Sarah, thank you so much for sitting down with us today, we really appreciate your time and we know how busy it is for you at this time of year, with Autumn wedding season in full swing! xoxo Be sure to grab a nice hot cuppa, or a vino 😉 and bride-to-be’s! You are going to love her stunning style. xo
Sarah is a busy mumma of two and partner who works FIFO. Sarah has been a mother for over 18 years to her beautiful daughter and has an almost 4 year old boy! xo
Photos: Sarah Taylor of Fire and Honey Images xo Gracefully Magazine has approval from Sarah Taylor to use these images for this post.
Q & A with the one and only, Ms Taylor!
Q1: How are you enjoying the start of the work year so far? Have you got some big months ahead with weddings, family shoots and corporate work?
A: So far this year has been surprisingly busy! At a quick glance of my diary, this year is looking to be a huge filled year with a variety of photoshoots for me and in particular, weddings are set to be a huge portion of my bookings.
Q2: We would love to hear about your project with your new studio, please tell us more about this and what you hope to achieve?
A: After a very unbalanced and unpredictable last year, it became apparent to me that my business model was not going to work in my favour, if we are going to continue having lockdowns, etc., due to the COVID-19 situation. I had typically been holding photoshoots outdoors, which for many months of last year, I was unfortunately unable to do. Therefore, I had to come up with a new business plan, a new model for my business and it needed to be something that I could sustain long-term. So, I began the process of building a detached studio on my property which would in turn, allow me to grow and have more opportunity for my business. A space for my business to grow and plain and simply – have an indoor option for my clients as well.
Q3: What is your 5-year vision for your business? With further experience and learning, my 5-year plan is to be right up on the ladder of exceptional wedding photographers in Australia, with my work being showcased in popular bridal magazines and publications. I’d love for my studio to offer business branding photography, as well. And a studio for newborn sessions, family and siblings sessions and more! I also really love maternity, family portraits and fashion. I’d love for my studio to see me photographing everything and over the next 5 years, I’d love to try different styles of photography, as well to allow me to continue to diversify myself, which ultimately, will continue to keep my passion for the industry and photography alive. I am excited to watch my business grow and continue to do something I truly love each day.
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Q4. How has Covid affected your business and how have you pivoted and become more resilient as a sole trader / business owner? Last year was set to be my first full year in my business and looked to be a huge year within the wedding industry. When covid hit, it caused huge a huge impact on my business particularly during our lockdown period. Between mid-March through to September, I had 28 weddings postpone, 3 officially cancel and numerous family, maternity, newborn & event sessions cancelled. That is the moment I had to begin thinking outside of the box. I used that time to be present with my own family, to plant fruit & veggie gardens, I even weeded my gardens! I had to re-evaluate what I was doing, what I was doing it for and ask myself, “If this was to happen again, what could I do differently that would better help my business”. And that’s when I decided I needed to build something at home big enough to accommodate the majority of my photoshoot sessions to keep food on our table should weddings be postponed again.
Q5. What is the best part of your job and your favourite part about what you do? Oh my goodness, where to even start. I absolutely love everything about what I do, the places I go, the roads I drive, the beaches, the rainforests, the fancy hotels, wedding dresses, table settings, flowers, CAKE haha. Hands down though, the greatest part of what I do is meeting some of the most beautiful people in this world and being able to share in some of the most amazing moments in their lives.
6. How do you juggle motherhood and wife/family life with your work life balance? I think just like most women with partners, children and a business to run, we just get in and get it done. I try to implement some form of routine but that usually goes out the window by 10am every morning. Finding a balance is difficult but it’s definitely important & with my work, it’s harder again with photoshoots that can come up at the last minute taking me out of the house and then adding hours to my day with editing. I just believe that you have to force yourself at some stage every single day to just switch off, switch off the computer, put the phone down, make a cup of tea and sit outside with the kids. Soak in the sunshine, just breathe and go back to it all in an hour.
Q7. If you could give advice to others starting out in the industry, what would you say to them? What insights would you like to share? I think in any industry, if you want your business to be successful, you just have to love it, be passionate about it & go for it. Be authentically you, trust in yourself and just jump on into it. Take courses, shadow other photographers and never stop learning. Q8. Do you hope to grow your business so you will be employing other photographers and staff as well? What does this dream currently look like? I’d love to grow my business to be able to employ another one or two staff to help with the running of my business, however my ultimate dream is to never get so big that I am not behind the camera at each session. I love the connections I make with my clients and if my business were too big it would take away from that and that’s not what I am about.
Q9. How do you best leverage social media for your business? Social media is life right now, so showing up, being consistent, being creative with content and interacting with my audience is super important. Because of social media, it is even more important to strengthen relationships with my current clients to help with referrals. Particularly in small – medium business, referrals and ‘word of mouth’ are sometimes the foundation from which your business grows, so social media is something I certain use to leverage my business as well somewhat prove my integrity as a person as well as a business.
Q10. What would you like to share with readers of Gracefully magazine and do you believe in investing in personal and professional self-development where you can afford to? I think it’s extremely important to always invest in yourself and your business, to learn new things, to teach others what you know and to always be striving to improve on the person you are. Personal and professional development is what keeps yourself hungry and your business thriving. There are so many amazing options, courses, podcasts, books, classes, groups and online options available to us both free and paid all with incredibly valuable lesson and information. For me personally, without the podcasts’s and you tube video’s of the sensational Tony Robbins and his motivational and educational talks, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today. Thank you so much Sarah, for being our guest interviewee, we have absolutely loved having you a part of this interview. Ladies, be sure to keep an eye out for beautiful Sarah’s photography work in our Gracefully Magazine. And be sure to follow her social media handles at: @firenhoneyimages. She has her website soon to launch too! #excitingtimesahead. xo – Rachael Tickner, Editor. xo |
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