, and planning away, or taking engagement photos!

I am a FIRM believer in capturing the truth of my couples’ stories rather than creating for industry trends. Whether they are getting married in their hometown church, under a waterfall, in a barn, or on an island, I’m there to help them document it in a raw, real way. When I’m not celebrating with my couples, you can hear more about my heart for storytelling on my podcast “Truth Above the Trend,” where I, along with fellow industry creatives, speak on the value of true storytelling over fleeting wedding industry trends. At the end of the day, my goal is to make every single person who steps in front of my camera feel seen, known, and loved just as they are! Their story, and the truth of it, matters SO much more than what the industry deems as “trendy.”

The relational aspect of photography is my absolute favorite part of my job! I LOVE getting to build intentional relationships with my clients, and even more so, I love getting to not only serve them well but help them create photos that will be a part of generations to come!

What’s next?
My plans for the current future are to continue wedding photography full-time. In the next few years, I want to tailor my business towards the educational side of business and photography, as well as host workshops and retreats for photographers! I plan to continue my podcast, as well as make “Truth above the Trend” a pivotal part of my education//workshops!

Contact Info:

• Email: sarahcstewartphotography@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.sarahcstewartphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahcstewartphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahcstewartphotography/?ref=bookmarks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfUvA1r0wLs89AG3I3XDAvA
• Other: https://sarahcstewartphotography.podbean.com

Image Credits
1. Headshot: Emily Bernhardy 2. Black and white image of me: Leandra Creative Co. 3. Photo with bridal party: Nikki Gibson Photography 4. Photo with dress: Hannah Walser Photography.