Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Castaneda
Hi Sara, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Sara, but my nickname and brand name is Sarita. I was born in Valencia, Spain, and moved to Cali, Colombia, for the first seven years of my life. After that, I spent the next 20 years living near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in a city called Coconut Creek.
At around 12 years old, I was inspired by my cousin, who loved taking pictures of his friends. So, I picked up a point-and-shoot camera that my dad used for photographing houses—he was just getting started in real estate. I took selfies and photos of my friends. My mom bought me my first camera, a little Casio that I carried around in my back jeans pocket. It was thoroughly battered over time due to all the tree climbing and fence hopping I did. I would capture my friends and me getting into all sorts of shenanigans and upload the photos to Facebook or Myspace.
This was my life with photography until I got to Coral Springs High, where I joined both the school newspaper and the yearbook. In my senior year, I became the photo captain, leading a photo team. I couldn’t afford a DSLR, and my parents didn’t see the value in investing in my photography, but I was fortunate to have a friend lend me his Nikon D5100 throughout high school. By the time I got to college, I had saved enough to buy the same model—I had grown so fond of it. Once again, I documented all the adventures with my friends. One of them even called me “the documentarist.”
Over time, I transitioned to photographing people individually with planned photoshoots, and occasionally, I got paid for them. I was hesitant to make photography, something I loved so much, into a job that I might end up resenting. I didn’t want to lose my passion for it. Around this time, Instagram influencers and followers were booming; everyone wanted professional pictures, but few were willing to give proper photo credit unless they were industry professionals.
Living in Miami, I was surrounded by mostly male photographers who often portrayed women in ways that felt superficial and inauthentic. It frustrated me, and I felt the need to distance myself from that environment and the emphasis on likes and followers over genuine art. In January 2020, I decided to escape to Europe, hoping to take a break from photographing people and rekindle my love for architecture. I flew to Rome for a month, then Budapest, and found myself in Berlin when the pandemic hit. I was fortunate to be there in March; that summer was magical. I fell in love, captured stunning images, cycled around the city, and when the situation calmed down, I moved to Lisbon. It was then that I realized COVID wasn’t going away anytime soon, so I returned to Coconut Creek to reassess my options.
Traveling internationally didn’t make sense due to COVID, so I focused on photographing brands closer to home. After reaching out to several, the purse industry showed interest, and I was hired to photograph X-Nihilo, Melie Bianco, Floto Bags, and Cavana New York. I worked in Miami, San Francisco, and New York City for about a year. It was exhausting yet rewarding, but it didn’t fully satisfy me. I knew I was meant to be a photographer, but I wasn’t sure what kind of photographer I wanted to be. Shooting for brands felt good, but I was still searching for something more, and I’m not sure if that hunger will ever disappear.
In 2022, with international travel opening up again, I applied for a Spanish visa. Europe always felt right to me, like a place where I truly belonged. While Miami will always be special, Europe is where I feel at home. A dear friend gifted me a Leica SL—yes, gifted it to me! But even with such a generous gift, I took a break from photography. My heart was broken, my day job was uncertain, and I needed to recalibrate my life. COVID affected everyone while it was happening, but for me, the real impact came two years later.
I felt artistically stuck. I had already photographed architecture, traveled widely, shot portraits, worked with brands, sold prints at Art Basel, and been published in magazines like Lux Miami, Mass Magazine, and several websites. What was next? Had I done everything there was to do in my photo journey? I was lost for a while.
Then, almost serendipitously, while watching TV, I said out loud, “I would love to photograph this actor.” It slowly dawned on me that the next step in my photographic journey was to work with actors. Yes, I had taken photos of people before, but they were mostly seeking likes and followers. And I had photographed professional models, but they followed a set of rules in how they presented themselves—they were trained to be a certain way in front of the camera. While amazing, I wanted something more freeing. Actors, however, could express all kinds of emotions and be themselves, as they are the product.
So that’s where I am now. I’ve started photographing actors and am eager to continue this journey. Whenever I set my sights on something in photography, I always find a way to make it happen.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. My parents didn’t really support my photography for a long time, which was incredibly frustrating since I started at 12. It wasn’t until brands began hiring me that my father finally took it seriously. I always say that parents should invest in whatever their kids are passionate about, even if it’s temporary. They’ll learn early on what is or isn’t right for them and get closer to finding what truly is.
Balancing the entire process—getting hired, shooting, editing, and delivering—was a struggle, especially when juggling multiple clients or when there was no one to assist me. It became crucial for me to step back at times because I needed to protect my love for the art of photography at all costs. Money was never my primary focus, but that also meant my journey to success would take longer. Coming to terms with that reality was a challenge.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
It’s always important to stay attuned to the feedback you get about your work. I’ve consistently been praised for my skills in composition when it comes to photography. Beyond that, I’ve always been drawn to touches of abstraction and minimalism. When I was selling prints, many people thought they were paintings.
What I think sets me apart is my ability to capture a wide variety of photographs, yet there’s always something distinctly me about them. They’re never monotonous. To me, being an artist means maintaining an element of surprise and mystery while staying true to yourself and embedding a piece of who you are in every image. The challenge of being recognizable without becoming repetitive is one that I embrace and love to tackle.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have many great childhood memories, but my favorite is when I had my little purple Casio point-and-shoot camera that I bought from BrandsMart. I used it to capture pictures of myself and all the neighborhood kids—jumping around, climbing trees and fences, going to the playground or the park, skating, and more. I was photographing without a care in the world. There was no agenda or purpose; it was simply about capturing all the fun we were having and the honesty and innocence of that time in our lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saritaxsmiles.com
- Instagram: saritaxsmiles
Image Credits:
Sara Castaneda
