ABOUT ME

The least photogenic person you will ever meet.

Do not be deterred, but this here is me, Sarah, the photographer behind Bear Hunt Photography.

I may be a stunner in real life, and while this isn’t an important thing for you to know, nor objectively true, unphotogenic-ness is real (even if the word is not).

If you suffer this same curse, then know as I do, that even if every photograph you’ve ever posed for has been met with your derision, you’re still very beautiful. It’s possible that you’ve just never seen yourself.

I’d really love to be the one to show you.

I don’t want to pose, prod, or coax. By unobtrusiveness and my killer ‘blending-in’ skills, I want you to forget that I’m there, perhaps mistake me for an old friend, and resume being you; since that’s where your beauty usually hides when trying best to capture it.

It is also probably why the only photographs you like of yourself are those that were taken while you were unawares.

HELLO!

I’d first like to acknowledge the Dharawal people, including the Wadi, Wadi, Korewal Elouera Jerrungarugh, and Wodi Wodi people, as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work, and their continuing connection to land, waterways, air and community.

Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

In light of this fact, I am committed to doing more than paying lip service to the rights of Indigenous people, and I Pay The Rent monthly.


Who am I?

My name is Sarah Tedder. I live in the Illawarra with my partner, Simon, and two daughters Lila and Zadie.

Why the name?

Well, it started with my nickname (Sarah > Sare > Sare Bear > ‘Bear’).

But later, in a beautiful twist of fate, I met Simon Tedder (my partner in life), and subsequently took his last name, making the Teddy / Bear circle complete. ♥

The ‘Hunt’ part comes from my intended approach to photographing you, only insofar as I try to go undetected using a bit of stealth/surreptitiousness – not bloodshed!


Why photography?

I made my way into photography after spending most of my life thinking I was a non-practicing journalist. However, it later occurred to me that whilst I want to document, I’m an observer, not a writer. As such, imperfectly capturing honest moments in time appeals to me more than attempting to describe those moments in words.


Why Bear Hunt Photography?

If you want a photographer that does not seek to interfere, control, change or improve you, that respects you and your life, and does not wish to influence or alter it,* then I might be the photographer for you. If you want photographs that are representative of a specific moment in time or occasion in your life, as it really is, then consider choosing me.

*derived from David Hurn, On Being A Photographer

 

Giggster

Some more stuff about me, even if you didn't ask :|

I studied Arts/Law for 6 years, graduated, and then practised for about a year before retiring to become a photographer :D I spent 25 years living in the south (Melbourne, Victoria), then 2 years in The South (North Carolina, USA).

I now live in Port Kembla with my partner & daughters.

CONTACT ME

I also enjoy pro-bono, paid & trade opportunities to photograph for select local social and environmental causes that I care about.

PRO BONO, PAID, TRADE, AND PERSONAL PROJECTS
TESTIMONIALS

Sarah photographed our wedding two weeks ago & I honestly cannot even put into words how amazing she is!

I absolutely hate getting my photo taken by other people & I'm very self conscious but Sarah made me feel so comfortable & for the first time in my life I felt so beautiful in every photo she took.

Everything was so relaxed and candid which looks so much more beautiful than having to do really forced 'say cheese' kind of photos.

I honestly cannot recommend Sarah from Bear Hunt Photography highly enough and I can't wait to have Sarah capture other special moments in our lives together.

We had so many compliments from our family & friends about Sarah and how lovely she was and how comfortable she made everyone.

The photos are so much more than I ever could've imagined and I'm so grateful that we have the most beautiful memories to keep forever thanks to Sarah.

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Shauna

Sarah photographed our wedding on 11th August and we could not have asked for a better photographer!

The photos we got from her exceeded both of our expectations a million times over. I have gone through all the photos myself about 10 times and love them more each time I look at them.

Each person we have spoken to from the wedding has spoken about how great Sarah was to have there, and everyone loves the photos! Sarah took the time to get around to each guest at the wedding and get a snap or two of everyone. I highly recommend Sarah to anyone who is looking for a wedding photographer or just a photographer in general!

Not only were her photos amazing but she is so easy to get along with and makes you feel at ease while she is taking the photos. 

Thanks for everything you did for us Sarah!!

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Kane

Sarah photographed my engagement party on the weekend and I couldn't be happier with her service and her photographs.

From the moment I met Sarah I'd felt like I'd known her for years. She is so friendly, warm and welcoming. She felt like a guest at the party not the photographer. She just fit right in, so much so that many of the guests asked whether she was one of my friends.

I was so pleased with her on the night but I was even more impressed with the photos when I received them. They were everything I'd dreamed they would be. I would have no hesitation hiring Sarah again or recommending her to anyone - she is amazing!!

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Nicole

Very professional service, & photos - Sarah came to the hospital straight away in the morning & even though I would go on to labor for hours into the evening, she was patient, respectful of our personal space, & a lovely person to have around as part of our birthing experience.

We are So pleased with the photos - Sarah captured moments of our experience into a photographic story line, especially when things didn’t go to plan through labor & she was able to follow dad & Bub into special care, where I now can treasure those moments too, of what I couldn’t see at the time.

Communication was clear with us through my pregnancy, & the follow up & delivery of our photos was highly efficient and lovely. The Nursing Unit Manager of the hospital was also impressed with the service & how professional Sarah was with respecting the hospitals privacy as well as loving the photos, & is going to recommend these services to the patients of the hospital.

Highly recommended by us, thanks for being part of our journey!

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Christie

Sarah is such a lovely soul who takes such beautiful pictures. It was so much fun spending the day with her and the result is amazing! We love every picture. I highly recommend her!! Thank you Sarah, you did a fantastic job!

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Giulia

Sarah is awesome. We had her for our small, intimate, family only wedding in Bowral.

She has a beautiful energy and was always present whilst not being distracting. We had a lot of fun with her and are so very happy with all the photos. We would definitely work with her again!

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Melody

My partner arranged Sarah for a photo shoot for his mums birthday but little did I know he proposed and Sarah captured it all on camera.

Sarah did the most amazing job, the photos came out beautifully.

Sarah is the most loveliest person. I couldn't of asked for a better photographer to capture our special moment. We will definitely be telling everyone about Sarah and we will see her at our wedding.

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Elizabeth

We recently hired Sarah to take our wedding photo's and we are so glad that we found her. 

On the day she was amazing, she was relaxed and so easy to talk to. I got numerous comments from my friends and family about how lovely she was. She wasn't intrusive, actually most of the time we didn't even notice she was there.

We received our photos much sooner than I was expecting and we just love them. The quality is amazing and she has really captured the feeling of the day. We couldn't be happier.

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Michelle