About Me

My name is Sarah Ward and I’m an award-winning freelance art director and shoot producer, specialising in photography for film and television publicity and advertising. I have many years of experience working on projects large and small, in the UK, Europe and the USA.

I completed an art & design degree in London at the end of the nineties and have been lucky enough to work in the British media ever since. I started my career as a designer on women’s fashion glossy, Eve, and many magazine jobs followed, with highlights being time spent on Esquire, GQ, Instyle, Cosmo and Coast.

Around twelve years ago an opportunity arose to go back and work for BBC Worldwide (now BBC Studios), not in magazines this time, but in the international advertising end of programme making. There I got to create and art direct the photographic briefs on many of the UK’s top drama, comedy and natural history programmes such as Sherlock, Upstairs Downstairs, Human Planet, Frozen Planet and many more.

After five years in that role I moved in-house to the BBC and worked for their in-house ad agency, BBC Creative. On a daily basis I created campaign briefs, commissioned, directed and produced publicity photography and acted as a creative consultant on a wide range of inspiring BBC TV and radio programmes. I also managed high profile red carpet and live event photography.

In 2018 I decided it was finally time to go freelance again. I now work alongside UK and international broadcasters, networks and production companies to manage and create outstanding photography led marketing and publicity campaigns in print, digital, online and social media.

For the last two years I’ve also been a guest lecturer at Falmouth University’s Institute of Photography.

Awards

2023 – Promax BRONZE: Best Lead Visual (Inside Man)
2018 – Promax GOLD: Best Key Art (Requiem)
2016/17 – listed in Lürzer’s International Archive – 200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide (Strange & Norrell)
2015 – Promax shortlist: Best content or long form (BBC Music: God Only Knows)
2014 – Promax shortlist: Best launch campaign (Sochi Winter Olympics)