Sarah Leying

12/03/2022

The last of autumn 🍂

Heavy on these beautiful flowers from .borough.durham. I’m obsessed with Madelaine’s work and you should be too.

11/15/2022

Photographers can’t manufacture emotion. I would know, because it’s an unspoken part of my job description to try, to some extent. But then I get invited into a day like this one, where I really did have to be there or these photos wouldn’t exist, and I get so humbled by the intense collision of stories and generations and covenant that is a wedding day, and it physically hurts to pick ten photos for a post because every single one of them feels like a novel waiting to be written. But here they are: ten inimitable moments. Khailing and Kevin.

Pinch me.

11/09/2022

Just because I miss .hj and still have another 2 months until I can hug her again >:’( your fav siblings are all grown up

10/22/2022

Whatever fairytale this is, I love it. 🥹

Jazmine / Eli

10/07/2022

I had a strange and very different understanding of what film and photography was when I made these photos from over year ago compared to the one I have now. This styled shoot that I organized (slightly sloppily, too) was one of the last times I shot 35mm film, because I was tired of not getting the light and airy, minimal-grain, background separation look that I thought came with a “film look.” So bizarre, looking back. I was such a film snob and I’m probably even worse now in a lot of ways. Oops.

Anyways, I eventually moved on to shooting medium format film. That got me the light and airy, minimal grain, and background separation that I had expected (and very expensive scans, which I hadn’t). So I stuck with that for a season, before I began to realize that the pricey film was gorgeous, but it wasn’t the key — the people, the texture, the light, and the practice were the door, and the God-driven inspiration and servant-heart-posture were the keys.

And now I’m tired of slugging medium format around with me and I’m slowly selling my gear and living in the world of manual lenses and missed focus.

Rambles for your Friday. Big(ish) announcement in my story! Bye now!

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Vendors tagged in photo ❤️

09/26/2022

swipe to the end to see my favorite! —— , over & now out! She’s headed to California to join the for a season and has such an honest, obedient, and fiery heart for God. Love you much, Hannah. Ever with you in prayer. ❤️‍🔥

08/15/2022

What an honor to be in this artist feature! I so treasure the space that Amber has created for us all at Studio 557, and it was such a simple, beautiful environment for Angela's clean & elegant bridal portraits. Check out the full feature post below!

This entire session was a bit sentimental for me, as it was truly a full circle moment. Angela and I had briefly met when I was hospitalized...

07/16/2022

I like to think that before we look for the picturesque, or even look for the light or the composition, we look for the stories. A messy manual focus kind of love. A family with an umbrella shielding them from the blowing sand as the sun sets. A kind man selling mangos on the beach. A moment in the waves in the near-pitch black darkness.

A photograph literally freezes a memory and at the same time, tells an entire story. How insane is that?

Personal work from out in California.

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07/15/2022

“His bride has made herself ready.” ❤️ I remember having a moment a few months ago where I was editing a session, and I had the thought, “I can’t believe my job is to see the love of Christ play out in marriage.” And when I was uploading A + M’s gallery yesterday, the same thought hit me once again.

There’s so much beauty in marriage. Can you even begin to imagine the extravagant love and joy of the wedding of the Lamb? He made marriage! He loves marriage! And what a joy to make ourselves ready and to see the tenderness in His eyes when He sees us adorned in love.

If you’re new and haven’t figured it out yet: things get deep real fast around here. God’s heart’s a bottomless well of love and I’m jumping right in 🥰

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“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬
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07/14/2022

Last month, we took family photos with for the first time in 18 years in our home, and I couldn’t love these any more if I tried. God’s love really has touched and healed our family in ways that I would have never believed was possible or even wanted just a few years ago. Jesus paid for this joy and unity, y’all!

, you’re truly amazing, and I’m so grateful. 🥺 And we haven’t even gotten to the photos of my sweet parents yet!

P.S. Photographers: get on the other side of the camera! It’ll light you up for what you do in such a new way!

06/09/2022

Coolest humans on Portra 400 film for your feed. Gotta love that glowy Greenville light 🥰

p.s. if you’re in the area, did you know that Khailing is the woman behind .gvl? Go give her a follow — we love seeing representation and celebration through food!

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06/07/2022

Breaking my Instagram silence with these portraits from way back when, feat. the coolest gown from Lillie Mae ——

Life has been so full lately. Not full as in busy, but full as in a constant outpouring of love, hunger for God, and extraordinary joy in the most ordinary moments.

One more note: I’ve been quiet on here, but I am still booking weddings for late 2022 and 2023! It’s going to be such a good season. ❤️

Second image shot on 35mm Portra 400 & scanned by

/ / / / .maecollection / .kaileep

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