mom and daughters sit on floor and snuggle

i always wanted to be a mama.

that was my highest career aspiration from the time i was a little girl – so to say i landed my dream job would be an understatement. i am the mama to the two loves of my life, lucky me. 

when i worked in fashion, it was always the brand identity – its look and feel, and most specifically, its imagery – that interested me much more than the clothing itself.

later, when i worked in the art department at santa barbara magazine, i got closer to what it was that i loved the most: the photographs, the storytelling. i was on countless shoots, soaking up the details, quietly realizing that i wanted to be the one behind the camera. 

then i had my kids. and now i am the one behind the camera. shooting with families and people, brands and companies – and, in a very full-circle kind of way – as a contributing photographer for santa barbara magazine.

i believe wholeheartedly in authenticity: photographing people and places in their natural state. i like to keep it simple, honest and natural – and above all else, fun, easy and relaxed. 

toddler girl in pink dress stands in shallow water with mom

let’s shoot together.

i like to keep things simple. we’ll talk about what you’re looking for, zero in on location ideas, and can talk about what to wear if you’d like. we’ll make plans for things to be as perfect as possible – but we’ll be flexible knowing that sometimes the best laid plans don’t always pan out. and in end, what will look the best in your photographs is what feels the best. and that’s typically what comes with ease. we’ll make a plan but we’ll go with the flow and embrace what is.

i want the photographs i give you to feel like you to you and mean something to you and yours when you look back at them years from now. so my biggest goal is to make you feel relaxed. we’ll ease in – and pause and laugh and chat along the way. it’ll feel more like a hang than a shoot. once we’re together, it’ll unfold organically and there will be nothing more that needs to be done or undone to make it work. it’ll just happen. like magic, it always does.

i’d love to connect and talk about what you have in mind. if it’s annual family photos, or if you’ve never done them before. if you’re welcoming a new baby or just wanting to freeze an everyday moment in time. or anything in between.

or if you’re a brand owner and would like to talk about an upcoming project or shooting some new images to use as fresh content, i hope you’ll be in touch.

xx sara

a dream come true.

Book titled 'The Children's Heritage Sourcebook' surrounded by pink flowers, featuring children exploring a garden on the cover.

i shot a book! the children’s heritage sourcebook is filled with recipes, crafts, animal care, gardening, and activities. available at heritage goods and supply, amazon and lots of rad shops that carry great books. (hardcover, 400 pages. rizzoli.)

A young girl with long, red hair holding a small, light-colored goat in her arms outdoors.
  • Outdoor table setup with white tablecloth, flowers, and pillows on stone seating, under two white parasols, with palm trees and greenery in the background.
  • santa barbara photographer
  • santa barbara photography
  • Modern kitchen with a large window, displaying a view of trees and outdoor furniture, a marble island topped with bowls of fruit including oranges, avocados, and limes, and white chairs with woven rattan backs.
  • santa barbara photograher
  • santa barbara fashion brand photographer
  • santa barbara lifestyle photographer
  • Cans of YIDRO sparkling grapefruit and sea salt beverage, two pink cocktails with garnish, and a floral arrangement in the background.
  • Outdoor wooden bar table with flowers, glasses, bottles, and fruit, surrounded by greenery
  • A woman walking through a grassy field with mountains in the background, and a young girl running ahead, both enjoying the outdoors in the sunlight.
  • santa barbara photographer
  • A young girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling softly, being gently touched on the head by an adult, outdoors in a field during sunset.
  • A young woman wearing a cowboy hat, blue jeans, and a white shirt walks a white horse on a dirt path, with dry hills and sparse bushes in the background.
  • ojai valley inn pixie pool sara prince