Today we’d like to introduce you to Sally Ullman. She and her team shared their story with us below:
Sally Ullman began her career as a professional photographer first in publishing as a photographer and photo editor for many national magazines and books. Her photography in publishing spanned many subjects. Subjects that required knowledge of lighting both in the studio and on location, including sports photography, travel, corporate portraits, and food photography expertise. The results included many magazine and book covers and knowledge of large-format cameras.
After 17 years, Sally opened her own portrait studio on 3 acres in Pennsylvania, including an indoor and outdoor studio. She was shooting as many as 600 assignments a year, including food photography, families, and children.
Today, after moving to Florida 10 years ago, she has now increased her Branding Photography specialty, which includes corporate and business clients along with portraits, weddings, and mentoring new photographers all over the country.
Sally Ullman offers Professional Photography in the studio or on location for Business headshots, Branding, Real Estate, Family & Children Portraits, Engagement and Small Wedding, Beach, Graduation, Maternity and Newborn, Lifestyle, Product, Food & Pet Photography
Photography for the Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and surrounding areas. Sally can be reached at 941-301-8926
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting after college as a professional photographer required learning many new things and seeking mentors and help along the way. First, I was exposed to large format cameras and printing in the darkroom for publication. I am grateful for the other photographers in the publishing company as they offered much guidance. When you are young, learning how to be involved in business and have the opportunity to work with many creative minds is a key to success in running you own business later. Struggles included learning how to juggle many assignments at once and accommodating the many ideas from editors and art directors to envision a collaborative goal for publication. Meeting deadlines and trying new types of photography, including lighting in the studio and outside, is exciting.
I was once strapped to the back of a motorcycle to shoot a bike race through the rocky mountains!
No fear- I was in my twenties!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I graduated from college with a BFA in Communication Design but entered college as an artist and painter. As the years evolved in college, so did my interests and exposure to different art forms. I always had a mindset focused on what is really available to me as an artist for a career after graduation.
Once photography took a hold of me in the third year of college, I realized that I might be able to incorporate my painting into my photography by printing on fiber-based papers and then using oils to saturate into the paper. This added the unique pastel color known as hand painting photographs, which was the first form of color photography long ago.
Later, this art form differentiated me in the portrait market as well as black and white nude photography which was just beginning to be acceptable to the general mass audience. This carried my career differentiation until digital took over the world!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Any college graduate needs a helpful hand along the way, and I had plenty of help as I began my career as a photographer on assignment for publishing. We had a Director of Photography who was instrumental in hiring me after college.
The most important event was interning at the publishing company in my senior year of college because, without a good placement as an intern, my future may have taken a completely different turn.
The established staff of photographers at the publishing company were always helpful, showing how to use the 4×5 camera, learning about strobe lighting, incorporating daylight and strobe lighting together.
People that helped me were open-minded and non-competitive, and those are the memories I have of such a great start as a professional photographer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sallyullmanphotography.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sally.ullmanphotographer/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyullmanphotography/
Image Credits
Sally Ullman Photography
