Exciting news!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve officially joined the artist roster at Stills.com, one of the most thoughtfully curated platforms for editorial and commercial photography.

Step into the bath and beyond.

When I upgraded my lighting setup from continuous to strobe, I did what any photographer would do: I designed a test shoot.

Portfolio gaps aren’t a problem; they’re an opportunity.

I needed more beauty work in my portfolio so I gave myself a brief: a lipstick series. Simple in scope—just lighting and product—but intentional in execution.

Show of hands: who watched something weird at a young age that left you feeling confused, maybe even a little disturbed?

For me, it was a stop-motion short that aired during Sesame Street. It featured an anthropomorphic orange singing the opera Carmen under a spotlight. She had daisy-petal eyelashes, a walnut nose, and a rubber band mouth. 

*Ok yes, I technically used two. Let me live.

“You have a weird brain.”

I sat across from the Director of Photography of a nationally circulated magazine. We were on Zoom, mid-portfolio review. She paused, looked at my work, and said it: “You have a weird brain.”

Sorry...what? I laughed. “I guess I do.”

Sometimes you just have to try something new.

I wanted to make something fun. Something colorful. Something a little dreamy — like a memory you can’t quite place, but you know it sparkled.

That’s how I ended up photographing a pile of jelly cups.

You don’t need elaborate sets or expensive props to tell a story.

Often, it’s the everyday objects — the ones we pass by without noticing — that hold the most meaning. A single object, placed with intention, can stir up memory, emotion, or curiosity.

Until last week, I worked in tech.

For the past two years, I balanced a full-time job as a user experience designer with slowly building my photography practice from the ground up. I had a plan: keep the 9–5, grow my business on the side, and—once everything was more or less solid—transition to a full-time creative career. It was a long plan, but a safe one. Risk managed, contingencies in place. I had it all figured out.

Then I got laid off.

I spend a lot of time outdoors, and this winter, outings with my dog became an opportunity to reflect on silence and stillness within the natural world—a thought exercise that also served as a mindfulness practice.

This year, I decided to pay tribute to this tart, crimson icon—but with a twist. I wanted to decontextualize cranberry sauce, pulling it out of its usual role as a humble side dish and seeing it in a new light. What if cranberry sauce was…sexy? What if it was fashion? What if it took cues from the high-gloss world of cosmetics? After all, what is lipstick if not a red tube? That’s where the idea began.

Just as athletes use warmups to loosen up, establish focus, and set their mindset for peak performance, I start my sessions with a warmup to create the mental space for creativity. These low-pressure exercises make room to play, experiment, and ease into problem-solving, forming a solid foundation for the work ahead.

I love a drugstore. I especially love a drugstore during Halloween. There’s something nostalgic about strolling the aisles during the spooky season—it feels like a mini treasure hunt for unexpected, creative finds.

Hi, I'm Sara, a photographer based in San Francisco. I’m starting this blog to chronicle my journey as I build a product photography business, sharing both the successes and challenges along the way.