Good TasteThe art of food photography comes to fruition in Sara Remington’s imagery. Simple, dynamic photographs are hallmarks of this young professional’s work. |
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| By Elizabeth James, Photography by Sara Remington | |
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Page 3 of 4 Remington was never one to hang out in art galleries, looking at other people’s work and wondering why she hadn’t had her big break yet. After two years of getting her hands dirty all over Los Angeles, she moved to San Francisco to work for Daniel Proctor as an office manager. It was from him that she met the person she describes as her biggest influence: Catherine Karnow. Recalls Remington, “I did everything for her—filing, assisting, fed the cat. I learned everything that was business,” an important lesson for Remington, since it was something she felt was lacking during her formal education. “[Syracuse] was a great school for helping me develop my concepts and perfecting my technique and vision,” she adds. “But I was disappointed in their lack of business training. Nobody thought this was a real career. It would be like, ‘That’s great, but what are you going to do for a real job?’” Remington’s tenacity wouldn’t allow her to be persuaded by naysayers. She continued to work energetically toward her career. She shot constantly, building her portfolio with her personal work until she was able to incorporate more professional work as well. Bridging The Gap As dedicated as Remington has been to her photographic career, she admits that much of her success has been accelerated by her recent honor as one of PDN’s “30 Under 30,” which recognizes 30 young photographers under the age of 30. “It has been an amazing and quick transition in a matter of a few months,” she says. “I’ve worked with some editors and art directors who want me to shoot in my style, giving me a huge amount of creative leeway. My goal is to bridge the gap between my personal and commercial work, and being part of PDN’s 30 has really allowed me to start doing this.” Remington’s newfound recognition has allowed her to explore other avenues of photography and expand her repertoire. She has been able to transition seamlessly between editorial work to advertising to a cookbook for the renowned L’Auberge Carmel and Bouchée Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. For Remington, the switch to digital photography has been a slow one, and one that she has made with more than a little resignation. Being trained in a darkroom and spending endless hours behind closed doors, out of touch from the world and in your own creative space, is an appeal for many photographers with a film background and one that she can’t help but miss. “I miss film for the nostalgic reasons,” she says. “I miss the darkroom, I miss being hands-on. Coming out of the darkroom at 6 a.m., smelling like chemicals after really creating something.” But it was the practical, business side of things that convinced Remington to start the switch. “I use half-film, half-digital, but I’m using less and less film during every shoot.”   |
