ABOUT SARA
ABOUT SARA
Sara Rubinstein is a commercial advertising photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
A simple truth: I am incapable of putting down a camera.
Raised in the rural South with family roots in New York City and Germany, my teenage years in a rural town left me starved for something tangible that could speak with me, for me, through me. It wasn’t clear to me yet, but I was incapable of putting down a camera.
I spent four years at Carleton College studying Biology and German. My worst grade outside of Organic Chemistry – a “C” in the only photography class I ever took. My father kindly suggested perhaps I could buy postcards instead of wasting film- this shift would leave me free to pursue a sensible career in medicine or law. Practicality aside, I could not put down a camera.
College complete, photography consumed me. For money I waitressed in Japanese restaurants- earning tips and purchasing one lens at a time, methodically. I began photo assisting some of the great advertising photographers of the time. For some hazy number of years I worked obsessively on my craft, alternating between assisting and creating my own style of work. I photographed everything- racehorses, muay thai boxers, motorcycles, professional golfers, lawyers, athletes, landscapes, politicians– anything I could manifest with a lens. I could not put down the camera.
Clients noticed. One shoot at a time, my portfolio and business grew. Over time I learned the greatest gift in life was humanity. Making pictures became a collaboration, each production and image greater than the sum of its parts. Collaboration was and remains the magic. My relationship with the camera began to shift slightly, but I still couldn’t put down the camera.
The transition to directing commercials with story, transitions, flow and purpose was simultaneously natural and challenging. I took acting classes; I learned to edit. I learned the subtleties of camera movement and blocking. I developed the skills to shift between motion and stills to ensure both mediums could resonate as compelling on one set. I collaborated with bigger teams: with incredible agency creatives, DPs, set designers, lighting teams, and producers. Still, even when directing motion with a dedicated DP, I keep the camera hanging around my neck, ready to go- I cannot put it down.
I discovered I’m an introvert who loves connecting with people. I was taught that creating great imagery means being fearless with the camera. I broke some ceilings, a few others left me grounded, licking my wounds. I learned if you stay present and calm, shoots always work out just as they need to. I learned to believe in artistic vision and how to intertwine it with the demands of a layout or client need. I learned how to drink my coffee black. I am nursing a 556 day streak on Duolingo. I will always love R.E.M. I don’t match my socks. Horseback riding helps my brain rest. Cloudy weather is my favorite. I like the cold. I learned I’d rather leave this earth with relationships versus a portfolio. I learned the portfolio still means something to me.
Here we are, and I still can’t put down the camera.
Read about Sara on Leica Camera's Her Legacy Series, here: Sara Rubinstein Her Legacy with Leica Camera