Tuesday. You have failed me.
I needed sleep like none other. My alarm went off and I had to remind myself why I had set it. Oh yea, Esther’s car is in a 2 but spot that needs to be paid for. I got Judy ready and marched out at 8:15.. I’ve rounded the corner and even though I can’t see the car, I know I am too late. Yep.. A happy white envelope is on my windshield. Damn. I decide to let it sit since I’ve now paid $58 for the next two hours there. I meander over to what was formally broadacre. Jude is of course stopping g traffic and turning heads.. That girl!
I sat in the sun with my lady drinking a cap.
I finally convinced myself to move on with the day. Coffee date with sudurma love and a short drive to Elk Grove. It’s now 1pm and I’ve picked up my disappointing mail and purchased healthier options for my appetite this week. Who knew that spending a Sunday afternoon with 7 gay men with bottomless mimosas would turn my week into such a shit show….
A shower, an OCD cleansing of the apartment and still no texts. I start to organize my workload and I realize I’m crushed. Always happens, always. I need stability. I want an anchor. ::sigh:: I hate dating.

I’ll give him 5 more mins of my time. That’s all he gets..

A 24 hour trip to Sacramento.  I walked three miles with luggage in the spring heat in order to fulfill the madness of errands I had before me.  I managed to check them all of and then ended the evening in with some editing at Chantal’s where I’ll be staying next week.

My minor girl meltdown the night before managed to not chase him away.  Another point for him.  Morning coffee date was great.  He’s too good looking for me.   I’m definitely letting it get the best of me at this point.  Soon we will be at a place of no return.

Dinner last night with E* was delightful.  I love hearing the crazy stories of peoples lives.  A bottle of red sparkling and yummy italian eats.  Plans for our euro roadtrip in September.  We both said aloud at the same moment “I heart love my life”.  Serendipity.  So different and yet so the same.  Sharing our insecurities to find that these things are normal and also have no actual place in our lives dispelling untruths. I am so grateful for girlfriends.

Good intentions.  Respect, kindness and grace.  These are things to live by.

I’m starting to pack my bags to return to Sacramento. To get ready for my next trip. To get ready for the next set of what is to come. Two months gone already.  Again I throw my arms open and say.. “what do you have for me life? I’ll take it. I’ll take it all..”.

I am just me.

Living this crazy life.

Blindly following my intuition and heart.

Hoping for the best in the end.

xoxoxo

Coffee and hipster toast at the mill as I posted and shared my interview.  It’s a great piece on me and I’m actually surprised I was able to produce the written element as that ability has plagued me FOREVER.  I suppose I have you to blame, dear blog/journal.   Another cheers to growth.

Today I may just implode from all the love.

Here is the finished piece:

Editor’s note: Here writes the bride…

“She is beyond creative and has a natural eye for artistic imagery.”

“She is everything you want your wedding photographer to be – approachable, funny, kind…and a spectacular photographer.”

“She has a beautiful vision and portrays it wonderfully in her work.”

Above is a small sampling of client praise for Wedding, Portrait & Fine Art Photographer Sarah Dawson. Her work has been featured in print and online publications such as the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Under the Gum Tree, The Knot and Wedding Wire.

On any given day, you can find Sarah in one of the cities she calls home: San Francisco or Paris. You can view her beautiful gallery of wedding, portrait and travel images on her web site and Facebook page. You can see up-to-the-minute posts on her Instagram (and follow her daily “petite reveries” with hashtags: #petitereveries #wayfarerreveries). And today, you can read about her inspiration, approach to business and workflow here. Sarah was kind enough to take a moment from a full season of projects to share her perspective and experience.

Enjoy.
Q&A

Wedding and Portrait photography is such a huge business. How did you get inspired to start your business?

I studied film in college but didn’t consider it a viable career and so followed my footsteps elsewhere.  Finally, I left a career in politics 6 years ago to pursue this “crazy idea” that I could do what I love for a living instead.  Early on in that journey I met and was mentored by Scott Robert Lim.  He invited me to come to Paris and learn from him at one of his workshops.  It was after that experience abroad, the intensive teaching I received with him and the motivation to follow through that I launched myself full time into my desire to create. I could not have imagined that by pursuing my passion it would allow me to also participate and celebrate peoples lives in such a raw way. Whether it is a wedding, a portrait session or capturing the texture of light hitting the rainy cobblestone streets at night, my little world is richer from these experiences alone.   It’s been an incredible adventure and I’m so thankful I followed it through.

How do you keep your approach to such meaningful imagery fresh and uniquely imagined?

I think the interaction I have with my clients and subjects is the most important part of the creative process.  My relationship with them allows naturally genuine moments, which provide me the opportunity to create an inspired end result.  Every shoot is different whether it be location, subjects and or challenges. I try to embrace the beauty of whatever that may be and use it to our advantage.

Are “Engagement Sessions” getting as popular as the wedding day?

Engagement photography is still a new concept. I find that most of my clients opt for one.  I think one of the draws for this is the benefit of my clients and myself getting to know each other in a working manner in a more casual, relaxed atmosphere prior to the wedding day.  I love this time with my clients so we can explore places that mean something to their relationship; like where they met or got engaged or may be a part of their story like a place they traveled to together.

What gear do you use – hardware and accessories?

I’m currently a Canon shooter.   My favorite pieces are my 5d mkiii, 16-35mm 2.8, 35mm 1.4, 50mm 1.2, 45mm t-se, 85mm 1.8, 70-200mm 2.8

What is your typical workflow for a wedding shoot?

I love lots of time throughout the day. The more time I have to slow things down and be able to engage in those authentic moments the better.  Being as weddings are though, the luxury of time isn’t always in our favor.  My day always begins with the coiffing and candids of the bride and her girls, the guys being guys and then followed by detail shots of all the elements they have put thought into over the previous preparatory months.   My goal throughout the entirety of a day is to utilize the light, movement and emotion that it lends.  This is what takes us through the photojournalistic aspects of the ceremony and reception. The final element of the day is during the portrait time with the bridal party and family members. Depending on the layout of the schedule and flow of the day we try and make the most of the time of day for light and or locations we are at to capture these important and classic images.

Have you tried out our new Pro Roller x-Series AW? Thoughts?

I have the 100x-aw – It has been my life saver.  It allows me to travel with my favorite gear internationally as well as get around my day to day work at home. I prefer a roller as my small build can only take so much weight from gear.  I have no fear of having to “check my bag” because of size or space when flying abroad.

Your travel imagery – so nicely titled “Wayfarer Reveries” – feels so warm and editorial. What informs your travel photography?

It is something that I started doing for myself.  Being a photographer takes me to a lot of beautiful places. The more I traveled the more the contrast of one place compared to the last would strike me. Making them at times, seem almost unreal.  I would snap these images for myself to remember what I saw and felt in those moments.  It wasn’t until recently that I started to share them. It seemed like an appropriate way to capture my journey.

What personal or commercial projects are you looking forward to?

I have a full wedding season ahead of me for 2014.  As well as a handful of international destinations that will be both for personal and commissioned works.  My second home is Paris and I’m excited to be able to continue my photo series that I have been working on there. My new destinations for this year will include Italy, Greece and Tunisia, as well as a few others I’m sure I’m not even aware of yet. I hope to further cultivate the work I’ve started and continue to push myself out of my comfort zone with new challenges and techniques.

Sitting in the sunny nook side table, editing, emailing and updating.

Tomorrow morning my interview with LP goes live and I really have no expectation of anything larger happening because of it, but I’m excited to be a part of it none the less.

I feel that this marks that I’m finally arriving to some sort of level that I’ve been running towards for so long.

Here is hoping.

Trekking on, one day at a time. One bill at a time. One shoot at a time.  Wrapping up client projects, trying to eat healthy and lose this extra 5 lbs that is hanging on for dear life. ::motherfuckergetout::

Navigating entrepreneurship and finding balance between art/business/friends/family/boys/health/selfdevelopement.  GAH. How do people do it?!

Watch me as I play chicken with me life.  It will either be the best decision I could have ever made OR end up being a ugly ugly mess. Of which case I will gladly find some hole to crawl into….  but for now, I will continue to (attempt to) fly.

Words collected lately:

“she knew that this was just the beginning..”

“I think I fall in love a little bit with anyone who shows me their soul. This world is so guarded and fearful. I appreciate rawness so much.”

Another morning where I wake up and my heart is full. I went to bed with tears in my eyes. Happy tears, tears of disbelief and gratitude. I can’t help but feel that I’m guided by something bigger than chance. Serendipity, yes. But I literally feel hugged. Too many things match up perfectly and the timing has been unbelievable.

It’s Friday. My work week is just beginning.

Muah

He was almost an hour late because of traffic.  Serendipity would have it her way in the end.  I needed that time to decompress anyway. It had been a long lovely full day of faces.  I sat in the sunshine drinking my decaf.  Beanie on and extra coat thrown over my lap couldn’t take away the post storm chill in the air.  He arrived and there was nowhere to park.  He put his hazards on and I made him get out of the car to get me.  We hopped in and headed down the block. As always, our conversation comes with ease and flowed right away.    I’m stricken again by his great smile and good looks. Instead of being intimidated it makes me smile.  We get on the freeway and I causally ask where we are headed.  It’s a surprise he says and we leave Sacramento.  We pass Davis, then Vacaville, then Fairfield..  that’s when I realize.. we are headed to Napa.  The sun is setting and the sky is purple and blue, gray and orange and yellow.  Set against the  newly wet green hills and cows grazing…  it takes me breath away and I ask him if he planned this too with a giggle.  Our journey takes us to Rutherford Grill in St. Helena and its cozy ambiance is perfect.  We started with gin and tonics and the artichoke app.  There was never a lull in the conversation or a moment of awkwardness.  He gives me words of encouragement and affirmation in the simplest and sweetest way.  We ended the night with a shared dessert and then headed home.  He dropped my off at home there were mentions of having our dogs meet and even an adventure such as sky diving.  A hug goodnight and he was gone.  I fall to sleep with a smile.

It’s Monday and I’ve been eating veggies in liquid form all day.  It’s turned my brain into a foggy mess, but I have been productive none the less. As I choked down my 3rd glass of juice I whispered to my beet/carrot mess *make me skinny*.  Here is hoping..

5th week here in SF.  The time has flown by and I feel that I haven’t been productive enough.

Lowe Pro photos went live today.  It’s exciting to see my photos involved with such a well known brand.

So many little exciting things in the works.  Podcast interview, travel plans, more weddings for 2014.  I just need three more for the year and I will be golden.

I went on a date last week with a sweet guy.  He is very very different from the guys I have met before.  Date #2 is set for this week.  I am looking forward to it. :)  I thought I had him all figured out.  I was pleasantly surprised by him, the evening and how my all my preconceptions and stereotypes were torn to pieces when he walked through the door.

WayfarerReveries.com is making it’s debut!  So much more to do.. but I’m excited for the possibilities!

Saturday was champagne on the rooftop with my roomies and some spring tanning.  I got to follow it up with coffee with friends and then a chill evening at home.

By the end of the day my heart was full to the point of bursting. I was utterly complete in that moment: sitting on the couch with feet tucked under the blanket. Memories from my date the night before running through my brain, laughter with the girls that day and the satisfaction of impending work in the morrow.

I love riding my bike around my home town.  It is the simplest of pleasures and makes me heart soar.

A Friday wedding that I took the muni to and from.  I love love love city living and would be so satisfied to be in SF long term.  Saturday’s brunch with GF’s and a bus to Sacramento. Late night cocktails with gfs and an early morning to Roseville.  It’s always surreal walking into Sacramento and Roseville and I feel that I’m best free from places with long memories. Regardless, it was a great day with old faces. Irish meal with the family and distractions via Tinder. ( Reality is: I’m content. And really picky. and don’t want to waste my time or someone else’s.  I’m not looking for a hook up.  I’m looking for a good one.  The right one. Perhaps.  But then again, who am I kidding. I’m not looking.  I guess its more of “curious”. I just don’t have time for this sort of thing right now.  I’ve gotten the question a lot lately ” who are you seeing nowadays” followed by surprise when I say “no one”.   Honestly. I’m happy. I’m content in throwing myself into my work.  )

Another day, another dollar.

A year ago I was drinking the days away. Looking for someone to love me. Looking to escape.  I was ok. But not.    I was stuck in pre divorce limbo.  Stuck in obligation.  I was chasing boys that were crap. Basically a hot mess.  I try not to judge woman now when I see them in that place.  It is a place of misery that you just aren’t even aware that exists.  I try to explain it to people when they pass that judgement.  I try to show them, tell them, reason with them.  but it is only something that you can experience and share in those memories of the (hopefully) journey that that takes you on.  It’s brutal.

Keep moving forward.  Even if the path you take isn’t straight, at least you are moving.

Too many things in my brain, wrestling with my heart, on my plate and perhaps that is the reason I can get nothing done.

I know how to ask for help. I cant help but to then feel lazy.