About Me

My name is Sarah and I am a photographer based in beautiful Bloomington, IN. I am also a lifelong musician, arts advocate, and a devoted wife and mother. I love to travel, meet new people, and experience new things. I enjoy hiking, listening to the ocean, making music, reading poetry, writing, and (of course) photography.

My love for photography started three decades ago when I started a middle school photography club with a group of classmates. We set up a darkroom, took photos, developed film, and used the tools around us to create special effects. Though short lived, the experience sparked a joy for creativity and a keen eye for balance and contrast that has served me well in many capacities over the years.

I studied music in college and earned a Master of Music in 2006 from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where I’ve also worked for more than a decade. I don’t perform often these days, but remain dedicated to music, arts education, and exploring the values that creative expression and thoughtful design bring to our lives and communities.

In May 2020, I completed a second master’s in arts administration from the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. We studied various facets of non-profit administration — from curation and audience development to financial management and legal issues — all through the lens of the arts. As a parent of two small children, navigating online school while also finishing final graduate projects and working full-time, this was no small feat and will remain one of my proudest moments.

Over the years I’ve worked with numerous arts organizations: the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, IU Opera and Ballet Theater, various Jacobs Academy programs, New Voices Opera, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and Bloomington Photography Club, to name a few. I’ve got experience in marketing and communications, opera production, book publishing, project management, and customer service.

While I love administrative work, I’ve recently had a desire to work on projects that bring all of my various skills, creativity, and experiences into play. To produce images that capture the special moments of a wedding day, to document milestones and special life events through portraiture and family photography, and to work with artists, musicians, and other creative entrepreneurs to create headshots and images that reflect their personal brand and allow them to share their stories and work with the world in a visual way.

My next steps are, as always, a work in progress. After all, isn’t this what life is all about? If you’re interested in following me on this journey, consider joining my mailing list! (I promise I won’t barrage you.)

“Neither art nor life unfolds in linear fashion. Nor will your career or the project you choose within this course.”

Mark Rabideau, Creating the Revolutionary Artist

Photo credit this page: Joy Photography by Megan Leiter