willits center for the arts: sarah mckinley

Sarah McKinley has lived in Willits all her life. She has had a lifelong interest in photography, inspired both by nature and her father, the late Steve McKinley’s, skill as an amateur photographer. After graduating from Willits High School, she attended Sonoma State University where she studied black and white photography in the art department. She graduated with a B.A. in studio arts in December of 2003. She has been working in a Ukiah photo lab since November of 2004.

The works she has entered into this exhibition are examples of her favorite subjects. Black and white photography is where she explores her interest in line, shape, and contrast. Removing color highlights form. With photographs of birds, she likes to capture them in moments that say something about the species: a red-shouldered hawk staring down from a tree; a nuthatch moving headfirst down a trunk; a great blue heron taking off with its long legs dangling behind. When it comes to flowers, Sarah likes to get down to their level to capture a sense of their environment.