Do you have a wedding coming up, or anticipating an engagement or adventuresome elopement? How about simply capturing the bond you have with your equine friend? You’ll need a photographer who has the eye for capturing life’s special moments.
Let’s get introduced to Sarah Williams a Central Coast Wedding and Engagement Photographer operating as Mirror’s Edge Photography. She shoots Weddings and families here on the Central Coast and also travels for destination weddings, adventurous elopements and everything else related to love! Mirror’s Edge received the Couples Choice Award from Wedding Wire for 2017 and has been a Top Pro on Thumbtack for 3 years running. Whether you’re wedding dreams include a large “black tie” affair, or a simple, rustic or adventurous elopement, Sarah is always willing to work with her clients to make their photography dreams come true.
Sarah also takes a select number of portrait, family and headshot clients, and as horse enthusiast and rider herself she LOVES when people like to incorporate their horses into the mix – whether it’s for a headshot session or a wedding!
Take a Moment to Get to Know Sarah Williams
Everyone has a story about how they got started doing something. Here is Sarah’s story regarding her Photography, “I began with photography in high school. It started as a hobby and then I began taking classes, working for the school newspaper (both Editor and Lead Photographer), and eventually went on to work as an intern at the Reedley Exponent (our local newspaper). It was a small town, so my first ventures into photography were very photo journalistic. I was “the girl with the camera”, and I think most people probably got tired of having me point it in their face to be honest, but it did allow me to hone my “candid” skills!
Professionally, I started by photographing fine art landscapes – I still do on occasion and was awarded the cover of the Poor Richard’s Press calendar for 2017. I also worked as a horse show photographer for several years, which allowed me to combine my love for horses and the “horse world” with photography. I began shooting children and families almost ten years ago, and that was when my actual “career” in photography began to take off. From there I moved to Weddings and Engagements and I haven’t looked back!”
Sarah Employs Her “Horse Skills” to Keep a Cool Head Under Pressure
Handling horses prepares us surprisingly well for many life situations. We as horse people are frequently employing our “horse skills” in everyday life. Sarah tells us how she found her passion in Wedding Photography and how her “horse skills” play a role, “After going from a landscape artist to a children and family portrait photographer, testing the waters along the way, I was lucky enough to find my passion in Wedding and Engagement photography. There is just something so very special about being able to capture the beauty, love and romance of someone’s wedding day. It does take a certain type of photographer who is able to handle the pressure of such an important job – as they say, “You one get one shot to get it right at a wedding, there are no do-overs” – and I tend to work very well and keep a cool head under pressure.
I have met some of the most amazing people doing wedding photography, and I have been lucky enough to maintain a 5 star review rating from all of my clients. I’m very flexible, work well with people and I can get creative while still getting those “must have” shots. “
Sarah’s Down-to-Earth Manner Puts People at Ease
Putting people at ease in front of the camera can sometimes be difficult. Sarah shares her insights for making people comfortable, “Let’s face it, most people freeze up in front of the camera, I know that I do when I’m having my photos taken! The trick is to start with a cheerful and fun attitude and to have a good list of ice-breakers. I play little games with my clients, keep them talking, ask questions, etc. I don’t go for the “posed” look all that often, I like to capture authentic moments, so this makes asking my clients to demonstrate their “first dance skills” or “whisper something into your partner’s ear that will make them laugh” a good place to start.
I also walk with my clients, take breaks when I see they are getting frustrated, ask what they are looking for and how they are with each other – some people are fun, some are romantic, some are shy, you just have to play off of all of that. “
Engagement Using a Horse Story – Goes from Bad to Good
Yes, horse skills are important when shooting pics using horses. Sarah shares this story of when her horse skills came into action. “When I first started out doing Engagement Photography, I had a gentleman who wanted to propose to his girlfriend on horseback. He had a friend who was loaning him the “perfect horse” and he failed to mention to me that he, himself, had very little horse experience.
We all met at this great ranch in Arroyo Grande where the gentleman had a picnic table set up and his girlfriend was to be sitting at the table as he “rode in on his white horse” (even though the horse was a bay). I got into position, hiding behind some trees, and I was given the word that he was approaching. I readied the camera and about 50 feet from the picnic area the horse stopped and pinned his ears. He was finished. The poor gentleman was squeezing and clucking, even kicking, with all he had and this horse would not move, started turning circles, shaking his head…it was going badly.
I waited for about five minutes and no one was helping the poor guy. He tried to dismount and the horse started to back up. His girlfriend was watching in horror by this point. So, I slung my camera and slowly walked over to the horse. I took the reins and calmed him down a little bit and then I quietly led him over to the table and held him while the gentleman dismounted and without missing a beat got down on his knee and offered his girlfriend a ring – I think he was secretly hoping he hadn’t ruined things by the horse’s shenanigans. The horse’s owner was standing off in the trees laughing, which I found to be quite rude.
Eventually, everything went well, we got some great photos, and even managed to get the horse to pose for some great shots with both of them – without pinning his ears, which was a blessing. It was an adventure, but I was proud of myself for handling the situation. “
Take a Look at Sarah Williams’s Mirror’s Edge Photography Work
A picture tells a thousand words and here are samples of Sarah’s work. More can be found here: “All of my work is available for viewing on my website at mirrorsedgephotography.com. I’m also featured on WeddingWire.com and on Facebook at Mirror’s Edge Photography. The majority of my work is with Weddings and Engagements, but I do all aspects of photography, from equine portraits to events, children and families to maternity shoots.
Freeze a Moment in Your Life
Sarah concludes with these thoughts regarding choosing a photographer to capture life’s special moments. “I always tell my clients, photographs are SO important. They freeze a moment of your life in time and truly tell a story. When you’re planning something important, like a Wedding, Engagement, Family Portrait, Equine Portrait, etc., it’s imperative that you are comfortable with your photographer and your photographer’s work. Don’t just go for the “budget” photographer (even though my prices are extremely reasonable), because who wants to spend money on something they aren’t going to love in the end, that costs more.
I’m always running specials, and I would LOVE to speak with you about setting up a session, booking your wedding day and getting creative!”
