Meet Sarah Burton, a beautiful, down to earth, amazingly talented fashion photographer originally from New Zealand. She is now taking over London as the lead photographer for Wolf & Badger. Check out her story below:
Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your photography business and what makes you unique.
My documentary and portraiture background gives me a unique perspective on fashion photography. I try to capture authenticity in an often superficial industry.
What is it about photography that gets you jumping out of bed in the morning? What inspires you?
For my personal work – Exploring new landscapes and cultures or just exploring different parts of my city. Variations of light. Creating something special and beautiful out of everyday moments. For my work at Wolf & Badger studios – I like being able to work with clients to showcase their products and tell their story in an engaging way, and seeing their delight when your work exceeds their expectations. Also collaborating with a great team of other creatives.
How did you go from being an aspiring photographer to actually doing it full time? How did you book your first paid job?
I booked my first paid job straight after University. On the strength of a documentary portrait series I did as my final project one of my tutors recommended me to a local historic society that needed a series of portraits for an exhibition. But of course it was a good few years before those paid jobs were coming in frequently! I balanced freelance photography with part time hospitality until I had enough work solely with photography. Now I am a full time lead photographer at Wolf and Badger studios in Shoreditch.
Are you happy with where you’re at? What are your goals moving forward?
Yes I am happy. Having a solid 9 to 5 is great as it gives me security and at the same time the freedom to pursue my personal work. Being apart of a small studio team is great. (We have 2 senior photographers, one junior photographer and a studio manager.)Tim the studio manager deals with the marketing and most of the client relations which means us photographers can focus on planning, executing and editing shoots.
Can you tell us one marketing strategy that is working really well for you at the moment?
We provide really personal service to our clients, going above and beyond to meet their needs. Looking after these relationships is important to us and most of our work comes from repeat clients.
Which photographers or business people influence you, and how did they influence your thinking, photographing, and career path?
Mary Ellen Mark inspires me for the way she sees the world and her tenacity. During her career she put herself in uncomfortable situations and spent a lot of time forming relationships. She also followed the same subjects over many years to fully tell their story honestly.
What would be one tip you could share for building better relationships with your clients?
Understanding that their business is their baby and you need to listen to what they want, while using your expertise to gently guide them in the best direction for their brand. It’s a collaboration.
If you could go back to the beginning, would you do anything differently?
Tried to gain an internship with a photographer or studio I admired, which would have meant that I would have had to move away from New Zealand much sooner than I did as there aren’t many opportunities for that there.
Can you offer one last piece of advice that has either really helped you grow your business or something that you can pass on to our photographers?
Trying to get your work published is really important, both online and in print. Work on as much personal projects as you can – this is where your true style and creativity can shine and you can showcase this work to gain paid work.
To see more of Sarah’s work and to learn more about her check out her website at:
