Meet Sarah Felker | Photographer

My photography business was born accidentally from a place of passionate interest, divine timing, and a willingness to ride out uncertainty. Prior to freelancing, I had been working full time in the hospitality industry and hit a point where I needed to be considering something different for my life. So I went back to San Francisco State and finished my degree in fine arts, with an emphasis in photography. Beyond that, I didn’t have a plan. During my last semester at State, I noticed one of my classmates editing some live music shots in our photo lab class and I remember asking “What are those photos all about and how do I do that?” Fast forward a couple of months and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to fill in for a photographer during Noise Pop Festival. Enter divine timing. I nailed live music photography right away and from there I was on a roster of photographers to be considered for shows through Noise Pop and DoTheBay and eventually events, which lead to larger paid events, and on it went. I started to view freelancing as a viable option for making a living. I eventually moved into working in a studio, tried my hand at some real estate photography, and then food and cocktail photography which is where I’m placing my focus now. Like a lot of photographers just starting out, I was trying everything of interest so that I could find my way and how I could grow. I kept following the thread so to speak. Freelancing without a plan and/or before having established clients is not an easy path at all and maybe not the best path, but it has been as rewarding as it has been challenging. I have learned so much about myself throughout the journey and have met many inspiring people along the way. There have been a lot of starts and stops but I’m still going after it and my vision and goals are evolving all the time.

These days I am really finding my groove with food photography in how I am able to enhance textures with light and make the colors in a dish or drink pop right off of a screen. I have an affinity for striking contrast, bold colors, and dramatic lighting and I think that my work reflects this. Food and drink photography is where I am wanting to grow and have specific aspirations for shooting cookbooks at some point. It would be an absolute dream to see my work in print in that context. I would also love to work with more restaurants and bars, artisans, and food bloggers. I feel a passion for showcasing an intentionally plated dish as the work of art that it is. Or even telling the visual story of simple fresh ingredients and products; there is a beauty in that as well that lights me up. I get especially excited for restaurant shoots because I get the chance to work with chefs who are artists themselves and honor the trust they put in me to capture their vision and environment. This comes from having worked so many years in the restaurant industry as a server and bartender. It’s fun to support them in a different capacity. And I’d like to expand this excitement to shoots with other maker types and artists as well.

I am also open to working on larger styled shoots with a team. This is another aspiration of mine as I’ve been going solo for a number of years now. There is so much that I want to explore as a photographer and an artistic being. I am endlessly curious. I have discovered that I love working with color to the point that I intend to try painting this year, just to have another creative outlet. I also intend to put more energy into my online print shop where I have fine art inspired photographs for sale. My plan for the coming year and beyond is to get out there and meet as many new people and try as many new things as I can.

If I had a good friend visiting San Francisco I’d have to take them to Devil’s Teeth Baking Co. for a breakfast sandwich because it is hands down the best that I’ve eaten and absolutely craveable. I’d also have to hit up Nopa for dinner which is in my opinion a “must-go” SF staple, Besharam in Potrero Hill for some ethereal Indian cuisine cooked by the amazing chef Heena Patel, The Independent for at least one show as it is my favorite venue in the city where I’ve had a countless number of fun nights, a trip to Tony’s Pizza in North Beach which is such a vibrant part of town that holds as much San Francisco charm as ever, walks through Golden Gate Park after grabbing coffee at my neighborhood spot Velo Rouge, and I’d definitely encourage a museum trip to either the De Young and/or SFMOMA.