The Styled Soirée

View Original

Get to know: Sara Lynn, a Colorado fine art film photographer

I am so excited to announce a new series on my blog featuring amazing vendors who help create stunning Colorado weddings!  My first guest is an extremely talented photographer, Sara Lynn.  She focuses on film photography utilizing natural light.  One of her strengths is helping couples with posing during portraits, making sure that the photography looks natural but that couples look their absolute best!

Please enjoy our interview and get to know the woman behind the lens!

Company Name and website: Sara Lynn

Your name: Sara Lynn Bouzek

How long have you been in business: 10 years

What made you fall in love with weddings?
It comes from when I was super little; my mom was a seamstress and would have brides and bridesmaids come over to her studio.  I would sit in the corner and watch brides in their dresses and with their bridesmaids, so I grew up seeing the emotions and fun associated with weddings.  And my very first roll of film (when I was 8-years-old), was used to photograph my sister’s wedding.  I was a flower girl and my parents let me run around as the “photographer” for her wedding day.  I remember photographing my sister’s buttons on her dress and our family church had beautiful archways and I remember photographing the patterns in the architecture.

So, would you say you noticed the small details from the beginning?  
Yes, I don’t think it was intentional, but I grew up in an artistic family.  I was encouraged to draw, paint, and create so I was always exposed to composition fundamentals.  My parents noticed right away that I wasn’t capturing what a normal 8-year-old would, so they kept buying me film.  I would take my camera everywhere and had my photographs covering my walls since the beginning.

What do you love most about working with film?
I love the surprise of it.  Film photographers know what we photograph on a wedding day and that it will be good, but sometimes when I see the negatives they are even more magical than I initially thought.  There is something about the way film takes in light, color, and texture that is even more magical than other mediums.

What makes your approach to photographing a wedding different?  
I think after capturing over 200 weddings, I’ve learned that having sit-down meetings with clients and hearing about the complete vision of their day (decor, why they selected their location), just everything that goes into their wedding allows me to choose how to capture their day in a way that shows emotion and personalities.  Taking the time to listen to every detail is what I think most sets me apart.  My clients truly trust me with their vision because we get to know each other so well before the wedding day!

What is your favorite moment of a wedding day?  
It definitely varies, every single wedding has something uniquely special.  But usually, my favorite moment is when the bride puts on her dress.  That “getting ready” moment makes the whole day seem very real.

What do you love to photograph other than weddings?   
It wasn’t always the case, but now that I have a son, I think photographing families is so fun!  I try very hard to make it fun for the whole family and take away any “mom stress” during the session.  After the wedding happens, most of my couples have children, so I love seeing my previous clients' families grow and I love that I get to continue to be part of their lives for years after their wedding day!

What do you enjoy doing on the weekends when you aren’t capturing a wedding?  
I love traveling and spending time with friends and family.  It doesn’t have to be anything special, just being in the moment with those I love.

Are there any locations (worldwide) that would be a dream to photograph?  
Santorini, Greece.  Everything is painted white, which is my favorite color!  And you have beautiful ocean views, incredible sunsets, it looks incredibly beautiful.

What is your favorite wedding detail to capture?  
The bridal details! I think it is fun to create an overall wedding day image with stationery, jewelry, rings, flowers.  I like to create a composition that helps tell the story of their wedding in one image with all of the detailed elements they have selected for such an important day.  

What do you wish couples knew before hiring a wedding photographer?
My advice to couples is to hire someone based on their personal connection and style.  You will spend so much time with your photographer on your wedding day, more than any other member of your wedding team.  You also need to really love the photographer’s style and trust your photographer completely.  Your photographer is a professional, so put the Pinterest shot list aside and allow your photographer to create something unique, just for you!

Check out some of our collaborations together: 
Brooke + Jay at Cherokee Ranch and Castle in Sedalia, Colorado
Gorgeous bouquets at every price point: A feature on Style Me Pretty
A Rocky Mountain Picnic Engagement: A feature on Rocky Mountain Bride

Featured florals by Emma Lea Floral