I am so excited to announce to the world, officially, that we have added a new lead photographer to the team at Creation Studios! It is none other than the uber-talented and super-cool, Sara Beth Raab.

Like everyone in the wedding industry (I’m sure they don’t mind me speaking for them :-), I have known and loved working with Sara Beth for a long time. As a videographer, I have worked alongside her over the last ten years and it was always a joy seeing the way which she worked with the couples and moved effortlessly through the wedding day. And over the last several years, as a photographer, her work has inspired me to look for those simple, pure moments of emotion and life – as it’s really happening. I have always seen a softness in her work, an ease – like that pair of really comfortable jeans that you would wear every day if you could. I love that about her stuff. Honestly, I don’t know anyone better at doing that, consistently, shoot after shoot.

So, that being said, you can imagine how excited I was when she approached me with the idea to join Creation Studios. Of course, I told her that I’d have to consider it, weigh the options and business strategies (and all that stuff that business types need to think about) – but come on, this was a no-brainer!!! YES! I absolutely love freeing people to follow their passions. I love seeing people come alive when they are able to focus on their strengths. That’s the main reason Creation Studios is what it is today – there are a lot of people just doing those few things that they are REALLY good at. We know what she is good at, now that she is set free, we all get to see just how good at it she is gonna be! Woo-hoo!!

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You’ll be seeing and hearing a lot more from Sara Beth moving forward, but just as a quick introduction to her and her work, we posted a couple galleries and some questions below.

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1. How long have you been a photographer? I started into photography at birth. Haha, no really, my parents are photographers (they have been photographing children forever, and still do!) so I picked up the camera very young. My first shoots were with my mom’s huge medium format camera in the studio. I quickly moved on to the 35mm camera and expanded into photographing bands, and was even published. I got bit by the photography bug seriously by the age of 16, when I did my first wedding. I moved to Memphis to pursue photography in art school, decided art school was much too self-involved for my taste and persued life as the working photographer. After working with some wonderful companies here in town, I started my own business in 2001 and ran it successfully until… well, this decision.

2. Why did you did you want to join CS? I have been searching for a team to work with for many years. As a social person owning my business by myself was very hard. Not only because every task that needs to happen for the business was my sole responsibility, but also I really work best when I have a team of people to bounce ideas off. Other people’s creativity and business practices inspire me, and I enjoy helping create and emplement new business strategies as well as expand my photography skills. Creation Studios has such a wonderful buzz about it here in the Memphis area. They have a wonderful reputation with both their past clients, other vendors, and in the business world. There are so many wonderful and different opportunities to follow here, not just in the wedding world, in which I have existed, but also all throughout the business world – promotional videos, corporate clients, and of course all the families from past clients. Also, with the team we have here, there are many opportunities for me to bring in my very specific talents in equine photography and sales videos, boudoir photography, and of course weddings and portraits. I am very excited for the coming years!

3. Describe your style and specialty? My past clients enjoy their images because they look like themselves… just on their happiest and prettiest day. I strive to be very intuitive with my clients so that I can quickly do what I can to get them to their happy place. Sometimes that means being silly, or slowing down, or talking candidly for a bit. I tend to enjoy images that are emotive, real, and timeless.

4. What do you do for fun? My most favorite thing to do in the whole world is to ride horses (don’t be surprised if you stop by the studio and find me in my riding gear!) But if I have any spare moments, you can bet I will be at the barn! Right now I ride other people’s horses, but I am really just working so that I can have my own horse. In fact I’m pretty sure Creation Studios could pay me in equines. Yep that would totally work. I am also slightly obsessed with flowers. Really, I just loooooove cut flowers.. I kill the growing kind pretty fast, but I do love me some potted flowers…they just have a high turn over rate. Yeah I could be paid in flowers and horses.

5. Pets? Other than my imaginary horse I have a big ole goofy black lab named Juno..he may keep me company in the studio some days. He’s such a good dog!