HEY, MY NAME IS SIERRA
Photographer, Children's Caregiver/Teacher, Mama, Wife, Friend.
-> I've been a photographer since 2016!
-> I love caramel everything, especially iced <oatmilk> latte with +caramel.
-> I have worked in early childhood education for seven+ years as a preschool teacher turned daycare provider, and have experience with shy, nonverbal, foster, & ASD children.
-> I also offer respite care for local families as a drop-in daycare and/or as a maternity support/night nanny- a mommy's helper.
-> I am a lover of animals and am expanding my funny farm!
What does a session with Sierra look like?
Well, first, we chit chat about your vision or mine, or both! We brainstorm locations and I'll recommend the ones I know that fit the vision. Once we nail down a location & time, I can help plan your wardrobe, shoes, send you shopping links, & give you tips to best prepare for your session with me <3
SESSION DAY
My biggest advice is to just make the entire day happy, calm, low stress, & give yourself buffer time between leaving home & your scheduled arrival. During your session, I need you calm & smiling & interacting with your child(ren), baby, or spouse naturally and affectionately, even if they don't mirror it perfectly. I have had children cry and say "no" throughout the whole session and I still caught so many sneak photos of the in between moments because mom's connection took their mind off the camera. you focus on loving your babies, I will guide and prompt you based on our vision, the child's needs, & anything else we discussed. Your trust in me & complete cooperation is what will make your images come to life. I will capture portraits, candids, connection, minute/macro details, lanscapes, & everything in between.
WHY HIRE SIERRA?
My decade of experience with both photography, children, customer service/business management, time/schedule management, & thousands of families I have photographed speaks just as loudly as my art. I have worked hard to aquire the knowledge & portfolio that I have over the last ten years and am very proud of how far I have come. Aside from the beautiful images you will walk away with, you are investing in an artist that knows her cameras, knows the area from 20+ years of hiking bluffs, valleys, & creekways throughout the driftless region, I have thrived working with children of all ages while both photographing and teaching, I have mature contracts & policies to ensure the safety of your information, images, and privacy if desired. I have formed relationships with families that are 9+ years old and still photograph for them every year. I have a reputation for being fantastic at making kids comfortable, working with animals who don't normally photograph well, children who won't talk to anyone-- I can get beautiful portraits of them as they get to know me. I balance work & home life well & take on sessions that make my heart soar, my passion is photography and I believe it shows loud and clear in my work. I am dabbling in teaching photography skills to younger generations as my two passions collide. Hiring me as your artist will only be the smoothest experience with a passionate, experienced professional who wants your images to be incredible, your session memorable, and your family happy when you leave the session & when you receive your images to look back on time and time and time again xx
What Should We Wear?
I have clients ask me all the time what they should wear to their session. They want to know what colors are best and what to avoid. Here are my top suggestions for both!
What to wear:
• Cream
• Warm beige
• Camel
• Taupe
• Any browns
• Olive green
• Rust
Say yes to textures: knit, chunky knit, wool, linen, leather, jean, lace, dainty patterns!
Add textures and layers for depth!
Avoid:
• Neon colors, sage, dusty blues
• Super bright reds/oranges
• Logos or large graphics
• Tiny busy patterns
• Matching everyone exactly
• Stark white clothing
—Coordinate colors instead of matching outfits
I will give you specific recommendations depending on the vision we discuss, the location, time of year, etc, after you book your session.
Following my advice will give you the best chance at seeing your vision come to life, even if the sun isn't shining. see below xx
What makes Sierra's experiences stand out in her area?
I not only pour all of my passion and knowledge into curating your desired experience, but I have access to some pretty cool friends. We have calves of varying colors, a giant friendly bunny, & sometimes friends with chicks, ponies, donkeys, goats, lambs, & more. The safety of your child & of the animals is top priority when adding these onto a session & Sierra will provide the experience with an animal handler to ensure extra care for everyone involved.
Aside from the animal friends, I regularly purchase fresh flowers, aquire new props, have a children's client closet, a million fabrics, baskets, buckets, crates, chairs, & can make almost any vision come to life in my own way if given the time needed. I won't take on a project if I am not 1000% sure I can pull it off.
What's the turnaround?
I estimate 2-4 weeks, but depending on the season & personal life (busy mom, 3 jobs, kids who get sick, etc), sometimes it can take more or less. Quality takes time & talent <3
Can I have the raw or unedited images?
Simple answer: No.
Detailed answer: Unedited files aren't a reflection of the standard I hold the final product of my work to. RAW files are huuuuuge files that most devices don't support unless ran through professional software.
If you are a photographer wanting to do a professional swap, privately inquire to see if we'd be a good fit.
Can I ask you to edit a certain way?
Please only hire me if you love my artwork. I use the same editing formula (with minor tweaks) to capture the tones, colors, and warmth throughout my work. I have worked hard to nail down this style and while I am capable of changing the white balance, tones, colors, I prefer not to & won't unless discussed prior to booking.
I CAN, however, take a look at the tones in the photos of your home and tell you if I can slightly alter the greens in your new images to pair/blend well with the images on your walls. This is not always possible and will depend on the warmth/quality of the images provided.
What if the weather is yucky/dangerous?
We can discuss rescheduling, but the final decision is made at Sierra's discretion. The safety of the client's family, of Sierra, & of Sierra's photo gear are top priority.
Do you use AI to edit?
No. AI steals art work from other artists & is wasting our planets & our communities water supply. You shouldn't support AI either.
I know AI is a tool that isn't leaving and it's embedded in apps and search engines, and it CAN be a useful tool but I will not put my photos into any generators as I am capable of producing quality photographs without using AI.
Can the client run SKP art through AI?
No. AI steals art work from other artists & is wasting our planets & our communities water supply. You shouldn't support AI either.
If I find that you have ran my art through AI, I will "blacklist" you, meaning I won't work with you again.
How is Sierra challenging herself this year?
- I am diving deeper into teaching photography, offering free workshops for children throughout the summer.
- I am playing around with videography & will be looking for guinea pig families who would let me video during their session as well as photographing, with the chance to receive both on gallery delivery day!
- I am opening a completely-outdoors Nature Preschool Program for children ages 3-5, teaching a nature based curriculum in a fenced, safe, spacious location with an assistant. A dream come true!
- I want to interview moms & blog about it. Will you let me? I'd need to share a few images, too.
- Oh yeah, and I start homeschooling my 4 year old this fall.
Some fav sessions from this year:
