about me
the name & the face
I'm Sarah: friend of God, photographer of love stories and families, and hopeless romantic.
"Sarah" means a woman of high standing, and is the name of a woman of faith and mother of nations in the Bible. "Leying," δΉη, is my Chinese name, and means "full of joy" β and everyone who gets to know me knows that it's accurate!
I am a friend to Jesus, daughter, sister, and photographer. I really love the feeling of crisp fall air in the morning, listening to people tell stories, and the sound of a film camera shutter firing.
my story
I bought my first "fancy" camera in high school β a Nikon dSLR from Costco. I quickly enthralled by everything about portrait photography, limited as my skill was. I have always loved and pursued art for as long as I remember, from pre-conservatory classical piano to creative writing, and my love for portrait photography came quickly and naturally.
I never put the camera down, and eventually became a wedding and family photographer whose work is marked by an organic purity, sensitivity to detail, and atmospheric charm.
The person and peerless beauty of Jesus has set the course for my life, art, and work. I consider everything that I do with (and without) my camera to be a love gift to the Lamb. I had a crazy dark past without Him and was transformed from a girl who lived in hospitals into bubbling over with life and freedom! There is truly no other my love or the breath in my lungs is for now.
my why
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My work is deeply connected to my Chinese heritage. My non-wedding work centers around cultural stories, and documenting the generational unity that is forged in the mundane interactions of family.
Family Roots
When I'm not photographing people, I'm probably studying (communication & sociology at UNC Chapel Hill), singing, writing worship songs, or playing the piano (I studied classically from age four until seventeen!).
Beyond the camera
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My desire is to be in the presence of the Lord, to gaze on His beauty and bring Him joy. God rescued me radically from the brink of death (crazy story, ask me!), and now my love belongs entirely to Jesus.
My One Thing
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The Song of Solomon
Debussy and Chopin
Impressionist paintings
The way that film renders light
Autumn
Chinese poetry
Airplane window views
My parents' and grandparents' lives