ACEF 2018 Speaker

Sara Black

Celebrity Photographer and Canon Ambassador

Bio:

Sara Black was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. Upon finishing her Communication Arts degree at Ateneo de Manila University, she jumped into her first job working at a photography studio as an assistant. While steadily learning about the craft, she was pulled on to the other side of the lens as a model — a happy accident to which she credits her better understanding of her subjects, a factor so crucial in all kinds of portraiture.

In her 15 years in the industry, Sara has since photographed some of the most high profile celebrities and members of society in the Philippines. She is known as the country’s leading beauty photographer having repeatedly collaborated with clients such as Avon, Nivea, L’Oreal, P&G, Splash and Unilever for some of their biggest campaigns. In a male dominated industry, Sara’s feminine touch leaves a distinct mark. She is renowned for her fresh and arresting portraits of women. Sara has published two books. The first one, When I Look in the Mirror, is a series of extreme close-up portraits of real women with facial imperfections, meant to provoke contemplation in a society growingly obsessed with vanity and perfection. Sara’s second book, We, Love, is a coffee table book that combines compelling narrative, written by the photographer herself, with portraits of pairs in unique selfless bonds. This is a work where Sara’s eye for authenticity flourishes. Leading a very full and fast paced life led Sara to two tipping points which signified the beginning of her path towards wellness: the first being a cancer scare, and the second a multiple hip fracture. Both experiences provoked an honest desire to take better care of her body, mind and spirit. She is now happily sharing the things she has learned along the way in the lifestyle section of this site. Sara is also an environmentalist who seeks to contribute to preserving nature's resources for future generations.