Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Sharp.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sarah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2014, I was living in Los Angeles and working as a sales associate at a fashion boutique in the Jewelry District of downtown LA. I enjoyed the fashion business and began learning a lot about how the wholesale markets worked, so I started my online fashion boutique. I realized that I had to learn photography to feature my looks on my website, so this is where I got my start in photography.
Four years later, I moved back to my hometown of Portland and was eight months pregnant with my second child and working as a freelance photographer. I was interested in taking my photography career to the next level, so I began researching photography competitions. To my surprise, I could not find any local competitions that were of interest to me and my style of photography. So, I started my own called The POP Awards (professionals of photography awards).
The POP Awards was open to female/ female-identifying photographers with all levels of photography experience. After only seven months, I hosted my first sold out POP Awards, and it was a huge milestone in the Portland photography community. I did this completely on my own and was amazed by the amount of interest. I knew I wanted to take the POP Awards to a new level for the next year.
Something huge for a budding photographer is having your work published, so I offered the winner a cover of my “magazine,” which did not currently exist. LOL! I knew I wanted to create a magazine but had no idea how to do it. I did a bunch of research and started reaching out to our followers about sending in submissions etc. Again, to my surprise, I had a ton of interest in my currently non-existent magazine. Mind you. I am now planning a second POP Awards while also creating a magazine from scratch without any experience doing so. In addition to this, my husband gets a job transfer to HOUSTON! So, we had to move during the middle of all of this. It was nuts.
As I was planning and researching, a couple of the photographers from the previous POP Awards reached out and said they were interested in helping me with the magazine and putting on the POP Awards. So, I took them up on their offer. These girls are still currently on my team, and they are awesome!
In November 2019, we had our 2nd Annual POP Awards AND launched POPPN Magazine on the same day! POPPN MAG is a creative lifestyle magazine for photographers, artists, and creatives both in print and in digital forms. Our magazine is a heavily female photographer focused on a retro/vintage feel.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
NO. Not at all. We have had a ton of struggles. It’s funny because you create a magazine or anything from scratch, and people seem to assume that you are ballin’ out of control because of what it appears to be online, little do they know how difficult behind the scenes can be. One of the biggest issues we have struggled with is communication. Somehow things have gotten lost in translation with photographers, models, vendors etc. and we are left with people upset, confused or whatever. As a start up and newbies to the scene, we are creating something completely new. Because of this, at times, it is hard to “sell” our brand to bigger brands for support/sponsorships.
Also, the physical execution of the magazine was a massive labor of love. I was not only the editor-in-chief but also the graphic designer, the marketer, the customer service line, the creative director. EVERYTHING while also being a full time stay at home mom to 2 under three and still trying to do photography on the side. I would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning every night trying to complete this project.
Work/life balance got the best of me at times, and I would break down often and cry. But when you are working toward your passion, this is part of the journey. You can’t give up just because it gets hard along the way.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The entire brand is actually called POP Media Group, LLC. This includes The POP Awards and POPPN Magazine. The POP Awards {Professionals of Photography Awards) is a photography contest and award event for female/female-identifying photographers in local markets. POPPN Magazine (Professionals of Photography People’s Network) is a magazine and lifestyle brand for photographers, artists, and creatives. We feature the stories of the artists behind the scenes to give the reader a chance to connect with them on a deeper level. We have a unique aesthetic as we are inspired by the photography style and art culture of the late 70s-early 90s. Our photographers and artists often shoot photography in this way. Although our main reader is a photographer, we also feature the work of dancers, culinary artists, painters, and other creative fields. Currently, we are a bi-annual print magazine w/ a digital presence.
What were you like growing up?
My mom always said I “beat to my drum.” Which is completely true. I have always stayed true to myself even as a little girl. Friendships meant a lot to me and still do. I am still friends with some of my childhood friends. I knew I would be a mom one day because I played house a lot, barbies and dolls, etc. My parents had this long hallway that I would often use as a catwalk and put on fashion shows with my mom’s old clothes. I have been into fashion since I can remember. I was a happy kid but had diva tendencies. LOL
Contact Info:
- Website: poppnmag.com
- Email: poppnmagazine@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/poppnmag
- Facebook: facebook.com/poppnmag
- Twitter: twitter.com/poppnmag
- Other: instagram.com/popawardspdx
Image Credit:
@cgardenhire @rileyrae333 @angelaholmphotography @therealsummerroberts@midgexofficial @kiarainez @sharppixpdx
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