THE STORY

I picked up a camera in my 30s after burning out in a corporate job I'd convinced myself I should want. I was exhausted, unfulfilled, and wondering if this was all there was. Photography changed everything. I taught myself—no formal training, no mentor, just obsessive practice. I started photographing friends, then friends of friends, then strangers who'd seen my work. Within a year and a half, I had a business I hadn't planned on building. That was 14 years ago.

PORTRAITS TO THE PEOPLE

I named my business Portraits To The People because I wanted photography to feel accessible to everyone. Just people, cameras, and the work of seeing each other clearly. Fourteen years later, I've photographed thousands of people across the San Francisco Bay Area—from tech CEOs to camera-shy engineers, from corporate teams to personal branding sessions, from Pride campaigns to online dating profiles. I specialize in people who hate having their photo taken. The awkward, the camera-shy, the "I'm not photogenic" crowd. Because I believe everyone deserves to be seen at their best, even (especially) if they don't think they have a best side.

In 2024, I finally got my own studio in Sausalito after 14 years of working out of shared spaces and my garage. Having a place that's mine has unlocked creativity and growth I didn't know was possible.

COMMUNITY & PROJECTS

Photography has always been my entry point to community building and social impact.

THE IDENTITY PROJECT

In 2014, I launched The Identity Project - a photo series exploring the words people use to describe their gender and sexuality. I photographed LGBTQ+ individuals with their self-chosen identity labels, creating a visual archive of how we name ourselves. The project took me across the United States (New York, Portland, Chicago, Austin) and internationally to Taiwan and St. Petersburg, Russia—photographing queer people in places where visibility ranges from celebrated to dangerous.

WHAT IT BECAME

Smirnoff Vodka x Human Rights Campaign (2017)

Smirnoff selected images from The Identity Project to appear on limited-edition Pride bottles sold nationwide. My photographs of real LGBTQ+ people and their identities reached millions of consumers during Pride season.

Harry's Pride Campaign (2018)

Harry's razor company commissioned me to create a Pride campaign photographing prominent LGBTQ+ activists and public figures, including Jonathan Van Ness, Joel Kim Booster, and others. The campaign culminated in an entire NYC subway station being covered with my photographs during Pride month.

The Identity Project taught me that visibility is powerful, representation matters, and photography can be a tool for social change—not just documentation.

QUEER TIME CAPSULE (2024-Present)

With my partner, I launched the Queer Time Capsule—a project preserving LGBTQ+ stories, art, and culture for future generations. We're building something that will outlast us both, creating an archive of queer joy, queer existence, and queer creativity for people who aren't born yet.

I've hosted three Queer Soup Night fundraisers - feeding people, raising money for local LGBTQ+ nonprofits, and creating space for our community to gather and support each other. Using what we have (some recipes and a lot of love) to show up for our community. It's simple: make soup, invite people, raise money, build connection. More soup nights coming in 2026.

COMMUNITY AS CREATIVE PRACTICE

These projects aren't separate from my photography business—they're central to it. I believe creative work should build community, create visibility for marginalized people, and contribute to something larger than individual success. Whether I'm photographing corporate teams, creating visibility campaigns, or hosting soup nights, it's all connected: using what I have to show up for people.

AI & ETHICS

In 2025, I started writing publicly about AI and photography—exploring what it means to use these tools while caring deeply about artist rights, training data, and the future of creative work. I use Midjourney. I use Adobe Firefly. I use Chat GPT. I use Google Gemini. I have concerns about how these tools were built. I'm figuring out how to navigate using powerful technology that was created in ways I find ethically problematic. I don't have clear answers. But I think the conversation matters more than pretending I've got it all figured out. I write about this weekly on my Substack—exploring AI ethics, the Bay Area Tech AI boom, and what it means to do innovative work without compromising your values.

WHAT I BELIEVE

• Camera-shy people aren't "unphotogenic" - they just haven't had the right photographer

• Neurodivergent professionals deserve photography sessions designed for their actual needs

• Corporate headshots don't have to be stiff and suck

• You can build a successful business that reflects your values, not just your revenue goals

• Innovation and integrity aren't mutually exclusive

• We can use new technology thoughtfully while respecting the people whose work built it

• Community care is creative work

• The best way to navigate uncertainty is to wrestle with it publicly, not pretend you have all the answers

WHO I AM

• A photographer who picked up a camera to escape burnout and built a career I love

• An entrepreneur who's been building Portraits To The People for 14 years on my own terms

• An educator who teaches photography workshops and speaks about AI, creativity, and building businesses with integrity.

• An AI innovator exploring what ethical creativity looks like in the age of generative technology.

• A member of the LGBTQ+ community.

• A woman-owned business.

• Someone still figuring it all out.

LET'S CONNECT

If any of this resonates - if you're interested in working together, learning together, or just talking about photography, AI, creative business, or navigating uncertainty—I'd love to hear from you.

📧 sarahderagon@gmail.com

📸 Instagram: @sarahderagon

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahderagon

✍️ Substack: https://sarahderagon.substack.com

Based in the Bay Area • Studio in Sausalito