Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Patterson.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My life is proof you can have a plan and a path laid out for yourself, and you can end up in a completely different direction. I had known what I wanted to do in the Criminal Justice arena since I was 13, and I was working towards that plan. In college, I met my husband and my trajectory changed from moving cross-country to join the FBI to staying in Texas and exploring other options. It was the choice I’m most grateful for and led me to where I am today – a creative in the commercial photography industry!
A year after our wedding, my husband and I decided to buy a nice DSLR camera for our honeymoon, and we wanted to work off the cost by taking a few photography gigs for friends. Our first few shoots were family portraits, and we had no idea what we were doing! We researched and learned a few tips before we started, and honestly, the pictures weren’t awful. I think we both had a natural eye for photography.
Fast forward a year and lots of learning, we took on our first wedding client. After we painstakingly edited out all our exposure and composition mistakes, we delivered a solid wedding story to our first wedding clients. Then we calculated that we made $3.00/hr for that job, and we became determined to do it better. Much better. Ragan and I work well together, and we just knew we could build a successful business in the wedding industry.
That was in 2010. From there, we spent the next decade building our photography business and rising to the top of our market. We worked for gear, taught ourselves the craft, and practiced and worked endlessly to become better and better. We received many industry awards, including The Knot Hall of Fame award given to the top 1% of photographers. We also built a cinematography branch of our business and mentored 11 other photographers and cinematographers who would go on to start their own businesses. It was extremely rewarding!
In 2017, we found ourselves moving to another city, and it was a chance to reassess our lives. The wedding industry can be exhausting, and working nights and weekends was wearing on us. We worked another year commuting back and forth to shoot the weddings we had already booked out. It was at that point, we decided to close our studio. We wanted to go out on top and on our terms.
I still had a love for photography and was mulling around the idea of making the change to commercial photography. I was recruited by GoDaddy to shoot freelance brand photography for their clients. I took the gig and started learning how to make the shift to commercial work and found it to be a seamless transition. In 2017, I started Pendant, and the rest is history. Five years later, I’ve had the pleasure of working with both international and local brands, and I LOVE what I do. I’ve become so passionate about my architectural, brand, and editorial work. Commercial photography is a perfect fit for me.
This past year through a connection in the creative field, I was offered the role of COO for an emerging multi-media education program. Alamo Arts Academy delivers photography, film production, graphic design, and audio engineering education taught by certified teachers AND industry professionals to our underserved communities in Texas and beyond. Previously, it has been a challenge to provide this kind of programming to middle school and high school students. Gear is expensive, resources are lacking, and there was no meaningful solution to properly educate and train our young creatives. Through Alamo Arts Academy, we are providing the means and opportunity to propel students towards a successful career in the creative technical industry. We have a unique approach and provide students the access to earn national certifications and engage in real-life practicum opportunities working with fellow industry professionals. We’ve been garnering state and national attention this year and have even received sponsorship from brands such as Hulu and Disney+. While I’ll continue to own and operate Pendant, this is the next step in my career journey. I’m completely honored to help our genius team behind Alamo Arts Academy build such an incredible program for our future generations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I believe we live in a beautiful country full of opportunities, but it doesn’t mean anything comes easy. I’ve had to work long, hard hours and make sacrifices in both my professional and personal life to be where I am today. When friends and family were enjoying their weekends, me and my fellow wedding professionals were working. When many people worked a 40-hour/week job, my husband and I were pulling 60+ hours and working multiple jobs to build the life we wanted. When peers were starting families, we were focused on the entrepreneurial climb.
Being a young woman business owner in a male-dominated field also has its challenges. I have so much respect for the women who have paved the way for me to have a seat at the table. I push myself to learn my craft and my equipment better each day. And I challenge myself to learn and pick up new skills that ultimately make me a better photographer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is mainly in architecture, editorials, and commercial brand photography. I enjoy storytelling through all facets and finding angles to photograph that no one otherwise sees!
My first love is for architecture and design, and I enjoy highlighting through photography the beauty in a designer’s work. I’m in awe of the creativity I see in building design, and I love how light bounces off a space. In fact, whenever I travel, I always look to shoot the architecture and landscape of a new city. It’s one of my favorite things!
My bread and butter is commercial brand photography. I have a background in marketing, and my niche is helping businesses fuse their content strategy and marketing plan with their brand photography. A brand’s aesthetic is so important, and I help educate and guide companies to thoughtfully approach their photography. Ultimately, a purposeful plan, good storytelling, and attention to detail are what sets me apart. It’s not just about being a good photographer, it’s about the holistic approach to showcasing a brand. It’s a ton of fun to see a client be blown away by how good their product or service can look through a professional lens and hear how proud they are to show off their images!
I’ve tried so many things in my photography career and in the last few years I’ve really challenged myself to find my voice and learn new skills and techniques. I’m so proud of my body of work up to this point, and I can’t wait to see what new creative opportunities are in my future!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I don’t think anyone could have predicted just how much our world would change in such a short amount of time. I know I was not the only one who was put through challenging circumstances through the Covid-19 shutdowns. What do you do when your whole way of life depends on other businesses being in operation?
I think my most important lesson is that we as entrepreneurs are resilient and we have to partner together to support each other. We will pivot and work to realize our dreams, and we will weather the storm and come out on the other side. I’m so grateful to still have Pendant today and that it’s even more successful than it was pre-pandemic. I don’t take that for granted.
Because of the destruction, (comma not needed) Covid left behind, last year through Pendant we implemented a small business support program. Every quarter, we select a business in need to receive a complimentary brand photo session. I’ve been so blessed and grateful for what I get to do every day and I want to help other businesses and organizations receive a helping hand as we rebuild. It’s been incredibly fulfilling to help in some small way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pendantcreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pendantcreative/
- Other: https://pendantcreative.com/pendantgivesback https://
alamoartsacademy.org/
Image Credits
All images are my own work. Credit is ©pendant. The shot of me working (teaching photography) at Alamo Arts Academy can be credited to Alamo Arts Academy. Their logo is already on the image.
