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Ep. 196 - Horses make everything better - Sara James
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🎙️ Get A Heck Yes – Episode with Sarah James
Happy Woo Wednesdays!
Today I’m joined by the adventurous and inspiring Sarah James, a wedding and elopement photographer who helps couples design unforgettable “I do” moments in some of the most breathtaking places on earth.
If your dream is to wake up at sunrise to say “I do” surrounded by mountains — whether you’re in hiking boots, heels, or barefoot — Sarah is your girl. She creates magical elopement experiences everywhere from deserts and lakes to caves, canyons, wild beaches, big trees, or even your own backyard.
Born and raised in Tunisia, a tiny country in North Africa, Sarah became a world traveler at a young age and has never stopped chasing adventure. With over 12 years of experience working for an airline, her travel knowledge is extensive — and she’s always on the go, ready to capture love stories around the world.
🌍 Where You’ll Find SarahThis year, Sarah is heading to some incredible destinations. Tune in to hear more about her journey, her travel schedule, and how she helps couples create an elopement day that’s truly about them.
🎧 In This Episode, We Chat About:- What makes elopements so meaningful and stress-free
- How Sarah’s global upbringing shaped her adventurous spirit
- The endless possibilities when you ditch tradition and make your day your own
- Her insider tips for traveling and planning the perfect destination wedding or elopement
https://photosbysarajames.com/ https://www.instagram.com/photosbysarajames
Connect with Carissa https://www.instagram.com/carissawoo
Join the 24 hour AI challenge https://digitalwealthyhypegirl.com/digital-products
Sponsors - 17hats.com - use code HECKYES
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Transcript
Friendship with Sarah James
00:00:00
Speaker
happy blue wednesdays today i have my friend sarah james in the heck yes house we became friends when um she first got into weddings she was kind of like shadowing me for a while and she was just so cool to be around um she invited me and my husband over we had wine night a couple times we went to korecia together shot a wedding she got us first class um And she sadly moved to Texas and now she's in Utah, but it's just been wonderful wonderful watching her journey, starting a family, photographing horses, and she's just doing so well and i love her energy,
00:00:38
Speaker
She has such an amazing backstory growing up in Tunisia and speaking like all these languages. i just think the world of her.
Call to Action: Reviews & Challenges
00:00:46
Speaker
But she talks about how to not be in like a box for shooting weddings and like kind of how to follow your heart, which she totally has.
00:00:55
Speaker
If you're loving my podcast and you want more amazing um guests like Sarah, please leave me a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.
00:01:05
Speaker
It's going to help me push out my content to more people and get guests. so I could keep this podcast going. And if you want to turn your expertise into a digital product, I have a 24-hour challenge for $27. You could get your digital product up and running in, yeah, the next day. It takes a couple hours and it's legit.
00:01:30
Speaker
It will be in the show notes, but enjoy this episode.
Introduction to Podcast & Host
00:01:37
Speaker
Welcome to Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. I'm your host Carissa and I've been a Los Angeles wedding photographer for over a decade. I've traveled the world, built my team, and seen it all.
00:01:47
Speaker
I now coach wedding photographers hit 10K a month and build a thriving business. In this podcast, we are going to deep dive into how top wedding creatives get that heck yes from their dream clients. We are not holding back on the struggles of the business and how to push through the noise. Some healthy hustle, mindset shifts, up-leveling your money story,
00:02:06
Speaker
Time hacks because I'm a mom of two, a little bit of woo-woo, and most importantly, self-love and confidence are just a few of the many things we will talk about. I want to give you a genuine thank you for following along my journey.
00:02:18
Speaker
i hope to inspire you every Woo Wednesdays so that you say heck yes to listening to this podcast. See you guys soon.
Who is Sarah James?
00:02:28
Speaker
Hey everyone, we are live today. I'm excited to introduce you to Sarah James, an adventurous elopement photographer whose model is UBU and I'll take the picture.
00:02:38
Speaker
Born and raised in Tunisia with 12 years in the airline industry and a passport full of stamps. Sarah is always up for an adventure from sunrise vows in the mountains to barefoot kisses on wild beaches.
00:02:52
Speaker
She helps couples create stress-free, unforgettable ideals. And fun story, um before you moved to Texas and now you're in Utah, but um you got me on first class, my first class um airline ever when we photographed a wedding in Croatia.
00:03:09
Speaker
So maybe we could touch on that later. But welcome, Sarah. Hi, everyone. Carissa. Nice to be here. Thanks for having me.
Sarah's Background & Journey
00:03:16
Speaker
ya you're in your beautiful backyard in Utah. But tell everyone who you are in a nutshell.
00:03:22
Speaker
So I'm Sarah James. I'm an elopin photographer who also is obsessed with horses. So that's like my other ah venture, I would say. And I'm from Tunisia, North Africa.
00:03:34
Speaker
In case you don't know where that is, it's okay. My husband also didn't before he met me. And um my mom is from Boston. Can't really hear her accent either, but I'm a mix of the two. I was born and raised there.
00:03:45
Speaker
Went to French school. So that's kind of more of the accent. yeah Went to school for journalism, photography, then decided to be a flight attendant and somehow ended up in California and met you and went back into the photography side of things.
00:03:59
Speaker
Yeah, that's crazy. um When you bust out your French, it's so sexy. Yeah.
00:04:06
Speaker
Thank you. Merci. but Yeah, you have many languages. um what was I going ask you? Oh, yeah. Okay. Tell us what it was like being um born and raised in North Africa.
00:04:18
Speaker
It was great. I have only good things to say about it. i had such a fun childhood, horseback riding, dance lessons. The beach is everywhere in Tunisia. And it's such a tiny country. so it's kind of everyone is tight knit. And you know your neighbors, you know the people at school with you.
00:04:37
Speaker
ah You're very close with your family. And so I loved it. it was ah kind of a culture change when I moved to the U.S. And like in Tunisia, it doesn't matter if you land at like 4 a.m. and you're a stranger, someone, a friend of a friend will come and pick you up at the airport. And so in the U.S. it's more like, oh, you can get an Uber. And that for me was like, what?
00:04:58
Speaker
And then now I'm more in between the two cultures, you know, my dad's culture and my mom's culture. where I used to live and where I live. And I think that's a kind of a happy medium. But it was wonderful. It was really nice. And yeah, Chinese restaurant in Tunisia.
00:05:15
Speaker
He does. So we are not Chinese. ah My little brother thought we were so but we're not just because we had a Chinese restaurant. And so he was like, He thought we were like French, American, Tunisian, and Chinese. And so he was like, well, I speak French. I eat Chinese food.
00:05:31
Speaker
my mom's American. My dad's Tunisian. made sense in his head. But yeah, no, my dad flew to Hong Kong and just fell in love with the lights and the food and the culture and just all of it.
00:05:43
Speaker
And um decided to open a Chinese restaurant, the first one in Tunisia. And it worked well. So he opened a second, a third. now He's got only one left. We're trying to get him to retire, but he' is he's holding on. he does not want to retire. Yeah, you brought me back the famous fried rice from Tunisia.
00:06:01
Speaker
It was bomb.
00:06:04
Speaker
Yeah, it's food. Tell us when you moved to the U.S., like what age were you and the culture shock factor and any stories that shaped
Flight Attendant Adventures
00:06:14
Speaker
you? Yeah, so I was 17. I moved to Boston. And Boston have their own accent. I had my own accent of a mix of French, Arabic, and English.
00:06:24
Speaker
It was hard for me to understand them. It was hard for them to understand me. I definitely did not feel like I fit in um And there's a part of me that was homesick. I wanted to be back home.
00:06:35
Speaker
And then i also wanted to get married because I was 17 and thought I knew everything, but I didn't. And thankfully, I did not get married back then. and so i then moved to Miami and I felt like I fit in better there. Everyone had an accent. I wasn't the only one.
00:06:50
Speaker
Everyone came kind of from, it was like a melting pot more than Boston was. um So that's where I finished school. And that's where, you know, one night I was...
00:07:02
Speaker
At a restaurant, a friend's restaurant, met a flight attendant, had had a bad day at the Miami Herald working there. And just she was like, oh, you should be a flight attendant. It's so fun. You get to take pictures like you love. You get to write because I love to write as well.
00:07:19
Speaker
And you get to travel. And I was like, yeah, me and a few glasses of wine thought this was a great idea. And um I went ahead and started become being being a flight attendant.
00:07:31
Speaker
um So that was, yeah, about a few years ago now. Was that your um was that in your early twenty s Yeah. And it was not at all in my radar. And I said, I'm going to it for a year just so I can figure out what I want to do next.
00:07:46
Speaker
And then i just fell in love with it. And I fell in love with the flexibility it gives me to be an elopement photographer and to um be a horse photographer and to just also be able to see so many places and have such a so to long list of places to recommend to my
Transition Back to Photography
00:08:06
Speaker
clients. And it's places that I've been to or that I can fly to and go and actually, you know, really get to know so I can really serve and help them plan like the elopement of their dreams and a really like stress free and relaxed timeline and not, you know, get there and have to kind of get to know an area really fast.
00:08:28
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, you're just so good at traveling. I think I messed up on the tickets for um our Croatia trip. And then somehow you're like, and then like you got us on first class.
00:08:38
Speaker
And I like, oh my God, that was like epic. And then we got there and then someone's like trying to kind of um scam us a little bit on the taxi ride. And you like you're looking it up. You're like, no, no, no, it's not that price. It's way cheaper than that. was like, dang, this girl is like really good at traveling.
00:08:55
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, I think travel is in my blood. You know, my mom, she was born in the US, but she's traveled to Iran, Pakistan, India. She lived in all these exotic places, especially coming from America and then ended up in Tunisia, you know, so she was a world traveler. My my grandma, her mom was a world traveler as well.
00:09:14
Speaker
um She actually one time funny story that relates to photography. So my mom really thinks it's in my genetics to be a photographer. She arrived in Tunisia and somehow there was a miscommunication about what time she was landing.
00:09:28
Speaker
So she thought my parents maybe just didn't make it to the airport. So she took a taxi and she said, can you take me to this town? And it's a two hour drive. So it was going to be an expensive taxi ride regardless.
00:09:40
Speaker
But she said to him, Okay, so they start driving. Oh, can you stop? I just want to take a picture. Yes. He said, no problem. And the meter is going. And so she stopped at least 100 times during this two-hour drive with the meter going. wow Most expensive taxi ride. But, you know, my parents they just laughed about it because it was so her to do that. Yeah.
00:10:04
Speaker
The time driver's probably like cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. Yeah. He's like, sure, take as many pictures as you want. Oh, that's awesome. Let's talk about the first year of like being a flight attendant. Where were you traveling to and what were your some of your experiences that you love?
00:10:20
Speaker
Yeah. I traveled. i you know i i really don't keep count. Some flight attendants keep count of like, I've been to this amount of countries. I didn't. i just kind of went to where the wind took me.
00:10:31
Speaker
I went to Paris a lot because I speak French. And it was really cool. I was getting paid to go see and hang out with my friends and family that were either you know going to college in Paris or had moved there.
00:10:41
Speaker
for school, for work. So it was really fun. And then I've been, i would probably say my most memorable trip was Palau. It felt like a vacation, ah such a beautiful little island.
00:10:53
Speaker
Highly do recommend if you want to go elope there. I'm happy take the pictures. It's Palau. It's off of Japan. And it just, it's so pretty. It's a very, very, very tiny island. Wow. um And it's so remote and so private. And it was me and seven other flight attendants. And we all were coming from different cities and just got there at the same time.
00:11:16
Speaker
And it's just, it's magical. It's not far from Guam, ah which is also beautiful, but it's just extra pretty. Yeah. For me, an extra special pullout. But I loved going to Hong Kong as well, just because it meant so much for me to go to the same restaurant my dad kind of got inspired to start his business at.
00:11:36
Speaker
ah Just so many wonderful memories. Italy is always amazing for all the food and My husband's half Italian. So, you know, that also brings back to memories of our trips there.
00:11:47
Speaker
So, yeah, I i really, you know, it's one of those tough
Passion for Elopements & Horses
00:11:51
Speaker
questions. Like, what's your favorite, um you know, shoot or what's your favorite country? I'm a Libra. I cannot choose. I love them all.
00:12:00
Speaker
Yeah. Were you at the time like picking up a DSLR and like kind of taking pictures of scenery? Like and how did you start taking pictures with a couple? Yeah. I was. And the funny thing is the first time I picked up a GSLR, I took it to China ah and I did not know how to work it.
00:12:18
Speaker
And so i came back and I was like, this was a total waste. Like I took better pictures with my iPhone. And that's when I decided to actually take a class to learn how to use the camera properly.
00:12:31
Speaker
And then somehow, I'm not exactly sure, right after that class, I met you. And then you offered to shadow me and ah and that was awesome because I got to learn so much and you know you're the one that introduced me to Lightroom and showed me how to edit and how to do things on pictures that you had taken.
00:12:49
Speaker
and then I came on my first um engagement shoot yeah that you ah had and I still remember she had like kind of a light... green teal long dress like princess flowing and we're on the beach and was overcast and um it was really fun and you were like you're natural you pose them and you were you're and I was like you know I'm used to dealing with people i guess with my other job and so that part was easy it was more like the technical parts of learning to edit and learning angles um and but that was also like a fun journey yeah you were a natural
00:13:29
Speaker
Thank you. was like, you got this?
00:13:32
Speaker
You got the, okay, now I know the shoot that we did. Yeah. like so The soccer guy in like the Ben. Yeah. yeah And I think we all like sometimes maybe still get the jitters before a shoot of like, wait, how do I pose them? And How do I go into this? And wait, how many poses do I want to do? And stuff like that. And there's a million apps, you know, where you can kind of write things down and pin things. But I don't know. Sometimes I feel like all of that can be overwhelming and it's just easier, you know, once you you get to know the people. That's why I like to usually do like a video call before a shoot
00:14:08
Speaker
Just so I get to know them or people sometimes they don't want to do a FaceTime. I'm like, okay, it's just a quick phone call. So you get a feel of my personality and I get a feel of your personality. always like to send a questionnaire as well before.
00:14:20
Speaker
So I know, are there things that, you know, you're going to hate me trying to make you do and don't make it any, you know, uncomfortable for anybody and stuff like that. I think it makes it so much easier. And then things kind of just flow together.
00:14:34
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. i remember like you had like a little engagement shoot tips for people. This is before ChatGPT when it makes, you know, everything's easy now. But I was like, yeah, you're prepared.
00:14:46
Speaker
We had to write everything down before ChatGPT. Yeah, that took forever forever. Oh, my God. Like now it's just like email. Boom. Um, but anyways, I was going to say, ask you like, tell me how you, from that point, how did you like turn your passion and, you know, after getting the skills, like turn it into a full-time career and then eventually quitting your airline job.
00:15:12
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:17:35
Speaker
back to the
00:17:39
Speaker
So I think the big thing for me is to really try to find what makes you happy and what you enjoy and what you're good at, right? Like all of that in one. And so I think I would say looking, you know, like shadowing like bigger weddings and doing different kind of shoots and getting to know what I really enjoy doing was really important to me. I didn't want to start something and take a passion of mine and turn it into something that I wasn't enjoying to do anymore.
00:18:09
Speaker
um So like, even if you backtrack 10 years ago, i was, you know, even my website was a little more in the sense of, hey, let's go to Iceland and shoot an elopement there. Now I'm like, let's go to Utah and shoot an elopement there. i don't want to go so far because it's also like my life work balance, you know, and because i really enjoy the state that I live in and i want to maximize like the landscapes that are here.
00:18:36
Speaker
So I think it it was very apparent to me very fast that like bigger weddings were just not my thing. I did not have a big wedding. I had an elopement. Like elopements just speak to me. And I really understand the struggles that sometimes people go through when trying to plan an elopement, the pressure of family and friends and everything.
00:18:56
Speaker
Trying to make you feel a certain way when you just want to have a date that's about you and that's what it really should be. um And I also understand, you know, a lot of my girlfriends, they loved having a big wedding and it was what they wanted and it's what they had and it was a magical moment for them.
00:19:13
Speaker
People are just different. And so I feel like I fit in the elopement, you know, ah category when it comes to what I wanted. And so it it just makes it a little bit easier for me to understand and know what they want and help them, you know, plan something that is stress-free, that is relaxing, that is really something that is them. But it's also very special because a lot of times when you hear people say, oh, I eloped,
00:19:37
Speaker
They think courthouse Vegas, which can be super fun as well. But there's so many other ways to do it that are so fun. Like we eloped in Wyoming and with the Grand Tetons in the background and we loved it. And, you know, we want to go back for a 10 year anniversary, um maybe add some horseback riding around the Tetons this time with my wedding dress.
00:19:57
Speaker
So I think I think um that's kind of why I gravitated towards elopement and really wanted that to be, you know, my focus. And now, you know, because, you know, life ebbs and flows, I'm more and more. um what's the word, involved with back to kind of horseback riding, which I started riding when I was five years old.
00:20:20
Speaker
And now I'm 37 and I'm kind of getting really back into it more and more. And I've noticed like taking pictures of people with horses just makes me so happy. So I'm um not, you know, leaving the elopement field because I love that. And like, I mean, obviously in elopement horseback riding, now you're just like,
00:20:36
Speaker
My perfect client. yeah not really But I also just, I love animals. I've always, you know, loved animals. I always say, you know, include your pets. um It just happens to be that a lot of my clients now and the people I'm around, their pets are horses.
00:20:51
Speaker
horses So it works out. That's what they bring to the shoots. And I've loved, you know, kind of including that as well. And something that I am specializing myself in because, again, as much as I love horses and have been on horses since I'm five years old, it is a whole different thing taking pictures of horses. And learning all these new angles and the cool angles and the different ways to pose people with animals that sometimes do what you want and sometimes want nothing to do with what you are trying to do. Yeah, they don't. They're like your vision. No, not happening.
00:21:26
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. And so you have to kind of change your vision. kind of like when you have a couple and sometimes you know this as a wedding photographer you know sometimes one person is more inclined to direction than the other person and I won't say that it's always you know the girls that are a little bit easier but most times it is you know like it's it's a joke but it's because it's based on true events right like ah it's rare that husbands or the men in the photos are like woohoo, we're taking pictures today. This is so exciting.
00:21:59
Speaker
Sometimes I've had that happen. You know, I love like when guys um reach out to do like surprise proposals. I think that's amazing. I still blame Doug for not doing that. I'm like, how did you not think that's something I would want?
00:22:13
Speaker
But I still said, yes, I'll keep him. However, um so sometimes the guys are, but most times it's not. And so kind of the same way where you have to kind of shift your gears a little bit, depending on people's personality.
00:22:26
Speaker
It's obviously the same when it comes to the animals. um But it is something that I've really enjoyed. And it's um it's kind of fun, you know, also just... You know, trying something new and ah challenging yourself a little bit. And instead of just doing the same thing over and over again.
00:22:43
Speaker
yeah I mean, you're following your heart, you're following what you love. um Yeah, your mom, so you can't be going to Iceland all the time. So I get exactly But yeah, has been kind of cool watching you post a lot about these horses
Social Media Expectations
00:22:58
Speaker
and the shoots. And yeah, it's just beautiful because I definitely am not that type of photographer. So yeah, you're doing something different, but it's a great segue to our hot topic.
00:23:09
Speaker
ah What is your hot topic, Sarah? And why is it so near and dear to your heart? right. So my hot topic is going to be um all the Pinterest and the pins and basically social media really and what it does sometimes to the expectations of clients when booking a photo shoot yeah and and trying to book, you know, 20 different trends in an hour.
00:23:34
Speaker
ah First of all, it's impossible. Like humanely, it's not possible. Yeah. It's also not fun, right? Like if you're like, okay, I took two shots with this item. Now let me pull this board with this writing. Okay, now I took that picture. Now let's take this item and change clothes. And now we're doing this.
00:23:51
Speaker
It's just, it doesn't bring, I always say I want my photo shoot to feel like a date, a fun experience. And that's just not fun. I get that like that's maybe what you see online, you know, and that's probably like 20 days of shooting with a professional crew with models that are working, you know, 12 hour day, probably even longer if, you know, the sunset is later or sunrise or whatever it is.
00:24:17
Speaker
So if you want to wake up at 3 in the morning for us to start shoot and do like a 12-hour day, sure, we i guess we could do that. But if not, I always say, you know, try to have fun. Maybe have, you know, one thing that you want to bring to the shoot.
00:24:35
Speaker
Like if you're a musician, obviously bring your guitar. If you're into dance and you want to do, you know... half regular clothes, half bring your passion into it. I totally understand that. And I'd love to incorporate it.
00:24:47
Speaker
But I always say, you know... don't have like a 20 plus Pinterest list of what you want. And I, I absolutely want a client if they have this one vision ah this one shot and like, Hey, this is really what I want.
00:25:04
Speaker
Obviously please communicate with me because I don't want you to not have that shot. Right. But then trust me for the other shots, kind of let me take the lead. I promise you, you're going to love your gallery and you're going to fun doing it.
00:25:17
Speaker
um versus, you know, trying to just kind of follow this like cheat list on Pinterest. Yeah. And I feel like um when they do have all those props and they bring like a big bag, it's just very like cumbersome. And we're just like thinking about it. And it takes away all that time from like the good shots where you could just be flowy and natural and romantic and playful. Yeah.
00:25:40
Speaker
And then, like, also when they're wearing, like, i don't know, they just take forever to change. Like, that kind of eats into time. And I'm just kind of like, hurry up. Yeah. Always say, like, it's not about the accessories. It's about who you are, you know?
00:25:54
Speaker
Now, also, I guess my... Off topic, hot topic is when we send you a clothing guide, like try to follow a little bit of it because again, your pictures are not going to turn out like the ones you saw on my Instagram. If you didn't follow any guidelines, i kind of gave you. yeah and And by all means, I am not the photographer that's like, oh, no, you need to be in pastel colors or the shots will not be good. No, bring your personality. i have a family photo shoot.
00:26:24
Speaker
I sent her the clothing guideline and she was like, you know, I really have this hot pink dress that I really want to wear. And I was like, by all means, just make sure that like the other people in the family are not clashing with that. And she did. and it And it's beautiful. And I love those pictures. And I know she did, too.
00:26:40
Speaker
And so I am not the photographer that's going to tell you you, know, you can't wear this, you can wear that. But if you want a certain an aesthetic, then you kind of have to follow some guidelines. Yeah, because, um I mean, this issue must be kind of very relevant to what you're seeing these days, like people, you know, wanting everything on Pinterest um Is there like certain like situation where this keeps coming up in your life, in your your career? Or do you see other photographers just trying to fit like a mold?
00:27:13
Speaker
um Why is it so like, why are you so passionate about like bringing this bringing this as a hot topic? I'm passionate about it because I think people need to not, you know, the comparison game right now is so, so bad and so strong in our in our society. And it's so sad, you know, yeah but I think people need to stop comparing what um an influencer or a model or a brand is doing with what they can do. Yes, the brand can afford, you know, florals everywhere on a picnic for an elopement.
00:27:48
Speaker
It might not be in your budget to have that many flowers. it It will still be just as pretty. It will still be just as special because the cool thing about eloping is usually you're having a beautiful landscape in the background, right? You're not in room with white walls that you need to decorate to kind of spruce the thing up.
00:28:07
Speaker
So I always say just, you know, that that vision, I think it puts a lot of pressure on people to like either overspend or over plan. You know, we had our elopement and we literally planned it in less than a week.
00:28:19
Speaker
And if you come to me and you want to elope next week, I can make that happen. And it's not going to be, it's going to be stress-free. It's possible. However, if you want, you know, that perfect canoe that is decorated with flowers with your initials engraved in it.
00:28:34
Speaker
Yes, we're not going to be able to do that in a week. You know, that's not possible. So it's kind of like, where are your priorities? Okay, at least. Yes. This planner I was talking to, she was saying that um the bride was right about to walk down the aisle, beautiful wedding, lots of guests. And she was pretty much panicked about like, she forgot to put something on her flat lay, like her perfume or something.
00:29:00
Speaker
So we're just kind of chuckling like, oh God, you know, but you know, these stuff happen because people are just so obsessed with their Pinterest board and like having it all be perfect. So I'm glad we're, we're talking about it.
00:29:12
Speaker
in And as much as obviously as a photographer, i do think that the photos, you know, and you too, the photos are important. I always say to people, that is what you're going to have to remember that day, right? Obviously your brain as well, your memories.
00:29:26
Speaker
ah But unfortunately, sometimes that goes too. So yeah, Then all you have left is the pictures. So the pictures matter, but it's not like the flowers in the picture that matter. It's not the cake in the picture that matter.
00:29:39
Speaker
It's the two of you. It's the emotion. It's the love. It's the fun that you're having. That's what's going to matter. And that's why there's a part of me that really loves, you know, i always include a black and white gallery. Because I feel like black and white, even if maybe you decided, you know, 20 years down the line, oh, you didn't really love the dress that you're wearing or the color of his suit.
00:30:01
Speaker
Doesn't matter. Black and white. It doesn't even show. But that emotion, that love, that connection is there. And I think that's great. Yeah.
Life & Photography in Utah
00:30:11
Speaker
Yeah, this one time random story, but I had like a photo booth party. I just got my new house in Gardena and yeah, I threw myself a party. And this one photographer, he just picked up one of my like old point and shoot cameras and he took black and white pictures of the whole night and I was surprised and it was like the funniest most awesome photos all black and white um like the memories candid and I just got a kick out of it i was like wow like
00:30:46
Speaker
What a great gallery full of black and white photos. Yeah, I love black and white. I mean, there's yeah there's an emotion that black and white photos just captures.
00:30:56
Speaker
It's just it just, you know, it's a little little different.
00:31:01
Speaker
Yeah, okay, tell me about, like, after like living in Texas and then why you chose to move to Utah and kind of like what your experience is, because just thinking back, like there are like, is that talking about competition? There are a lot of like photographers in Utah.
00:31:20
Speaker
um Very, I don't know if you would say saturated, um but a lot of, a lot of, people crushing it where you are. Yeah, no, for sure. There is. But I think, you know, when you start worrying about what other people do, that's also a way to kind of rob yourself from opportunity. You know, I could have not guessed or dreamed that I was going to move to Utah and this like beautiful mountain community. This was not the plan. The plan was to sell our house in Texas, get a condo,
00:31:52
Speaker
and figure things out, you know? Stay a year, kind of near the airport, like in town and kind of see, okay, is this where we wanna be or are we gonna try something else? And then we just fell in love with Heber and the mountain. And we fell in love with the community. And we fell in love with our view and everything about it.
00:32:14
Speaker
And so we decided to actually just buy the cabin. And even though at first Doug was like, are you sure? You know, the snow here is crazy. And like, we need a snowplow. And I was like, you know, YOLO, let's just try and see. Worst case, I guess we'll sell the cabin in a couple of years. You know, we can figure out.
00:32:30
Speaker
Yeah. And there was a part of us that we definitely knew we liked the weather here. You know, we kind of, when looking at where our next step was ah after Texas, we're like, okay, we always go to Utah for fall colors, literally, like my maternity pictures were here.
00:32:48
Speaker
um And we always come to Utah to ski or snowboard. and And we always come in spring to hike. So I was like, okay. And then last year, we also came in summer to go to Moab.
00:33:00
Speaker
So I was like, we come to Utah pretty often. so why not try it? And we did. and then, again, I couldn't have known that there was going to be a horseback, you know, w ranch that was going to be 15 minutes from our house.
00:33:13
Speaker
And I didn't know they were going to, you know, offer me a job. and and And it just kind of all happened. And so I started wrangling there. So I take, you know, people out for rides, which is so fun for me. And the views are impeccable.
00:33:27
Speaker
And then basically slowly... Oh, you're also a photographer. Oh, can I hire you to take pictures? And, you know, so it kind of just took this turn that I did not expect, that I did not plan. So I'm actually really glad that I didn't think, oh, maybe the market is saturated. Like, what am I going to do?
00:33:47
Speaker
because I think, you know, yes, markets can be saturated. I'm sure the market is oversaturated in California because I live there. So I know this and I know you know that too, but, you know, still you're thriving.
00:34:00
Speaker
So I think if you find your people, you find your style ah and you find your niche, you know, that's kind of where, and and I think, you know, again, Your life just kind of takes you sometimes on different turns.
00:34:13
Speaker
And I know for me, as much as I probably will never say no to an elopement, you know, even if maybe it was out of the country, I would try to figure things out yeah just because I'm passionate about them.
00:34:24
Speaker
It is very nice for me to just drive 20 minutes, get on a horse, take people onto a ride, take some pictures for them. You know, whether it's engagements, whether it's anniversary shoots, like with their wedding dress or just I just did like a 30 year wedding anniversary. That that was really cool.
00:34:41
Speaker
So being able to like just drive 15 minutes, be around animals that I love and then being home, you know, in time for dinner and to put my daughter down. All of that like matters a lot for me, like in this stage of my life.
00:34:56
Speaker
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00:35:09
Speaker
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00:35:19
Speaker
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00:35:37
Speaker
And so I think part of it was, hey, we love Utah. And another was just luck, you know, um kind of the same. You know, my husband was already planning to start his business as, you know, a private chef on his own, separate from his other business.
00:35:54
Speaker
And then we met neighbors and they hired him for a New Year's Eve party. And it was supposed to be 20 people. And then it became 60. And then, you know, word got out so quickly that before his website was even ready, he was already pretty much booked, you know, on several weekends and days of the week. um And so it kind of just happened. So there's a part of me that's like, I think this is where we belonged, you know, because it all worked out.
00:36:19
Speaker
I didn't even know you were a Wrangler. Yeah, that's kind of how I... i got I went to the ranch actually before we even signed on the cabin and just asked, hey, you know, i wanted to know how much it was to like lease a horse. I just wanted to get back into riding every day. yeah And then, you know, between me speaking languages and I guess me being sociable. Yeah, totally. It's like, well, do you want to maybe try this? And I was like, yeah.
00:36:44
Speaker
And I did. And, you know, i I've loved it. And it's really like opened up like different avenues for me when it came to my photography as well. so It's been really be fun. So I did like an engagement photo shoot um for a couple with their horses.
00:37:01
Speaker
And now I am, you know, hopefully hoping for an elopement that includes horseback riding in Utah that's ah going to be coming up. So, yeah, that's so exciting. And it's interesting that your dad like is kind of like in the food service industry and the now Doug is, too. I know. Yeah. Hey, they say you marry your dad. Yeah.
00:37:21
Speaker
How has like being a mom changed you or like shaped you or um speak upon motherhood? um I think it's made me slow down a little bit. I'm a go, go, go, go. go ah And she's go, go, go, go. go ah Thankfully, in many ways, you know, she's already riding horses.
00:37:42
Speaker
She went on her first trail by herself yesterday. She was so excited. um So I would say in many ways, she's very similar to me. She likes to hike. She likes to ride. She likes to be active.
00:37:55
Speaker
However, i think she's taught me to relax a little bit more as well and just kind of enjoy the slow days, you know, and know that like time goes by fast. And so spending time with her, spending time as a family, it's it's pretty um it's pretty important. You know, it's ah it's a big priority for both Doug and I. And so it's nice that we both own our own businesses and are able to kind of shape and form our schedules a little bit.
00:38:21
Speaker
um So we can maximize, you know, the time spent with her. Yeah, I could tell you kind of slowed down. So I love that. Yeah. I like I don't get many um replies or comments on my stories. But every time I post about my my daughter, Piper, hating nature, i get so many replies because it's so funny. Because she has like this dang face and she like hates like hiking. She hates nature. she's always like, I'm a city girl.
00:38:45
Speaker
Well, it's kind of funny that you mentioned that, you know, I also do notice um and i I don't love it, but it is kind of just the way it is. i feel like social media, people are so interested in your personal life. And sometimes I really want to keep it separate, you know, like this is my business and this is my family. But I feel like it's hard. It's hard to do that because A, they're kind of intertwined. And and B, I think people like to feel that like...
00:39:13
Speaker
they know their photographer on a more personal basis yeah ah than just like as a business. ah So I struggle a little bit with that sometimes on, you know, how much to post about my family, about posting my daughter. yeah I'm sure you kind of struggle with the same a little bit. Yeah, I feel like you don't post much. Like I don't really see her face.
00:39:34
Speaker
Yeah, but i try not to, but it is amazing to see like the responses on stories.
Attracting Ideal Clients
00:39:40
Speaker
If it's including her, yeah it they just go up. So it's funny that you mentioned that about Tyser. He's in our daughter's equipment.
00:39:48
Speaker
I'm like, that's not what I'm doing, but it seems like it. Yeah, I have a couple more interesting questions. um Yeah, just speaking more about like finding your ideal client, like not getting those type of clients that have to have like the everything on their Pinterest board.
00:40:03
Speaker
And like them coming to your feed and knowing what's up knowing who you are, or what you stand for. Do you have any advice for wedding pros on that? Um, yeah, I think, you know, just be you in your stories, you know, and be upfront. Um, on, I, I try not to, cause I asked friends, I said, you know, I would send them some reels that some photographers would post about like, oh, I hate when clients do this, you know?
00:40:31
Speaker
And they were like, we hate them. Don't do it. So I haven't done that because I feel that like when it comes to social media or even like messages or, you know, it's easy for things to kind of get distorted where you're just trying to maybe be funny, but people are going to take it like personal or, oh, I can't believe, you know, you did this or you did that or who said this or that. So I try not to do that, but more like focus on the positives, you know? So like I would post like, oh, love it when it's a dad that books the family session, you know, your wife is going to so appreciate you. So like if you're a dad out there, you know, instead of getting her flowers for Mother's Day, like,
00:41:10
Speaker
How much more is a mom going to like be thankful and grateful for like a Mother's Day photo shoot, you know, that was scheduled not by her. So things like that, where I try to just focus on the positive.
00:41:21
Speaker
And at the same time, like, hey, you are also my ideal key client, right? Like if you do those things, you are my client. If, you know, your family is like putting pressure um on you planning an elopement, I'm not going to say, oh, they suck.
00:41:37
Speaker
You know, I might think it, but I'm not going to say that. I'm going to say, hey, you know, here's a link to my website. um You know, just free advice. It's not like I'm saying, you know, book me, but here are ways where you can like break the news in a manner that maybe make them feel included. These are options that you can do to make it like less of a blow, you know, for them to feel like they're excluded.
00:41:59
Speaker
So focus on like... On positives instead of negatives, I think it's kind of um the way to do it. Because, you know, nobody really enjoys like negative stuff. stuff even Even if you think, you know, you might laugh about it. You know, they say like what surrounds you is what you attract.
00:42:18
Speaker
And so I think it's kind of the same thing, you know. if you are just kind of trying to be positive, you're going to... also attract like positive people and people that are happy and that just want to have a good time, you know?
00:42:31
Speaker
um So stuff like that. I, you know, instead of like, let's say I was posting a story instead of saying, Here's what not to do. You know, don't bring a bag full of extra clothes. Don't do this. Don't do that.
00:42:43
Speaker
I'm going to instead, you know, have a picture of a couple with maybe, I don't know, a picnic and be like, you know, a fun way to have a photo shoot is to just pack a simple picnic. Simple being the keyword.
00:42:55
Speaker
So focus on that and the simplicity of it instead of saying like, don't do this, don't do this, don't do that. Or like your shoot is going to suck, you know, kind of thing. um And so so that's the same, you know, for elopements, like when I'm trying to help them with their a timeline. yeah I will just try to like guide them and not be so like, this is my way, you know, because it is not my way. It is their day. If they want to pack it, I will be there to shoot it. But I am there to give them a little bit of insight as someone who's done it for herself and someone who helps other people do it, you know.
00:43:29
Speaker
So I think putting like positive stuff out there, is good. And also, you know, I know a lot of people do style shoots and that can be helpful. You know, you can kind of, but I would say do your research. A lot of style shoots are not what you think they're going to be. I would personally much rather do a model call.
00:43:50
Speaker
than a styled shoot. That is my preference. Some people, you know, they kind of like when everything is done for them. I would rather go thrift a store, like go to a thrift store and thrift a couple dresses, different sizes, um and talking about sizes and just, you know, including everybody. i think that's also very important, right? like If you want to make it very clear that you are...
00:44:13
Speaker
inclusive in a way where, you know, gender doesn't matter and a lot of things don't matter. You need to show that in your, in your pictures. You need to show that on your website.
00:44:24
Speaker
And it's not always easy if you're in a city where there's not a lot of diversity, but then, you know, look for it, look for it reach out, you're going to find someone.
00:44:35
Speaker
And I think that's also very important. And it helps finding those ideal clients if that's what you're looking for, you know? Yeah, that was a really, really good answer. I'm glad I asked it. Because I hate when like wedding planners go and talk shit on their stories or like they're real. And I'm like, obviously, someone's gonna know you're talking about them because you're very specific on what happened.
00:44:57
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, for sure. And I think, you know, like, that's why you have your friends, right? You have your friends where you can be like, oh my god, this happened. I can't believe, can you believe this happened? Who hasn't done that? Yes, 100%, you know.
00:45:09
Speaker
um But, but like, I don't think social media is the right thing. wrap like channels for it yeah same i never talk shit on my instagram okay last question sira yes i come to an end sadly it's been so great catching up and um you became like i would say like successful really fast just because you had so much like the personality um the drive the tenacity the experience of like worldwide um speak to the hearts to wedding pros today like
00:45:40
Speaker
maybe struggling to make this wedding professional industry work out for them, what would you say to them to do today to get them inspired and like out of the funk?
00:45:52
Speaker
I would say if you're not making enough money with the photography, find another part-time job that is not related to it. So you can have less pressure and then you can really hone in into what you want and what you want to what you want to create in your vision. Because it will give you more time to create those shoots that you want to shoot.
00:46:15
Speaker
And also, you don't need to spend like $1,000 on florals and all these other accessories to make this dream photo shoot come together. yeah You need two people that like each other. And sometimes, apparently, you don't even need that. Apparently, the people who stranger shoots all the time.
00:46:32
Speaker
Yeah. I still haven't done that. i don't feel the need to. But if you need to or want to go for it. But if not, I think simplicity. Simplicity is where it's at.
00:46:46
Speaker
And, you know, i will say as my advice, do not lower your price. If you lower your prices... Unless you are like, hey, you know what, I look at it and I am not worth this amount, then go back to lessons, go back shadowing a photographer. Like that helps me so much, you know, being under your wing. I'm not saying that because I'm talking to you, I promise.
00:47:08
Speaker
all Everyone knows that. But like it helps so much like being, you know, with a professional. That has, there's a lot of stuff that you don't learn in a classroom about the camera, about like the best way to shoot, about what to do when you're shooting with different lighting and stuff. Like experience is key.
00:47:24
Speaker
And so if you're not where you need to be when it comes to the quality, work on that. And then if you are where you need to be, do not lower your price because you are not going to be able to like, you're going to work yourself to death. And then what's, what's the point, you know, you're going to make money and have no time to spend it and be tired all the time. So finding that balance, if you need to find... i think a lot of photographers feel like they are failing if they go back to another job for a little bit.
00:47:51
Speaker
And I'm here to say that's that's not the case. Don't do... Like... Do it. Do it and get to where you need to go. and then, you know, slowly the bookings will come and ask for those Google reviews.
00:48:05
Speaker
yeah Not be shy about it. Ask, send a nice text, you know, and ask about it. And if in two to three weeks they haven't sent them because we all get busy, don't worry. Send it again. Send a quick note. Ask them again.
00:48:20
Speaker
you know, post your reviews on social media. Tag the clients. They'll share. All of that is important. Yeah, I get a lot of clients from Google. um That was a very good answer. um Everyone, heck yes, listeners, this is a great conversation. is really fun to follow on Instagram. So tell everyone where to find find you.
00:48:40
Speaker
ah So photos by Sarah James is my Instagram. So photos just like it's spelled by S-A-R-A James. ah And yeah, I'm on Facebook too, but I don't use it that much to be honest.
00:48:54
Speaker
So and Instagram is kind of I'm also not on TikTok or any of the other social media because I just don't have the time for it. um like, one app is where it's at for me anyways. That works for my balance. yeah So yeah, I would love to connect with anyone.
00:49:08
Speaker
And I love to follow, you know, aspiring photographers and like write comments of encouragements. And I think sometimes, you know, the newer photographer like inspire us as well because they are doing different things. And it's fun to like watch that too. And if you love horses, obviously, let's be friends. Yay. Thank you, Sarah.
00:49:32
Speaker
Thanks for joining me this week on Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. Make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, or tell a friend about the show. Take a screenshot and post to IG. Tag me. Also, don't forget to download my free guide on how to become a lead generating machine.
00:49:48
Speaker
See you next time, wedding pros.