Meet Sarah Swenson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Swenson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Hi Sarah, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I don’t think being the only one in the room like you is something to stress about. If anything, I think it can set you apart. There’s more than one way to be successful. You may look around and wonder if you need to change to fit in, but having your own unique offerings is a gift. There will be people out there that see what you can do and really appreciate it. The beauty of hiring a photographer is that there are different styles and personalities, and you can choose what you feel is your best match. The great part about being the photographer is getting to do what you enjoy in the style you enjoy doing it. Other photographers have different styles and different business models and that’s ok. We all get to be successful in our own ways.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m very lucky to get to photograph families, including couples, babies, children, seniors, and extended families. I’ve also had the opportunity to photograph headshots, sports in action, and branding photos.

My goal is to always make things as stress free as possible. That means gathering information and making a plan ahead of time with clients to create a plan that will help guide their session. I also like to keep things light. Clients are always allowed to pass on pose ideas and suggest their own. Children often have ideas and it’s fun to include those as well. It makes it more fun for them to get to be a part of it in that way. I also allow breaks and try to use prompts that create movement to take away the stress of posing just right. Basically, I like to help anyone in front of my camera feel comfortable and like they can trust me with their memories.

At a certain point in time, your loved ones will only exist in photos. I think it’s super important to have photos of those you love, and don’t want feeling uncomfortable in front of the camera or stress to keep people from having those memories to treasure.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three skills that have been most impactful to me in my journey are communication skills, adaptability, and being willing to push through fear.

Communication is so important! Do clients know what you offer? The process? What to expect? Do they feel safe asking questions or for adjustments? Are you open to hearing about things that could go better next time? It’s so important to be able to talk back and forth to share ideas, brainstorm, and create a final product that clients can enjoy.

Adaptability is also important, especially with technology. Cameras, editing software, and the industry in general changes over time and it’s so important to be able to continue learning so you can keep up with the changes and keep going.

Pushing through fear is also necessary. Learning a whole new camera system with endless settings and menus can be super intimidating, but if you don’t push through and figure it out you’ll end up stuck.

I guess my best advice for developing these skills is to try to be willing to make mistakes. You can set up practice photo sessions so you can try out new cameras, new poses, new editing styles, etc. and continue to learn. Asking for help and teaming up with others to learn together can be really helpful too!

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents have always been there for me. Anything I’ve wanted to learn, try, or do has been accepted and supported. They’ve never made me feel like I shouldn’t go after something I was passionate about. We all feel pulled to our own interests and I always aim to support others in their interests like my parents did mine. So if you’re wanting to try something new – go for it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @blue_fawn_photography

Image Credits

Blue Fawn Photography, LLC