Meet Sandra Meyer of Sandra Meyer Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Meyer.

Hi Sandra, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a landscape and wildlife photographer based in Manhattan Beach, California. My work is shaped by a lifelong passion for travel and exploration, with each new journey contributing to an evolving and diverse portfolio. I am originally from Germany, but have also lived in Asia, the United Kingdom, and Australia before ultimately settling in Southern California, experiences that continue to inform my global perspective and visual approach.

My interest in photography began early in childhood. Encouraged by my parents – a civil engineer and a pharmacy technician – I traveled extensively from a young age. After receiving my first camera, I began documenting both my travels and everyday surroundings on film, developing an eye for composition and storytelling.

After finishing high school, I initially pursued a different academic and professional path, earning a degree in mathematics from the University of Berlin and an MBA from NYU Stern, working in business consulting and banking.
When the first of my three daughters was born, I became a full-time mom, dedicating myself to raising a family. As anyone who has raised children understands, parenthood is a profoundly consuming undertaking, and many of my other passions were, for a time, quietly set aside. As my children grew up though, I returned to my creative roots, founding Sandra Meyer Photography and realizing a lifelong passion for photography and visual expression.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For many years, the demands of raising a family life left little room for my own creative work. One of my greatest challenges was learning to dedicate time to my art after years of putting other priorities first.

Creating the final image is only a small part of the process. Photography often requires traveling long distances, researching locations, waiting for the right season, weather, tide, or light, and sometimes returning to the same place again and again in the hope that everything will align. Often there are hours of preparation behind a single photograph. It took me some time to develop the determination to protect this time and resist slipping back into old patterns.

Another challenge was the transition from hobby photographer to business owner. Thousands of images may be taken, while only a handful survive the editing and selection process. Much of the work happens afterward: reviewing, editing, organizing, and deciding which photographs truly deserve to be shown and represented on the website.
As my work and online presence grew, the amount of time spent on everything surrounding the art increased as well. Building and maintaining the website, preparing newsletters, writing blogs and social media posts, running advertising campaigns, applying to galleries and exhibitions, printing, framing, and handling the business side of an artistic career all became part of the process. These practical demands are necessary, but they inevitably take time away from the quiet, creative work of taking photographs.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sandra Meyer Photography?
When I first started my business, I offered a much broader range of photographic services. Everything was new and full of possibility, and I approached it with enthusiasm and curiosity, eager to explore every avenue and discover where my work would lead me.

In retrospect, this proved to be exactly the right approach. By trying many different kinds of photography, I quickly learned what resonated with me most deeply. Again and again, I found myself drawn back to landscape and travel photography – the quiet moments, the changing light, the sense of place, and the ability of a photograph to capture not only a scene, but a feeling.

Living in Manhattan Beach has undoubtedly shaped this passion. There is something about life here that feels like a perpetual holiday: the ocean, the wide skies, and the ever-changing light along the coast. It is a place that continually inspires me and reminds me to look more closely.

I believe what truly distinguishes my work is that I create photographs that are about more than just taking a beautiful picture. Whether it is a commissioned image of a beloved lifeguard tower or a particular stretch of beach, or a landscape discovered while traveling, my goal is always the same: to create an image that is not only beautiful, but one that carries a memory, a sense of place, and an emotional connection that lasts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sandrameyerphotography.com
• Instagram: @sandras_photo_and_travel
• Facebook: sandrameyerphotography