About Sandra

With over sixteen years experience working in both film and digital photography, Sandra Coan has become Seattle’s premier maternity, newborn and family photographer.

Her award winning work has been featured in a variety of publications including Click Magazine, Lemonade and Lenses, Seattle Bride, Plum, Bump and The Knot and on the popular blogs Let the Kids Dress Themselves, Light Inspired and Beyond the Wanderlust.  Sandra's work is also now a part of the Seattle Museum of History and Industry’s permanent collection.

As co-founder and editor of Little Bellows, an online community celebrating the beauty of film photography,  Sandra shares her passion for the medium of film with others.

And she works as an educator,  teaching fellow photographers through her workshops and industry conferences.

To book an appointment with Sandra, contact her at sandra@sandracoan.com, or by phone at 206-841-2260.

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Why I Shoot Film.

Clients often comment on the fact that my work does not look like other newborn photography they’ve seen.  Part of that is due to my minimalistic style.  I don’t pose babies or use props, which I know is uncommon in my field.  But part of my look is also due to the way I capture my images.  

Everything seen on my website was shot on film.  And the subtle look of film is, what I believe, people are seeing when they comment on the distinct look of my work. 

I choose film because my goal is to create timeless images for my clients.  I want their baby’s photos to have the same sense of nostalgia that baby photos of their grandparents have.  Film helps me create that.  

I also choose film because I know I can trust it. 

I don’t know what the future holds.  I don’t know if we will be able to open and view a CD or a thumb drive or even what will happen to “cloud storage” in ten, twenty or 100 years from now..  What I do know is that the floppy disks I used in college are obsolete, but the film negatives I have from my own childhood and even from my parent’s childhood are still printable.  I know that when I shoot a roll of film the lab will scan it and send it to me as a jpeg file that I can then save on my computer and share with my clients.  But, if (God forbid) something were to cause my computer or my hard drives to crash, there would still be the negative, and those images would not be lost.  

I choose film because shooting film makes me a better photographer.  It slows me down.  It makes me think.  It allows me to look up from my camera and connect with the people I’m working with.  

Most importantly though, I choose film because it brings me joy.  I share that joy with my clients and it comes through in my images. It also inspires me, which means I love my job and even after 16 years of doing it, I never feel burt out.  In fact, I look forward to each and every session I shoot and am looking forward to many more years to come.

What My Clients Have to Say

What My Clients Have To Say

“I just received Lauryn’s birth and newborn photos and I am without words for the beauty and depth of your work. You have been capturing our family in photographs since Finley came into the world 7 years ago. 

You were there in the delivery room with us when Peter was born 2 years later, and you have been there for birthdays, anniversaries and holiday shoots in between. 

The birth of a child is one of life’s most sacred and miraculous moments, and we have been honored to share this life event with you three times over. 

You are quiet and unobtrusive in your presence, and yet as both friend and family to us, you have provided significant support and love through your work.

The images we have of our family tell a story, an unfolding of such beautiful lives. Thank you for being there with us along this amazing journey of bringing life into this world, and the nurturing of it. 

Thank you for your brilliant and stunning work, your love and passion.”

— Elysia Heller

“I just realized that I never thanked you for the gorgeous series of maternity photos you sent so promptly.

The maternity photos you took for me are just stunning. 

In them, I recognize the most beautiful version of myself and hopes for my baby. 

I think I told you that I was feeling hesitant about requesting maternity photos, but I am so thankful to have found your talented studio, so that I can always have clear memories of this awesome time in my life.

Thank you for making the experience so comfortable and fun!
I cannot wait for you to meet baby boy at the newborn shoot soon.”

— Meagan Dodge

“Sandra - thank you SO MUCH for these pics! I don’t know how you got so many good shots out of this session with my shy little monkey... but that’s just one of the many reasons why you’re so good. They are wonderful!!!

I love love love working with you!”

— Megan Riley

“Sandra Coan is a master photographer. 

I’m a photographer, not a family photographer, and I exclusivly use Sandra to photograph my children.

Sandra’s careful attention to producing artistic and technically perfect images is a huge breath of fresh air in this age of ‘instant gratifcation’. 

I recommend Sandra to everyone I know, even my own clients who ask me to photograph their children.”

— Christina Mallet

“I’ve followed Sandra’s work for years...she photographed some friend’s kids, and I love seeing her Facebook page of shot after amazing shot. She has a great style and uncanny knack for capturing the different personalities of her little subjects. 

Sadly, my chance to hire her personally only came when I needed a photographer for a memorial service. Not a happy occasion, but I am so glad she was there to document the service. The photos she took managed to capture the love, sadness, and celebration of life absolutely perfectly. 

Thank you Sandra for being an important part of a really hard day.”

— Cory Smith

“Sandra is an amazing talent and wonderful to work with. She did my maternity photos and then did a newborn shoot of my twins after they arrived. 

This morning we had the twins 2 year photos taken and they were, as always, amazing. 

I’m in awe of her ability to so beautifully capture a moment or the essence of in individual. She is professional, easy going and fun to work with. 

We will go back to her each and every year for our kids pictures and any other occasions we wish to capture on film.”

— Poppy W

“Sandra!!!  You are a genius, thank you so much!!! I am totally thrilled and can't even decide which ones to use. Brilliant.  Lovely working with you.”

-Kate

“Holy CATS, Sandra! Is that Lauren?  My daughter?  OMGoodness, she's beautiful.  You are a genius with the camera, getting such fantastic images and coaxing just the right movement to evoke a mood on film.  I'm blown away.  Really.”

- Piper

“You are AMAZING!!!  Seriously, you captured each shot and individual/combination of people just perfectly! Sandra, I cannot thank you enough for such beautiful artistry. James and I are just in awe and love everyone of these.

Thanks again--I am just in love with these. “

-Jaime

“Sandra I love these photos!!!  I feel so glamorous!!  Oh my gosh, I just love them, thank you so much. I am totally elated!!! Eli is going to flip out!  :)”

-Bronwan

“Oh Sandy, they are just beautiful! I can't stop looking at them. We'll cherish them forever. Thank you so much! You are truly gifted.”

-Shelley

Online Reviews:

“Sandra is wonderful! She did a beautiful and perfect job capturing our triplets for their one year old portraits! She even helped change one into a new outfit and offered to help feed them their lunch bottle - only a momma of twins would think to offer that!! She is great and highly recommended - she will be shooting our three from now on!”

-Lisha

“I had maternity and infant photos done by Sandra. I was worried that the maternity photos would be awkward, as you are pretty much naked in them, but she is so relaxed and down to earth, it was really no big deal. And the photos turned out great! Same for the infant photos -- she takes her time and doesn't rush and makes the whole experience a positive one.”

-Courtney

“Sandra is amazing! If you have kids and want some great family photos for Christmas cards, your home, etc, Sandy is the one to call. She does so well at drawing out the cute smiles, thoughtful looks and silly faces. I am not particularly photogenic, and she made me look fantastic! I also love that she starts and finishes on time and that I can buy the CD of my photos to do with as I please rather than having to buy one photograph at a time from her. I had some very specific shots I needed this year for a specifically designed Christmas card and Sandy did an excellent job of meeting that need. I HIGHLY recommend Sandy as your photographer”

-Carla