Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Jane Murray.
Hi Sarah Jane, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been one to seek out adventure. Sleeping under the stars inside dormant volcanoes, showering in fresh streams of snow melt and taking naps on empty beaches is where you could find me in my happy place. I grew up in a loving family that struggled financially, where camping trips were valued over fancy dinners or a new outfit, and that’s where my love of the outdoors was born. Wanderlust, dreams and courage were a few of the foundational blocks that were laid down for me from the moment I learned how to walk.
At age ten, I left the West Coast to study at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York and continued on with a professional training schedule until I was 16 where I called it quits. I was burnt out and feeling like I was meant to do more in life than dance. So I stepped into my fears and found myself signing up for acting classes. I discovered my voice and felt my individuality blossom. I went on to receive my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Oklahoma City University; and studied with the American Theatre Wing in Manhattan. After college, I loaded up my car and moved to Chicago where I launched my career in acting and modeling. Several years and a handful of sloppy curveballs later, I found myself in the City of Angels.
In my early 20s, my older brother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and at 27, I discovered I had melanoma. It was a wake-up call. I used that time in L.A. to study my camera as a creative outlet which led to co-producing the travel blog, The Stumbleweeds (with Katie Graves). After four months of treatment, I packed my bags and with a camera in hand, went trekking at 18,000 ft elevation in the Himalayas.
Since then, I’ve been immersing myself in cultures and communities around the world: having tea with the highest honored man in Nepal; camping next to wildlife in the Serengeti; partaking in Shabbat with a Rabbi and his family in Jerusalem; eating my way through Italy, France and Singapore. I got wrapped up in desert sand storms, car camped in the Pacific Northwest and bathed in alpine lakes.
Suddenly Covid-19 struck, I found myself like the rest of humanity spinning in the unknown, unsure of what the future holds and having to reroute my path to find joy in a new set of limitations. Then six months into the shutdown in Los Angeles, my family received the heavy news that my Mom was diagnosed with a terminal lung disease, and shortly after that, I lost two other family members. It felt like I got hit with depression on top of depression. I knew that all I had to do was keep moving forward by actively doing things that make me feel alive. Since then, I’ve stepped away from my security blanket of bartending to pursue photography full time because if not now then when? I may return to the cocktail life down the road, but for the present moment I’m going to chase joy and embrace the unknown.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has been a road of potholes, spike strips and blind turns. Like most creatives, I struggle all the time with self-doubt, which naturally leads to anxiety, depression and overworking and and and… However, amidst all of that, the burning desire to create with intention and purpose has always stayed aflame. That’s how I know that it will all be worth it in the end.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a self-taught photographer but grew up with a father that was passionate about photography as well so I like to think he played a pretty large role in the beginning phases of my career. My thirst for adventure, culture and community became the heart that drives my work as a storyteller. I always strive to shoot images that aren’t just pretty but that emote the experience of the person or place in frame. The dream has always been to one day shoot for National Geographic, I shamelessly still have the magazines I dog eared and stuffed under my bed as a kid.
During Covid-19, I had an idea for a business that I’m now in the process of launching called “Ginger on the Run with Friends”. It’s a two for one service where I take people on personally crafted outdoor experiences and capture their time in nature! It’s for the newbie, the seasoned dirtbag and everyone in between. At the end of their adventure, they get to walk away with intimate photos of their time outside in a place they’ve never been before. If there’s one thing I’m pursuing in this world, it’s to gift others with peace, joy and discovery. If I can do that within my chosen art form then even better.
Outside of my new business venture, I offer portrait and lifestyle sessions in Los Angeles! You can book an appointment or purchase prints through my website or by sliding into my DM’s on IG/Facebook!
What matters most to you? Why?
World peace with a side of chips + salsa. Honestly, it has to be love and community. Grief has taught me a lot these past few years and experiencing the power of being surrounded by a strong, loving community of friends and family has been a game changer. The impossible becomes possible when you have others lifting you up along the way.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.sarahjanemurrayphoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoursarahjane/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahjanemurrayphoto
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-sLJyksQ13LGDcSjt9Y_xQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@gingerontherun?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v2
Image Credits:
Sarah Jane Murray Will Brunker Rob Woodcox
