My passion for photography began when I was in the darkroom of my high school film photography class. I loved learning about all the details that make a camera and film work. When my husband and I got engaged, he purchased our first digital camera from a co-worker for $50 and the cost of a lunch salad.
When my oldest daughter was born, I picked that passion back up and started photographing her at home. In 2009, a friend from my college photography class was the first client to hire me to take pictures of his wife expecting their first son. That was the launch of all of this.
I live and love in Tallahassee, Florida, my home state and where my husband and I are raising our family. I am mama to four little ones who are growing at the speed of light. My family is my passion.
Alongside my photography business, I also work for the Florida House of Representatives as a staff photographer, where I capture official headshots and photograph legislative sessions from the House Chamber. It's taught me a lot about working calmly under pressure and capturing genuine moments in high-stakes, fast-moving environments — skills that show up in every session I shoot, especially headshots and events.
Sarah-your photographer-Hey there! I'm- I'm a teacher by trade and graduated from Flagler College with a degree in Elementary Education.
- I am a creative person through and through and feel trapped if I don't have a creative outlet.
- Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I push the pause button on everything and enjoy it as a day of rest.
- I think I have a the best job in the world, getting to photograph families welcoming new babies into their homes.
- Having a baby in 2020 was a wild time but also the best possible quarantine distraction. If someday, your kiddos are older and you still feel that tug to have another baby, go for it. It will bring such joy to watch your older children love a baby sibling. 100%, I recommend it.
favorites Things
My favorite motherhood quote
“She says I shall now have one mouth the more to fill and two feet the more to shoe, more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure or visiting, reading, music, and drawing.
Well! This is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look at the other. Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ's name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!”
-Elizabeth Prentiss, "Stepping Heavenward," published 1869
My photography is designed for living room walls and photo albums. It's my deepest hope that you'll print the beautiful images that we create and will enjoy them every day of your life. I love what I do and I would be honored for the opportunity to share it with you.
my family
myhusband
Sundays
Santa sessions are happening Saturday, November 7th at the Bradfordville Schoolhouse! Private one-on-one time with Santa — no lines, no chaos, just magic. Spots are limited and they go fast — booking link in bio! 🎅
The tiniest details, the sleepiest snuggles, the love that fills a whole nursery 🤍 Lucia’s newborn session, wrapped up in one little film.
#tallahasseenewbornphotographer #tallahasseemoms #newbornphotography #tallahasseenewborns #southgeorgiaphotographer newbornsession babyphotography tallahasseefl
Here`s the thing most families don`t expect: how you feel in your outfit directly affects how you look in your photos.
For adults, that`s a confidence thing. When you feel comfortable and like yourself, your posture is easier, your smile comes naturally, and you stop thinking about what you`re wearing. That shift is visible in the images.
For kids, it`s simpler. Comfort is everything. A scratchy waistband or a tight collar becomes the entire focus of the session for that child - and honestly, for everyone else too. Pick your battles, and when it comes to kids, let comfort win.
A few practical things worth knowing before your session:
Plan outfits early. Not the night before. Try things on, swap pieces if something isn`t working, and let the kids wear their outfits around the house for a bit to confirm they can actually tolerate them.
Think about undergarments. For the women in the family, this matters more than most guides will tell you. How your clothing lays against your body affects both how it photographs and how you feel standing in front of a camera.
Skip the logos. Always. Branded clothing dates quickly and pulls focus away from exactly what we`re there to capture.
The prep pays off. Every time.
We finally hung curtains in our house.
I`d been putting it off for months. Every time I thought about it, I talked myself out of it - we`d just redone so many walls and the last thing I wanted was more holes. But once we actually did it, the blackout curtains went up, we started sleeping so much better, and I felt silly for waiting as long as I did.
And then I thought about all the people sitting on booking a photography session for basically the same reason.
The process feels like a lot until it isn`t. And then you wonder why you waited.
If you`ve been meaning to reach out and just keep not doing it - hi. The link is at sarahgray.com/contact. It takes two minutes and that`s the hardest part.
Can we talk about the matching family photo?
I`m not against it in principle. I`ve seen it work. But I`ll be honest with you: identical outfits can flatten the individuality of each person in the frame. Everyone ends up looking like a set instead of a family.
What I always encourage is coordinated, not matching.
Cohesion without uniformity. Everyone looks like they belong in the same photo - but each person still looks like themselves. Mom isn`t dressed like a grown up version of her daughter. Dad doesn`t look like he raided his son`s closet.
The goal is harmony, not a uniform.
A few ways to pull this off without overthinking it: start with one anchor piece - usually mom`s outfit - and build the palette outward from there. Repeat one or two colors across the group without repeating the exact same clothing. Let textures and silhouettes vary.
The result is a family photo that actually looks like your family.
Memberships and Affiliations
Sarah Gray creates timeless and joyful images that are designed for living room walls and photo albums. A tallahassee photographer, Sarah Gray also serves Thomasville, Crawfordville, St. Marks, Gainesville and throughout the Forgotten Coast and panhandle of north Florida and south Georgia.
email us | sarah@sarahgray.com
telephone (850) 328-3258
located in tallahassee, florida
