Kathy: Do you always have an assistant with you?

Sara: Absolutely. If at all possible I always try to have a second shooter. Especially if I am Shooting an event with more than 90 people in attendance. And especially for weddings. One reason: I can be with the bride and have my second with the groom, this way we can get images of both of them getting ready. There is often not enough time for me to both. Also, if something were to happen to my gear at a critical point, it is a safety net. Finally, It is great to have someone available to help me set up and test the light when needed. Shelly is a professional helper.As you can see... she has the amazing ability to be at more than one place at a time. It is a real talent. Thank you for all of your help Shelly!   

Cindy: What was your inspiration to get into photography?

Me: That is a great question and one that I am asked pretty often. My journey in photography really began in South Africa. When I was in my final year at University in 2004 I decided that I would go to South Africa to finish my degree. I choose South Africa because it was home to the University of Cape Town which was one of the best ecology schools in Africa. When I first flew into Cape Town I instantly felt at home. I LOVED this country. I was dreading the day that I would have to leave and I wanted to hold onto everything around me. Photography is what allowed me to hold onto those memories. I started a travel blog and documented my adventures through words and photography. I was hooked. When I returned to California after what turned into a 9 month adventure that ended with finding my sweetheart I let myself get lost in my photography. It was a coping mechanism. I surrounded myself in my photographs and let them console me. Life went on and eventually my passion turned into a career.

It was my husband that actually pushed me to take the leap into photography as a full time endeavor. I was actually enrolled in an environmental science masters program, just getting ready to get started when the conversation arose. We were sitting on the couch one Saturday morning and we were speaking about my future masters program. Charlie said, 'Sara, all you talk about or think about if photography. Are you sure you want to continue with this masters program?' I asked him what my other option was and he said I could do photography full time. Hearing him say those words made me believe that I could do it. I gave my two weeks notice at my job, let the masters program know that I would not continue and I dove in head first into a career in photography. I have been loving my life ever since.

So, my inspiration to photograph was my desperate attempt to hold onto fleeting moments. My inspiration to take it on as a full time career was my darling husband.     

Photo by Ananda Shorey who flew all the way to the Bahamas to help me photograph a wedding.  This image was taken in the Bahamas at the Atlantis while running around the resort. Just wait till you see the blog from this wedding. The images are amazing!


Beatrice: I love all your images... they are so stunning !! What camera do you
use primarily for your wedding shots ?

Sara Marie: That is a great question Beatrice. I actually use two camera's at all of my weddings. My primary camera is a Canon 5D Mark II. I love love love it. Not only does it take stunning photos, but the video that it produces is AMAZING. My backup camera is a Canon 5D. Both of my cameras are full frame meaning they have an image sensor that is the same size as a 35 mm film frame. One of the major advantages to using a full frame camera is pixel size. The larger sensor allows for larger pixels which provide for a wider dynamic range and lower noise at high ISO levels.  In other words, a full frame sensor produces better quality images in low light situations (like receptions).

I hope that answered your question! Happy Monday!

Dennis: Since we know that the people you meet and your photo work are the best part of your small business, what does concern or frustrate you most?

Wow, that is a big question. It is hard for me to know where to start. There are many aspects to owning and running a business that take a lot of time and patience. Taxes for instance. Most of those things are just part of life as a business owner and in the future I will definitely be outsourcing that sort of thing!

At the moment my biggest concern is the effect that moving to a new city will have on my business. Charlie will be starting a doctorate program at UCLA in the fall which means that I will, along with our furry family, be moving to LA. The good news is that at least I will still be in California, the bad news is that I do not know a single person in the LA area. So I will essentially be starting all over. I will keep my clients in the Bay Area while branching out into southern California. So, for those of you with friends or family in Southern California... send them my way!

I hope that answered your question!

I often have people asking me questions. Questions about life, questions about owning a business, questions about photography. Last night I got to thinking, there are probably more people that have those same questions, why not just put them on the blog. So, here I am starting a new little blog-series that I call it tidbits. Little nuggets of information that you might find helpful. The catch: you have to ask the questions! It can be anything photography related or not. It can be business questions or it can be life questions. Basically this is an open forum. Also, if you have suggestions, this is where I will post them for others to see. So email me, facebook me or leave a question in the comment section. How often will I post a tidbit? At least once a month depending on your response. If there are a ton of questions I will post more frequently. So there you go. Fire away. I am waiting...

Sonny: I wanted to ask your advice regarding a good lens to travel with.  I'll be taking a trip in March to Turkey, London, and Calgary.  I wanted to take good lenses with me, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of carrying two lenses with me (wide and long) that I'd have to switch between while on the go.

Tidbit: If I was limited to only one lens, I would bring my 70-200 f/4. This is a beautiful lens and it is a lot lighter than it's overweight cousin the 70-200 f/2.8. I would use this lens on the Canon 5d mark II. Then, if I had the option I would bring a point an shoot that I can stick in my pocket for taking pictures in tighter quarters. The one reason I might bring a wider lens is if I plan on taking landscape type images. In this case I would bring my 24-70 f/2.8.

These are some images that I took recently with my 70-200 f/4. I know you probably will not be photographing hippos in Europe, but it gives you an idea. Happy travels!