Meet Sarah Jules | Creative Director and Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Jules and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my business was ” Can I do this? and is this meant for me?”. 

When I first purchased my camera, my intentions weren’t to build a photography business but rather to casually capture my life adventures. I had a few years of experience working at a Walmart Portrait Studio in 2013 where I was able to learn the corporate/business side of things. 

The thought of running a business seemed absurd because it is so much more than capturing photos. When my family and friends suggested that I should start my business I had no idea where to start. Over time I started gradually taking pictures of friends and felt comfortable booking clients at a low rate which ultimately gave me an opportunity to save up and get more intentional about pursuing photography. I used to spend countless hours educating myself on how to turn my passion into my business. I learned how to sharpen my skills and what I should be focusing on to elevate my brand! ‘’Could I afford certain equipment, how do I attract my dream clients? ‘’ Those were the thoughts going through my mind. 

A huge part of photography that most people don’t see is the connection you get to create with each client and others around you. Networking has been one of the best ways to share my craft and to connect with other artists, creators, vendors, and potential clients. It isn’t always about having the best photography gear – that can only take you so far. Over the years, I learned that there is a lot to factor in such as the creative direction, bookings, culling process, and detail work during the editing process. Thankfully, I encountered amazing clients that saw value in my work and were ready to invest in helping my business grow. Now it’s my turn to give back! 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In the creative world, I believe every artist is unique! Photography is the eyes and the vision. The ability to make something professional, clean, and sleek is a harnessed skill! Knowing how to adjust lights to look a certain way, editing an image to mesmerize its viewer is unique to the

photographer. Photography is vision and having the ability to execute that vision through a lens. It is priceless. 

I got where I am today because of the endless support from my loved ones. I was not born a photographer but I was born with a unique talent. I used to fill up my family’s computer with tons of random photos that annoyed them but they knew that one day, soon enough, I would use this talent for something. When I took that leap, I knew I had to enhance that skill and I eventually joined training and workshops that helped me elevate my skills. The process was not easy! What I found challenging was setting up boundaries with myself. I was overworking myself a lot at first, trying to perfect my craft overnight, which is impossible. Photography is an investment where some have an eye to capture a story in ways that cannot be taught. 

One lesson I’ve learned during this journey is to value my work. It is one thing when people cheer you up about what you’ve done. But I know many that will not charge their worth out of fear of not booking any clients. Know your worth and you will start attracting those who value your talent and hard work. Imposter syndrome is real! I used to be upset at myself because I failed to create or didn’t feel inspired to do anything. Sometimes, I would post a lot of my client’s photos, and sometimes I wouldn’t. At first, I was nervous to share my art, I felt like my work would be disregarded. I allowed fear to take over until I understood that my art isn’t for everyone, and that is ok! Fear will often try to take away what the world needs to see! I will always do my best to connect and share what I do! You never know who it can uplift and I believe that God didn’t give me this talent to have it hidden. You never know who you may inspire. There are many photographers in the world, but what is beautiful is that there is only you. You can do what you can do best, nobody can take that from you… That resonates with me every time. 

I will always do my best to leave positive footprints in the lives of those I encounter. What I want the world to know about my brand is that behind every perfect image that you see on Instagram or on my page is a woman that is dedicated to helping others elevate their brands, their day-to-day content, and sharing their love stories. Images are everlasting, so should be the experience. I will always take my time to connect with my clients, know about who they are, what they want to achieve, and how I can help them achieve it. 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend visited the area, I would bring them to downtown Ottawa and some areas of Gatineau which is a few minutes away from Ottawa. There are usually so many activities during the summer, and you can find the BEST restaurants here! First, we would visit one of my favorite museums which is the National Gallery of Canada, then grab a bite at one of the nearest restaurants. One of my favorites is Tomo, a Japanese Sushi restaurant. I would also bring them shopping at the biggest mall downtown Ottawa! We could also go to the Spa Nordik outside of Ottawa about 15 minutes away from downtown where we would spend a few hours decompressing and catching up. There’s also Gatineau park, which is the largest park in the region where we would go on a hike! 
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout-out to God for providing me with the skills and the talent that I have, for giving me an amazing support system such as my family, friends, and my fiancé! 

I would like to give a shout-out to all my clients because without them I wouldn’t be where I am today! 

I wanted to give a shout-out to Samantha Clarke for providing me with advice based on her experiences on how she started her business. 

And shout-out to everyone that has believed in me since day 1 and continues to support me!

Website: www.amyjulesphotography.ca

Instagram: www.instagram.com/amyjulesphotography

Facebook: Www.facebook.com/amyjulesphotography

Image Credits
Mack Etienne Studio 20/20 – Photographer Tani Olorunyomi