In Conversation With: Sarah Frances Kelley

When you step onto a set with Sarah Frances Kelley, the mood shifts. Music plays softly in the background, a cup of tea is never far from hand, and there’s a sense of calm in the room that’s rare in the world of commercial shoots. She moves quickly, lightly, but never rushed - part art director, part photographer, part storyteller, wholly absorbed in the detail that turns an image into a memory.

Sarah’s path here was anything but linear. She studied French, lived in Paris, and for a while worked in tech PR, before realising she was searching for something more creative. Interiors called - first through a role as a writer for an interiors start-up in London, followed by a long stint at Neptune, where she discovered that what she really wanted was to do more than write, to bring words and images and design together. From there she joined Rowen & Wren as Head of Creative, and it was here that everything began to blossom.

We spoke about trusting the unknown, the alchemy of flowers, and why kindness is at the heart of every image she makes.

Your journey into this world wasn’t exactly mapped out. How did it unfold?

Not at all mapped out! I grew up in the Midlands in a really normal family - my dad’s from Bradford, my mum’s a Scouser - so none of this was on my radar. I didn’t have one of those backgrounds where your mum works in fashion and your dad’s in the arts. The only jobs I really knew about were teaching or the kind of thing you hear about through school.

I studied French at university and lived in Paris for a while, which I absolutely loved, but when I graduated I was like most people - no clue what I wanted to do, or even what I could do. My dad said, “Just get on a graduate scheme, it’ll be safe,” so I went into tech PR. It was a good place, really, but I didn’t care about data centres or servers. I started applying for writing jobs and of course was rejected left and right because my background was “wrong.”

Then a start-up in interiors gave me a chance. I basically said, if I can be this interested in data centres, imagine how much I’ll care about something I actually love. And they let me in. From there I went to Neptune, and that’s when everything began to shift. I had this brilliant boss, Fiona, who was creative and kind and gave me someone to look up to. That’s where I realised I wanted to do more than just write - I wanted to shape the whole story, from words to images to design. After that came Rowen & Wren, where I joined as Head of Creative, and that’s where it all really blossomed.

And yet you hadn’t even picked up a camera at that stage?

No, not once! At Rowen & Wren I was art-directing shoots - finding locations, writing briefs, working with photographers - but never behind the camera. Then a friend, who’s a photographer, bought me a camera for my birthday and said, “You need to start taking pictures.”

I started playing with it, taking photos of everyday things, and then this magical place in South Africa - Sterrekopje - asked me to come and shoot. I thought, I’m not a photographer. But something in me just said yes. I remember turning to my partner in bed one night and saying, “By the way, I’m going to South Africa in two days.” That trip changed everything.

Was there a particular moment when you knew photography was the path for you?

Yes - when I first picked up that camera. Honestly, it felt like that moment in Harry Potter when he finds his wand in Ollivanders - that sudden click, that instant knowing. I remember thinking, oh, this is how it’s meant to be.

I’d admired photography from afar, but never thought of myself as someone who could do it. And then, all at once, it was like something in me unlocked - as if it had been there the whole time, just waiting for me to notice. Even now I still feel a bit embarrassed when people say I have a style, because it wasn’t deliberate. It just… arrived.

How would you describe your style now?

Atmospheric, detailed, soft and full of heart and soul. I’m such a tactile person - I want to hold everything I shoot, whether it’s a flower stem, a fabric, or a piece of furniture. I notice the weight, the texture, the way the light falls across it. For me it’s about giving something its moment, and then stepping back.

I move constantly when I shoot, climbing on surfaces, crouching low, sometimes it feels like a bit of a dance. There’s always music playing and I’m almost always barefoot. And I really believe the energy of the day shows up in the pictures - if the set is calm and kind, the images carry that feeling.

You balance photography, writing, strategy, creative direction… how do you know which role to lean into?

It depends on the project. Sometimes there’s a full team - brand directors, art directors, stylists - and in that case my role is simply to style, or shoot quietly alongside. Other times I’m wearing more hats, moving between directing, shooting and styling. I’ve learned to read the room, to sense what’s needed, and to step into that space.

The biggest lesson is not having an ego. There are a hundred ways to make a beautiful picture. When I was younger I wanted to climb the ladder and be “the best.” Now I just want to help create something lovely, in whatever role makes sense.

What makes a great shoot for you?

Kindness. Always kindness. Shoots can be stressful, but they don’t need to be. I think people do their best work when they feel relaxed and valued. If you can make the day enjoyable, people open up, and the images show that.

It can be as small as making sure there’s tea, or saying something encouraging, or giving someone a picture of themselves that makes them feel good. That’s what I care about - those tiny human touches.

Flowers seem to come up again and again in your work. Why is that?

Because I could shoot flowers forever. They’re endlessly expressive. I work with a wonderful textiles brand called Projektitynny on an ongoing series called Travelling Tales, and one of the latest editions was with one of my favourite artists, Flora Roberts.

We drove down this valley in Dorset to her vaulted studio, and it was like stepping into another world - tapestries she’d hand-painted hung across the walls, trestle tables overflowed with parrot tulips and rambling roses. Photographing there felt like painting with the camera, and when Flora described my photos as being like ‘mini paintings in their own right’, my heart swelled. 

I can’t paint - I’ve tried, and failed spectacularly - but I edit my photos on my iPad with the pen as a brush, painting over tiny details in my photos to draw out tones, light and shade. In my head that’s me at my easel with palette and brush. And when someone says one of my photos looks like a painting, as Flora so kindly did, it really is the highest compliment.

Are there projects that have been especially formative?

Sterrekopje will always be in my heart. That trip gave me confidence and introduced me to extraordinary people. It even led to a chance conversation at a coffee machine with Nick Jones from Soho House, which opened up other doors.

But honestly, I’m grateful for every shoot. It doesn’t have to be big-name clients to be meaningful. Some of the smaller brands - people making beautiful, thoughtful things - those shoots are just as special. It’s never about scale for me, it’s about the people, the detail, the care.

Relationships seem central to your work.

They are. Many of my clients have become friends, which feels like the best possible outcome. There’s something very bonding about creating together.

One of my most treasured possessions came about this way. When my dog Rufus died, a friend arranged for the artist Rachel Bottomley to paint him, based on a photo from a shoot. Rachel insisted on doing it as a gift. That painting hangs above where Rufus used to sleep. Now my other dog Basil sleeps there, looking up at him. It’s those gestures of kindness that stay with you.

Finally, is there a piece of jewellery that carries meaning for you?

Yes - there’s a necklace I wear every single day, with a tiny charm that has an “L” on it for the most important person in my life. I never take it off - I swim in it, I sleep in it, I run in it - and while it isn’t diamonds or anything valuable in that sense, it’s completely irreplaceable to me. That’s what jewellery does, isn’t it, it carries a person, a memory, a feeling with you.

Pieces featured include Amara Link Necklace and Wide Band Ring.