Meet Sarah Esposito of Heart Sung Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Esposito.

Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m a family photographer serving central Ohio who primarily focuses on family and newborn sessions but also covers small events and offers senior/headshot portraits as well. With each session, my number one goal is to create a personalized, professional experience for families that artfully and authentically celebrates their life and loved ones in all their realness.

I’ve always been drawn towards the arts, eating up every art class I could take in high school and college, but had focused more on drawing, painting and music. I received my first “big girl” camera in 2011 while I was attending the Aveda Institute in Chapel Hill for cosmetology. At the time, I was very involved in creating editorial hair and fashion and used my camera to make portraits of the people I was styling. This opened up doors to a variety of other sessions, including boudoir, senior sessions and weddings.

It wasn’t until I moved back to Columbus and started my own family that I turned my focus towards family photography. It happened somewhat unintentionally, as a friend asked if I’d be willing to volunteer my services taking family portraits in exchange for donations that would go towards a local baby-wearing group collecting items for their lending library. Community service has always been very important to me, especially when it’s related to helping mothers, so I signed up and never looked back. I went on to volunteer for this event for four years in a row. I met some of my very first clients that year (2016) who continue to give me the privilege of photographing their families today, and I still host an annual fundraiser taking portraits in exchange for donations towards a local non-profit (the recipients change each year now – this year it will go to Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed for their 25th anniversary).

As I grew my own family, I knew that I wanted to pivot away from working in a salon to running my own business. I love the flexibility of it, getting to make people feel good and helping them preserve their fondest memories, and getting to be creative on a daily basis as part of my job. I’ve even surprised myself by enjoying learning how to run a successful business. I was never a numbers person or sales type and I believe I kept my business as a “hobby” for far too long out of fear. The pandemic pretty much stopped me in my tracks and made me take stock of my life and career. I knew it was time to leave my day job and focus my efforts on make Heart Sung profitable and sustainable, both for my mental health and the good of my family.

This is still very much a growing business, but I believe I have laid the foundation for its success by focusing my efforts on customer service, client satisfaction, and growing my business sustainably. And I never take for granted the accessibility of my craft: during a time in my life when I have nearly no time for myself (hello, mom of two very young children) I keep my camera an arm’s length away and bring it out to play every day, even if it’s just for five minutes. I’m deeply honored and grateful that I can extend my skills and services to other busy families as well.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not – as I mentioned until very recently, I worked another full-time job the entire time I was growing my photography business. It was just not possible to focus on my business, and I realized that if I wanted to continue to grow, I would have to take a leap of faith, leave my other job (which had predictable income!) and commit with my whole heart.

We’ve been impressed with Heart Sung Photography, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business specializes in “lifestyle” family and newborn photography. Lifestyle photos are a blend of documentary/candid images and gently guided posed photos. My aim is to create a gallery for clients that offers them a glimpse into their actual lives with all its messiness, tears, laughter, grumpy toddler tantrums, teenager side-eye beauty. Nothing makes me happier than to walk into someone’s home and document their family doing what they love to do together, in all its rawness and realness. When clients get their photo album from me, I want them to see themselves in it and reflect on the fun memories they made when they were all intentionally making time for each other and focused on each other during their session.

I would describe my style of photography as intimate, playful, colorful, and a touch experimental (I like to play with double exposures, prisms, unusual lenses and film photography during my sessions as it keeps me inspired and thinking outside-the-box).

Honestly, there are SO many talented photographers out there, so aside from liking my photography style, why would anyone pick me to photograph their family? Well, I have a solid background in customer service that comes from spending a decade behind the chair in a salon. I know the value of being a good listener and communicator, making people feel seen and valued, and creating a comfortable, uplifting atmosphere.

I am also an incredibly busy mom, and I know the value in making a process easy, which is why I’ve put so much effort into creating a streamlined approach to help clients go from planning a session to photos at their door in three easy steps:

1. Schedule a quick call to see if we’d be a good fit and learn more about the process.

2. If the client decides to book, I’ll schedule an in-depth consultation closer to the time of the session in order to learn each family’s dynamic, what they want to capture, how they enjoy spending their time. This is the most important step as the information gathered will guide the session and allow us to plan for an experience unique to each family.

3. After the session, I email clients an online gallery, where they can choose their favorite photos and products to be delivered to their door.

I believe that communicating as clearly as possible and letting clients know what to expect each step of the way is so important for success, and based on some of my own experiences getting family photos, I know that it is somewhat unusual to receive this level of contact and service, so my hope is that it will make me stand out as an expert in the field.

How do you think about luck?
I don’t really believe in luck but I will say that as a white, middle-class woman with a solid support system in place, I am extremely privileged, which has absolutely contributed to my success. It’s something I try very hard not to take for granted, which plays a large part in why I like to spend time giving back to my community.

That said, I put my heart and soul into my business. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about how I can be running it more effectively and serving people better. When I show up for a session, I am there with my whole self. I make sure I sleep well the night before and dedicate a moment of quiet beforehand to consider how I want to capture this family (based on my consultation with the client) and how I want to present myself. If something’s bothering me, I leave it behind for that hour to make the experience as positive as possible for the people who are trusting me with their family’s memories.

I have spent countless hours teaching myself both the art of photography and how to run a business, and the only way to be successful, in my opinion, is to stay passionate, work hard, and always be in the service of others.

Pricing:

• Sessions start at $800

Contact Info:

• Email: heartsungphotography@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.heartsungphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartsungphotography/ 

Image Credits
Photo of Sarah Esposito by Daisy Zimmer. All other photos by Sarah Esposito/Heart Sung Photography