Raves

“As I wrote, re-wrote and wrote again my experience with Sarah, nothing seemed to fully express the amazing experience I had shooting with her. I have never met a vendor as kind or as involved with their clients as Sarah. Not only has she been as sweet as pie, but she is nothing but professional as well. Sarah was able to make my terribly shy fiancé comfortable and capture fun and charming shots. She has not only created beautiful photographs… but she has captured memories that I’m proud to show off. I’ve recommended her to several of my friends (and even strangers) because that’s just how GREAT she is. And I’ll keep recommending her for as long as I can.” -Danielle E. (Wedding Portraits)

“Boudoirs with Sarah are a surprisingly comfortable experience. I say surprisingly because I have issues with my body. Sarah could tell this and was extremely respectful of what I wanted to do. She asked what part of my body my honey likes the most and was sure to take great shots of my ankles… yes, I said ankles. I don’t get it either.

Sarah made it easy to flirt with the camera to get the right look. I love that I felt so sexy and feminine. We had a great time taking these pictures.  I had such a great experience with the boudoir shots that I decided to have our next family photos taken with Sarah. Again, Sarah was sure to ask what we wanted. One of the questions she asked was what type of places we liked to go as a family. We mentioned waterfalls and she came up with an amazingly beautiful location, Tumwater Falls. I loved that candid pictures that Sarah was able to capture, especially of the kids.

At the end of the shoot as Sarah was packing up her camera, our 7 year old daughter said she had a great idea for a photo. Sarah didn’t hesitate to take the camera back out and let my daughter pose herself. This made our daughter feel so special and made for another great photography memory.

As I have told Sarah and others before, “Once you’ve had Sarah take your photos, you can’t go back to big chain photography.” We absolutely LOVE having our pictures taken by Sarah. She really loves what she does and it shows in the quality of work she produces. Sarah is so fun, friendly, creative and easy to work with.” -Jeni G. (Boudoir and Family Portraits)

“Sam and Sarah were the most fun I’ve ever had in a photographer. They are both awesome at catching those moments that no one remembers, but which looking back seem to mean the most. They also seem to capture the essence of the people in the photos, rather than just a pretty scene or a handsome couple.  I would recommend them to anyone!” -Vikki M. (Wedding Portraits)

“As our wedding photographer, Sarah Alston did a fantastic job. I couldn’t have chosen a better photographer. She is so fun to be around, and makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera. My husband and I had so much fun posing in our pictures. She is such a warm-hearted and free-spirited person. Because of her, we now have tons of memories to cherish forever.” -Mary M. (Wedding Portraits)

“I found out about Sarah Alston Photography through a friend as I was planning my destination wedding.  I was told that Sarah was a wonderful photographer who I would get along with well.  My husband and I were planning a wedding in Hawaii followed by a reception back home.  I knew I wanted to have both events captured.  We booked a wedding photographer in Hawaii and decided we would book Sarah Alston Photography to capture the reception.  I am so glad we did.  Sarah and her husband Sam both captured unique pictures at  our engagement photo shoot and at the reception itself.

My husband is a very shy guy who’s idea of pictures of himself include goofy faces or ducking.  When Sarah offered her engagement shoot with the package I nearly said we didn’t need it because I couldn’t see my shy guy posing for the camera.  She assured me that she would get my husband to loosen up so we decided we would go ahead.  I was astonished at how comfortable both my husband and I were.  Sarah had brought her husband Sam to help with the shoot and before we knew it we were all laughing as we walked around our hometown taking truly unique photos!  The best part was Sarah took pictures of who my husband and I were as a couple.  She came to our house which was in the middle of a remodel and took wonderful shots of us hammering nails while wearing hard hats!  These pictures captured the love between my husband and I better than any staged shots.

The reception was held in a remote lodge in the woods.  Again Sarah captured the essence of the event.  She took unique pictures of both my husband and I out in the wilderness.  We got fun shots of us playing in the field in my wedding dress.  Since we would be camping that night Sarah even took pictures of us in our tent!  When the party started it was as if Sarah and Sam disappeared.  They blended into the background capturing perfect moments of my entire family.  They got pictures of people laughing, dancing and enjoying the party.  They even took the time to capture the beauty of the buffet.  One interesting thing they did was take both my husband and I’s rings and put them in different places around the venue.  It was fun to look back at these pictures and see the truly unique and playful pictures.  With every shot I saw something that I had missed on the day.

After all of the hard work and hours of photography I expected the pictures to take forever to get back to me. Sarah was very prompt.  She even took the time to add antiquing to some of them which really made some of the pictures come to life!  I have been in many weddings and seen many photographers.  I can say with great confidence that Sarah Alston is much more than a photographer she is now my friend.  Her work is artistic, fun and captures the moment!  I now have a photo album of treasured memories!  Thanks Sarah!” –Season J. (Wedding Photography)

“Sarah Alston photographed the reception of my wedding.  Since that was such a wonderful experience I knew I wanted to have her present at the birth of my first child.  Sarah took the time to establish such a wonderful relationship with me that she seemed like the perfect choice to be a doula for the next chapter of my husband and I’s life.  I could not have been more right with this choice.  Sarah was clear about my birth plan, she advocated for me during the birth and as an added bonus she captured every moment of the delivery!

Prior to delivery Sarah met with my husband and I to discuss our birth plan.  Since this was our first birth we had an idea of what we wanted but were thoroughly nervous about the upcoming event.  Sarah came with a list of questions.  She was so knowledgeable about the birth process that she presented question I hadn’t even thought of.  She calmed my nerves with a few jokes but I was amazed how serious she was.  She recognized the intimate event she was being asked to help with and honored us by saying yes to the task.  She gave us specific directions on what her role would be during the birth process.  She told my husband that he would be my number one support person but that she would be there to back him.  Since this was my husband’s first time with the birth process I could tell he was relieved to know he would have help too.

As the day approached questions would pop up.  I never hesitated to call Sarah for advice.  She would laugh at me when I was being silly and advise me when I needed support.  My little girl came a week late.  Sarah was ready to drop everything as soon as I called.  Wouldn’t you know it that she came two days before Christmas and on the night that Sarah had a HUGE Christmas party planned at her house.  Sarah didn’t even hesitate a moment.  She offered to even come to my house as I labored at home.  As the day progressed I would get calls from Sarah every few hours to offer tips to help with the early labor process.  When it was time to head to the hospital Sarah was in the room minutes after we arrived.

Birth is a special intimate moment between you and your family.  Sarah became part of my family that day.  I chose to deliver my little angle natural without medical intervention.  This decision requires some serious support.  Sarah was there when it was tough.  She walked me through breathing techniques, and suggested different positions.  She held my hand and rubbed my back.  She offered encouragement when I thought I could go no longer.  Sarah advocated for me when all I could do was breath.  I can honestly tell you that without Sarah, I wouldn’t have stuck to my birth plan.

Perhaps one of the most magical things about Sarah is that she did this all while capturing each moment with her camera.  A few days later Sarah had completed the photos she had taken.  I have never cried with so much joy than I did when I was able to relive the beauty of the moment while holding my new little girl.  My new family all sat around the computer looking at each picture in amazement.  We now have pictures that are so powerful that we will always be able to go back and relive the magic of that day.

As I have said before, Sarah is not only my photographer and doula she is my friend and now my family.  Thank you Sarah for your magical ways of capturing the most meaningful moments of my life!  How can I ever thank you enough!” -Season J. (Birth Photography)

“Sarah contacted me out of the blue last year, and generously offered to photograph our Scott Firefighter Stairclimb event, which benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a special project. This is a crazy, wonderful, busy event that features over 1,500 firefighters racing up the stairs at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle. Sarah and her husband Sam jumped right into the mix and seemed to be everywhere all at once. Their photographs were beautiful, artistic, and often extremely poignant. They truly captured the energy, passion and meaning behind this unique event and the mission it represents.

In addition to their stunning photography, Sarah and Sam were also a true pleasure to work with. They were complete professionals, with a great personal warmth that instantly put everyone at ease. Even though this was a pro bono project, they went above and beyond to put all the photos into a DVD format to showcase at our Annual Awards Ceremony and in turn took photos at the Awards Presentation as well.” -Kris Howard, Sr. Campaign Director – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Event Photography)

“Sarah has done several photo shoots with my family. I love the way she captures the moment of the picture. She has the ability to show the child’s personality in one shot! She is absolutely amazing and so easy to work with! She loves her job and shows it in the quality of work she provides. Sarah is a fun photographer to work with and very easy going! She works with the kids who don’t want to be in the picture and captures the BEST picture of them when they don’t even realize it had happened! She is just amazing!” -Hiedi D. (Family Portraits)

“Sarah is an amazing photographer. She is very friendly and outgoing. She makes you feel comfortable in every photo you are in. Sarah is so confident in her work and holds up good conversations. This is the third time I have worked with her and I love when I shoot with her. She makes everything seem so easy to do, and the best part she makes you feel gorgeous!  I highly recommend getting a photoshoot from Sarah Alston Photography… you will not regret it!” -Lauren E. (Senior Portraits)

“Sarah is so creative with her photoshoots.  She makes them fun, no pressure, and once she gets started, even the most camera shy person will forget she has a camera in her hand.  We’ve had the pleasure of doing several photoshoots with her.  We’ve done pregnancy photos, labor/birth photos and several of our son, Luke, as he’s grown.  Our pictures from Sarah are absolutely priceless.

When my husband and I decided to have a natural birth, we could think of only one person we’d like to have there as our doula.  And what a bonus, she comes with a camera!  We had an amazing experience with Sarah.  She was kind, soothing, wouldn’t let me give up when I was ready to.  She was not only amazing support for me, she was a wonderful support for my husband and mother-in law, neither of whom had ever been present for a natural birth.  She helped them feel at ease, showed them how to comfort me, and all the while she captured AMAZING photos of it all.  She was very respectful of how I was feeling and made sure to ask me every so often if the flash was a nuisance. I don’t know how she got such amazing pictures and held me up to help me push at the same time.  And then Luke was born.  She captured everything, from the expressions on everyone’s faces, to the details of the room.  All the special moments my husband and I would have missed or forgotten, she somehow captured.  What an amazing experience it was to have her be part of such a special time in our lives.

We also did a family photoshoot with Sarah when Luke was about a week old as well as a photoshoot every 3 months or so as Luke’s grown. Each and every time, she’s been patient, upbeat, flexible, and so good at keeping Luke’s attention.  It’s hard to put into words the emotions you feel when you see your photos from Sarah.  She somehow captures the spirit and essence of each person she photographs whether they be in labor, standing at the altar, playing on a park swing, or dancing in the street under a neon sign.  We will cherish our photos our entire lives.” Lacey J. (Birth and Family Portraits)

“Sarah, words cannot express my appreciation for you as my wedding photographer!!!  After seeing the engagement pictures you did for Danielle, and the excitement she had about you… I just had to have you for my wedding/engagement photography as well!!  And I have not been disappointed!My engagement pictures turned out amazing! Tommy and I could not be happier.  It’s amazing how you took an ordinary backdrop, like the crusty Seattle building we stood in front of, and made it an edgy and beautiful piece of art!!

There were so many photographs we loved that we still have not limited down our choices.  You made both Tommy and I feel extremely comfortable, and we had a great time with you in Seattle!!

I cannot wait for our wedding, and I know one thing I won’t be stressing about on the big day is my wedding photography!!” -Whitney H. (Wedding Photography)

“Sarah is an amazing photographer!  She came over to our house and did two week pictures of our first baby. She spent four hours here taking pictures and was so patient through feedings and diaper changes. She was so gentle with our little one, which as a first time mother, you do worry about how people handle your baby. She got some amazing pictures and she has a very creative eye…she looked around our house and used some of our things in the pictures to bring some of our life into the pictures. She truly was able to capture who we were!” -Julie N. (Baby Portraits)

“Sarah came to our first annual Bald Solidarity shave event and was one of the most enthusiastic and helpful attendees there! She showed up early, was great about asking me what I was looking for from her photography, and then she ran around like a perky little madwoman snapping pictures that turned out to be…phenomenal! Thank you Sarah so much for capturing the event in such striking and memorable ways and for being such a wonderful smiling presence while you were there.” -Bethany R. (Non-Profit Event)

“Sarah Alston is an AMAZING photographer! (In case you missed it… AMAZING!!!) She did a photo shoot for my best friend and I last summer. We had a blast at the shoot! (I hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time!) And the photos were AWESOME! Our BFF shoot could have been terribly cheesy or a little too much like engagement photos but due to a great photographer it was so much fun and captured the essence of best friends. Sarah has a way of showing the beauty and personality of all her subjects. Working with her was a ton of fun!” -Jennifer M. (Portraits)

“People always say that outside of the day they got married that the birth of a child is the greatest day of their life. If you have children, you know it’s TRUE, and if you are expecting you will! No matter how big or small a wedding pretty much everyone has a photographer there, someone who’s only job is to record that special memory, to preserve the fleeting moment. This is why I decided I wanted a birth photographer, specifically, I wanted Sarah to photograph my son’s birth. I met Sarah a few months after my daughter was born. I did not have a photographer there and I wish I had. The few snapshots my husband took seem inadequate for such a miraculous event. Sarah has a passion for both photography and for babies and childbirth, and that amazing gift of making you feel completely comfortable in your own skin. She is confident in who she is and extends that confidence to those around her. Childbirth isn’t usually a time we feel particularly glamorous, but the pictures Sarah took are so amazing I prefer them to the snapshots taken the next day when I was “freshened up”. My husband was a little hesitant, and surprised when I told him I wanted Sarah to take pictures of Andrew being born, but the way she captured and preserved the emotion of this significant day exceeded both our expectations. This was my second child but the birth went very differently and much, MUCH faster. So, having Sarah there as a doula and extra support to me and my husband was a huge blessing. Thank you Sarah for the priceless gift!” –Anna F. (Birth Photography)

“Choosing Sarah and Sam to be our photographers for our engagement/wedding day was the best choice we made, by far!  They were both unbelievably FUN to work with, professional, and made everything so easy and care-free.  My husband and I both have pretty busy schedules, but planning an engagement session was super easy with Sarah’s ability to be flexible and work around us.  We are thrilled with how our engagements turned out, and I was so happy to see a “sneak peak” on Facebook the next day!  She finished editing and posted them right away, which is amazing!  Our wedding day was one of the best days of our lives and Sarah and Sam captured each moment in such a gorgeous way.  They both are truly talented and have a great eye.  I was extremely impressed at how well they listened to what my husband and I wanted and different shots we thought would be fun.  They were willing to get down and dirty (literally) just to get some AMAZING shots.  Sarah and Sam are two photographers that become your friends in the process.  You will laugh and maybe even cry (especially when you see the pictures!)  Without a DOUBT, we will be back for more pictures from them!  Thank you Sarah and Sam for capturing those moments.  You guys ROCK!” –Laura D. (Wedding Photography)

I contacted Sarah with the hope that she could accommodate a family portrait during the holidays. When I was preparing for our family pictures I was so nervous. I was really concerned about having to pick my own poses and not knowing what to expect. Once I got to the location everything changed, I felt so comfortable. Sarah tells you exactly what to do and helps you all along the way. At the same time I felt free to throw in my own ideas and Sarah incorporated what I asked. I loved having my own input, and it was really easy to trust the professional to make sure we looked our best. The session flew by so quickly and it was really fun. Sarah captured us in a perfect artistic light with a wonderful insight into who we were. We made a wonderful memory that day and have beautiful family portraits that we will always treasure. –Nakkia L. (Family Photography)