Conversations with Sarah Todd

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

Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Back in the early 2000s, I went to college with a passion for music and film. I left my hometown in New Jersey for Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN at the age of 18 with a focus on music business. While there I managed a small town rock band, booking shows for them locally and also took photos of them for their press kit.

Later on, I ended up transferring to a school in New York (Brooklyn College) where I graduated with a degree in film/screenwriting. I worked at various entertainment companies in NYC in the late 2000s, interning on various film productions, and eventually landed an Executive Assistant role at The Weinstein Company (Yep, Harvey Weinstein).

In December 2010 I made a move to Austin, Texas, and in 2011 was hired on as a screenwriter for a biopic about WWE wrestler, Chris Benoit, titled “Crossface.” Unfortunately, after a few years of being in development, the project was ultimately shut down by a Benoit family member. But, moving on…

In 2015 I was feeling burnt out from writing and was getting more involved with photography. Also, still in love with music, I started up a music publication called MonkeyGoose Magazine – a site mainly dedicated to photographing and reviewing concerts. I found contributors from all around the country to participate in the growth of the site and would correspond with publicists to get them (and myself) into shows with a media photo pass. Outside of getting married and starting a family with my wonderful husband and having two beautiful kiddos, the growth of this little publication has remained my focus for years now, as well as becoming a working photographer for family portraits, headshots, weddings, and events. (www.sarahtoddphotos.com).

The Covid pandemic certainly slowed things down for a while, but my family and I recently moved to Raleigh, and now that my kids are getting a little older, I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things with MonkeyGooseMag.com concert reviews and in general meeting new photography clients. So excited to experience all that Raleigh has to offer!

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?
Things were difficult when I first started college. My father was sick with leukemia back in New Jersey, and I was feeling a lot of uncertainty about how to really get my adult life started. I enjoyed my time in Tennessee studying music business, but I decided to move back home and be with my dad while finishing my college education and working for some entertainment companies in New York City.

But still, that uncertainty of how to “make it” in such a competitive field lingered, and I decided it was best to move on from the big city work life, and moved down to Austin, Texas. I worked a 9-5 there while also writing the Chris Benoit biopic (https://deadline.com/2013/07/good-helmer-vicente-amorim-to-direct-pic-on-tragic-wrestler-chris-benoit-546678/). I put so much time and energy into writing that script, so it was very disappointing to me when it was shut down….

I think that was really hard for me back then. I just felt like that was that for my writing efforts, and I haven’t really looked back at it since. In the end it all kind of worked out for the better, because my love of photography really blossomed after that, and I can’t think of not being involved with that now (both for MonkeyGoose and my own personal photography work).

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m really proud of creating MonkeyGoose. I’ve had a great group of contributors on board for a number of years now who are still submitting reviews pretty regularly, and I’m starting to get back out to shows too. I love concert photography and have covered some of my biggest shows just this year (John Mayer, The Who).

This past year I’ve also been heavily involved with work as a professional photographer – I’ve had 70 clients since last November, from family portraits to corporate events, headshots, and weddings… this has become my bread and butter. I feel so very thankful to have a supportive husband who’s “tagged in” with our little kids anytime I’ve needed to schedule a photoshoot. I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it without him.

I became a stay-at-home mom in 2019 and juggling mom life with photography work, making time for editing and all that… can be pretty challenging at times. But it’s been a great year and I look forward to meeting new photography clients in Raleigh!

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of creatively passionate people, and that’s always inspired me throughout the years. Of course, there were several memorable professors in college as well, both on the music and film sides.

And as previously mentioned, I don’t think I would’ve been able to pursue photography professionally without the love and support of my husband. He too is a very creative individual (in the video game industry) and his ambition has always inspired and helped motivate me.

Pricing:

• Family Portraits – $250/hour
• Family “mini” sessions – $100/20 min
• Headshots – $200/30 min
• Corporate Events – $500-$1,000
• Weddings – $1,000-$1,500

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sarahtoddphotos.com// www.monkeygoosemag.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/stoddphotog // www.instagram.com/monkeygoosemag
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/stoddphotog

Image Credits
Tallest Man on Earth, Sarah Todd, MonkeyGooseMag.com, and The Who