Unraveled Expert Artist, Sara Hageman
Meet SaraHageman, our newest Unraveled Expert Artist.
Sara’s work is quiet magic—honest, emotive, and deeply rooted in the rhythms of real life. As an artist and a mother, she brings deep curiosity, intention, and care to every frame—and her ability to see both the subtle and the soul-stirring is exactly why we’re proud to feature her as part of this community.
She’s an active, intentional part of the Unraveled community—always showing up with honesty, heart, and a deep commitment to her craft. We’re honored to recognize her as part of the Expert Artist program.
Want to become an Unraveled Expert Artist and step into leadership in our creative community?
👉 [Apply here] to share your work, grow your voice, and be recognized for your artistry.
Sara Hageman is a family photographer based in small town Festina, IA (near the Driftless area). She is a mom surrounded by wild men, obsessed with chaos and authenticity. She spends as much time outside of their home as she can meandering the woods they live in, breathing the damp green air and running through pockets of sunlight. Her sessions aim to capture families in their element so that you feel the personalities of each person flood out of your screen and into your heart, and to bring into awareness the little moments of joy & love that happen when we least expect it. She photographs families large and small, newborns, couples and high school seniors.
For more inspiration from Sara:
What inspires your art?
I want my photography to capture childhood in a way that validates your parenthood. I want my sessions to feel like an escape from the expectations of society on how you & your children should be, and instead, serve as a space to just be. I want the mess, and the wrestle matches that end in tears, so I can photograph the smiles in between, and the comforting hugs after. I want to show you the story of those toys you trip over three times a day. The way your baby tucks in their doll the same way mommy does. How when you feel like you are always tripping over little beings while you're getting ready for work, it's because they are mimicking your every move, doing exactly as you do. The way their smiles explode with laughter when they know they were a little bit naughty, and you may have missed it because you were apologizing for their behavior, but they already gave their sibling a hug & kissed their boo-boo. I want my art to feel magical, but also real, so that you can see the magic that really does live in the most ordinary of moments. And that even when it feels like everything out of control and an absolute mess, your babies see your home as a playground with unlimited potential for the best day ever. And sometimes, your only job is to sit in it, and enjoy this love-filled paradise you've created for them.
What do you shoot with? Camera body and favorite lens?
Sony A7 III & A7IV | Sigma 24 MM - 1.4 lens is my favorite for indoor work, 35mm for outdoor
What other ways do you express your creativity?
I love to write! I am known for putting lengthy captions to my posts. I am sure it is terrible for algorithms and all that BS but I really don't care. I have always been a feeler, and writing about my photography is very therapeutic for me. To put words to how images make me feel teaches me so much about myself and life in general, and it has completely changed the way that I view my own parenthood journey. Kind of a "practice what you preach" scenario, and its' been marvelous.
How do you de-stress at the end of the day?
I love coming home, changing into my pajamas, and laying down in bed next to our oldest (he is 4), who is typically still awake at that time. He is always so excited to see me, as if he hasn't seen me for a week, and coming off of capturing the many sweet moments of another family always leaves me feeling so grateful for my own, so this time together feels extra special. He always wants to hear about how many siblings there were, what games we played, and it never fails that he asks if the mommy had a baby in her tummy. The way he smiles when I tell him how much fun we had and that they all love each other very much is priceless. It makes him so happy to hear about other families being happy.
What kind of music do you listen to while editing?
The Folk & Acoustic Spotify Mix is on all day - but Noah Kahan & Benson Boone always get the replays
What is your favorite book?
I will digress on this and fully admit I have not read a book in probably 5 years that was not related to my MBA program, and those were by far my least favorite :)
Name one movie that inspires you.
It's a Wonderful Life. Nostalgic everything
How do you handle self-doubt or creative slumps?
I really lean into why I started photography in the first place. As someone who in a past life struggled severely with self-doubt on a personal level, photography was my way of forcing myself to see little things every day that I believed to be beautiful. I'm not sure why, but for me, it all started with angles. I loved taking pictures on my phone at weird angles. Lying on the ground, straight up in the air, or flat against objects leading to buildings. I think I loved it because it was a new way of seeing things. I did that nearly every day on long walks for a year, and now it's just second nature to crave seeing things differently. So when I'm doubting myself, I just think of a concept, and challenge myself to photograph it differently. Whether the result is worth a damn doesn't really matter, because I did something different that day, which in my head is the definition of creativity.
What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?
Fighting the influence of social media has been really tough for me. I don't have a huge social media following, and there were times it had me questioning if my work was resonating with people. But as I've grown, I've started to take notice of the feedback that actually matters. Like when I'm at my local coffee shop, and within an hour 5 people stop me to say how much they resonated with a recent session I shared. None of which follow me on Instagram, or actually "liked" the post. Or the fact that when people are booking me, they share that the reason they chose me is because they want to capture their life authentically, and remember how right now FELT. I often need to remind myself that REALITY is what I'm striving for, and reality does not live behind actions taken from a phone or keypad.
What is your favorite pizza topping?
Is ranch a topping? If so, ranch, on literally any kind of pizza.
What is your most favorite kind of light and why?
Harsh in-home window light. I can't see a shadow or highlight in a home and not put someone in it. It's an addiction. I think for me, it resonates so deeply with the story of magic I'm trying to tell. The light that comes through your windows highlights the most unexpected things, and unless you know it's there, you don't look for it. I feel like anytime I can sprinkle some harsh window light into a gallery, those parents hopefully go the rest of their days now noticing how the light floods into that window on the next sunny day, and waiting for something magical to happen there.
Who is one of your favorite photographers?
Slim Aarons. I had never heard of him until my sister in law gifted me a book of his, and his photography mindset greatly shifted the way I viewed photography. The way he brought life & emotion to something that had traditionally been so stiff and inauthentic in a way that resonated so strongly that it prompted action is insanely inspiring to me.
What is your favorite course or lesson at Unraveled?
Allie Clarke's workshop : Like No One Else was a game changer for me and my business! Her unique approach to documenting families, and how approachable she made everything feel really gave me the confidence to push myself out of my comfort zone. I finally implemented a lot of the things I loved to do with my own family into my client work, and it has made a huge impact on the quality of the galleries I am delivering.
